Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game Reviews
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game from developer Weta Workshop and publisher Private Division isn’t going to redefine the way a Tolkien license is presented in games, nor is it going to add more depth to the cosy life simulator genre. It’s a simple gameplay experience that brings easy quests, limited yet fun exploration, and an addictive ingredient and meal crafting component.
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game is an excellent way to take a break between playing more intensive titles. While fans of Tolkien's works might find the gameplay to be interesting, there isn't much to chew on when it comes to the story.
While there are certainly some areas where Tales of the Shire shines, like its highly engaging cooking mechanics, the package as a whole is lacking the polish to be a real winner. There was clearly a lot of love put into the game, and hopefully, with future patches, the performance issues will be resolved. For now, though, I am still longing for the rolling green hills of the Shire, because this game didn't quite scratch that itch.
Tales of the Shire brings enough original content to the second breakfast table to satisfy Tolkien fans and devout cozy gamers alike.
I don't think it's worth starting Tales of the Shire for the plot, or to tick off another item from the Lord of the Rings universe, but it's worth experiencing for its well-constructed atmosphere. It's a great cozy game that makes good use of its source material.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Tales of the Shire is a Hobbit lifestyle cozy game Tolkien would be proud of and WETA Workshop clearly loved. Hardcore gamers may be confused by the seemingly inane life of Hobbits, also its limited presentation aspects. Still, if you're a Lord of the Rings fan wanting something truly different, this is a welcome change of pace. Note I experienced zero performance/glitch issues on the PS5 Pro (as other platforms weren't so lucky).
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is such a great idea, but it becomes way too apparent, far too quickly, that the developers either didn’t have the budget to fully explore their idea, or simply had no idea how to turn the great idea into a compelling game. It’ll leave such a warm impression on you, but once that’s worn off, the game sours more quickly than a poorly cooked rhubarb pie. Hobbits like that for some reason. I do not.
Despite its heartfelt concept and recognizable setting, the game delivers a shallow, buggy experience that feels half-finished. Without narrative growth, gameplay evolution, or technical stability, Tales of the Shire struggles to justify its promise or price.
Instead it is a shallow glimpse at what could be. When you factor in significant performance issues that even the Switch 2 can't seem to brute force, and constant stability problems, it becomes very hard to recommend this game. I really want to like Tales of the Shire. I think there is a reality in which it could potentially get better in time, but it just isn't there yet.
By itself, Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings game is fine. The aesthetic is accurate, and the emphasis on cooking makes it feel very different from many other games of this type. However, the game feels like it is lacking in other areas that are seen as genre staples, making the game feel rather light at first glance. This is before you start to compare the game to other licensed cozy life sims and see that those games have much more to offer before the amount of stuff to do starts to dry up. Again, this game is fine, but there are better examples of the genre.
Tales of the Shire knows its audience very well and delivers a wonderful experience where we can embrace a really authentic hobbit life. Aside from a few performance issues and usability decisions that could be improved, it's a game that any fan of Middle-earth will fall in love with.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Tales of the Shire, as its charming village life and hobbit friendships created a fun, stress-free experience. However, despite its delays, the game needs significant polish, with the PS5 version suffering from terrible performance and frustrating bugs that require substantial updates to perfect the otherwise highly recommendable cozy title.
Review in German | Read full review
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game brings a unique concept to the Tolkien adaptation library and accomplishes its goal in a shallow manner, putting players in the role of one of the most iconic people of the Middle Earth. However, just like a poorly prepared cake, it presents big inconsistencies that make the end result practically empty and flavorless.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Tales of the Shire is nothing if not low stakes and low stress. But it also makes for an extremely dull experience if you want even the slightest bit more than that, which makes it very hard to recommend.
Accordingly, we recommend only die-hard fans take a look, while everyone else should opt for titles like "Story of Season" and especially "Animal Crossing."
Review in German | Read full review
Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game is a charming proposition at first glance, offering a fresh take on Middle-earth by focusing on the everyday lives of hobbits. Its welcoming aesthetic and respect for the spirit of Tolkien's work certainly appeal to fans of the universe. However, its lack of depth in mechanics, lack of innovation within the cozy genre itself, and excessively slow pace make the experience repetitive and dull.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Tales of the Shire lets you unwind in the peaceful life of a Hobbit, offering cozy activities like fishing, farming, and elaborate cooking with rewarding progression, though its shallow quests, lack of deeper interactions, missing festive elements, and technical shortcomings hold it back from being the idyllic Shire experience it could have been.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Despite its promising premise and cutesy graphics, Tales of the Shire is slow to the point of stressful, with a lack of interesting characters to retain interest.
Tales of the Shire is not a game that overwhelms with mechanics, tells spectacular twists and turns or keeps players enthralled for hours. And that is precisely its greatest strength. It is a feel-good game through and through for a short holiday in the Shire, where you can simply forget about everyday life. The relaxed atmosphere, the lovingly designed world and the focus on the simple life of the hobbits make for a pleasantly decelerated gaming experience. Anyone who enjoys collecting, gardening, cooking and decorating will quickly feel at home here. However, the game often only scratches the surface in terms of content: the quests are simple, the inventory is too small and the potential in some areas of gameplay unfortunately remains unutilised.
Review in German | Read full review
I don’t see me putting it down anytime soon. The game’s vibes are exactly what I want right now. It’s happy, it’s cozy, it lets me be a hobbit for a while.