Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game Reviews
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
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
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.
There’s some cozy joy to be had in the slow-paced daily life of a Hobbit here, but Tales of the Shire ultimately fails to capture the magic of The Lord of the Rings or invent much of its own.
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings ™ Game offers a means to jump into Tolkien’s world of Middle-Earth to live a life as a humble hobbit in Bywater. I loved embodying the simplistic life of a hobbit just trying to fit in, and forming bonds with the locals by ways of making them meals. While I fully believe that this game would benefit greatly from some quality of life changes as well as additional crafting and NPC engagement amidst a broader story, I have had a lot of fun as a hobbit and I can see the potential for it to be a fabulous game that will bring me back to continue my new adventure!
People remember The Lord of the Rings for its epic scale, but at its heart, it's a story about home. About why it's worth fighting for. About friendship, gardens, laughter, and peace. Tales of the Shire is the best Middle-earth game at understanding this.
Tales of the Shire is a decent life-sim game with an engaging cooking mechanic, but that's the most stellar thing about it. Bywater, while picturesque in its own way, doesn't feel like home, and it doesn’t help that the game is also flawed by its technical and optimization issues, which only turns the experience more sour.
There's room for improvement. It remains to be seen whether they'll continue to support and polish the game or whether they'll simply wash their hands of it as soon as it's released.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Instead of a high-stakes quest, Tales of the Shire is a slow, community-driven experience. You meet hobbits, complete small quests (yes, sometimes they're fetchy), and build relationships. It feels true to Tolkien’s vision of the Shire: a world outside the world, untouched by the urgency of war and darkness. It’s not about what you accomplish but how you settle in. And for me, that’s exactly what I wanted. ...Tales of the Shire does have a few technical hiccups. On my Switch, I didn’t run into crashes or major performance issues (aside from the lack of music), which others did report on PC via Steam and Nintendo Switch. But I did see texture loading delays. Furniture and hobbit outfits sometimes started off much simpler and snapped into detail a few seconds later, especially in cutscenes or busy shops. It’s not game-breaking, but it is noticeable. I’m hopeful this will be patched, because everything else ran beautifully. Movement was smooth, loading times were short, and I didn’t experience any framerate drops. Compared to the complaints in other Tales of the Shire reviews, my experience was much more stable.
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game brings Tolkien fans to the Shire in a new cozy adventure that wears out its welcome a bit too quickly.
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game allows you to live out the life of a hobbit in a warm and welcoming world, with some nice ideas throughout.
I am a bit disappointed with Tales of the Shire. The idea was great, but the execution just didn’t capture the magic of Tolkien’s world.
There is something magical in Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of The Rings Game, but it’s sometimes hard to find it… Still, I keep thinking that while a Hobbit hole means comfort, Tolkien’s favorite characters also deserve a bit more depth than just resting on genre fundamentals.
Tales of the Shire perfectly captures the atmosphere it set out to create. It's clear that the developers understand and love the series. It's truly enchanting to experience the daily life of a Hobbit, forge bonds with captivating characters, and prepare delicious food.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If you’re searching for a game where you can stop, smell the roses, wander through the fields, and dive into a pleasingly simple life, Tales of the Shire is for you.
For those looking for a quiet life in Hobbiton, Tales of the Shire is perfect. Wētā Workshop masterfully delivers a game about community in a cozy format that's small in size, but big in heart. It only seems to struggle when it gets too close to it's environments.
Tales of the Shire captures the serenity of living life in a backwater village as a Hobbit, warts and all.