Summary
Middle-earth has a rather extensive history, with its earliest stories taking it all the way back to The First Age, an era set thousands of years beforeThe Hobbitand the mainLord of the Ringstrilogy. While a handful of books and notes have been written about The First Age, andThe Rings of Powershowis set during the Second Age, the bulk of Middle-earth’s stories land in The Third Age, and that includes the upcomingTales of the Shire,based on Gandalf’s presence in the game.
A cozy Hobbit life-sim that sees players customize and expand the peaceful town of Bywater,Tales of the Shireis currently set to release sometime this year, though details are still a little scarce on what fans can expect from theAnimal CrossingandStardew Valley-like title. It’s also not currently known exactly whenTales of the Shireis set, which means that the game has one big choice ahead of it. EitherTales of the Shirecan ignore the all-important War of the Ring completely, or it can choose to reference it, and the smartest decision might be the latter.
Tales of the Shire Can’t Just Ignore The War of the Ring
How Tales of the Shire Can Work the War of the Ring Into its Cozy Gameplay
As anyLord of the Ringsfan will already know,the War of the Ringis not really great material for a cozy Hobbit life-sim game. The War of the Ring is filled with violent battles, an ever-growing darkness, powerful forces of evil, a ton of death, and the near-extinction of humankind. It’s pretty full-on stuff, and not really somethingTales of the Shirewould want to put at the forefront of its relaxing, chill experience. But there are ways the War of the Ring could be implemented intoTales of the Shirewithout bringing the tone down too much.
IfTales of the Shireis set in the midst of the War of the Ring, then players could receive infrequent references to it via traveling merchants. For instance, a merchant from Rohan or Gondor could find their way to Bywater, and as the player is perusing their wares, they could be told of the conflict raging in the southeast. Each time these traveling merchants come to visit, they could provide new updates on the war, telling players ofkey battles like Helm’s Deep. The War of the Ring could also be used as a backdrop for some more cozy objectives. For example, players could be tasked with cooking a batch of meals to be sent out to the frontlines, or crafting some clothing or gear that friendly soldiers require.
There’s also a possibility thatTales of the Shireis set after the War of the Ring or just before it, and there are still ways it could integrate that into gameplay. IfTales of the Shireis set before the War of the Ring, its traveling merchants could speak of rumors that they heard of darkness growing outside Mordor. And ifTales of the Shireis set soon after the war, they could meet ex-soldiers as they pass through the town, hearing about their daring feats of bravery retroactively. The War of the Ring is such an integral part oftheLord of the Ringsfranchise, and ifTales of the Shireis set anytime near it, there’s no way it could just ignore it completely.
Tales of the Shire Can Use the War of the Ring to Highlight Bywater’s Serenity
Another benefit toTales of Shirereferencing the War of the Ring is that, by comparison,the town of Bywateris going to seem even more idyllic than it already does. The rolling green hills, the bright and colorful town square, and the cozy interior of the player’s little Hobbit home are all going to feel much more peaceful with the knowledge that they’re residing in a safe haven.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
