Tales of the Shire Preview: Promising Life Simulation In A Setting That Deserves Greatness

is all about the call of adventure and duty beyond the comfort of home, but is a Middle-Earth game for those who would rather resist the call. Developed by Wētā Workshop and published by Private Division, the game replaces full-scale battles with trials like nailing the consistency of a stew. It's squarely positioned as a part of the burgeoning cozy game market, focusing on all the mundane parts of life but making them charming and attractive in the way that only a video game can.

In advance of a Hobbit Day stream for, had the opportunity to see how the first 90 minutes of play out. As a game that unfolds at your own pace, what might be accomplished in that snippet of time can vary wildly. There's certainly plenty to do in the village of Bywater, however, and the preview largely served as the kind of appetizer that makes second breakfast sound even more appealing.

opens with a character creator screen, and the aesthetic of the game already establishes itself here as something that's bound to be divisive. Characters bear a passing resemblance to intentionally lumpy clay creations, with slightly comical posture and cartoonish animations. The overall package mixes charming choices with odd decisions, like the prevalence of heavy eyeliner that makes hobbits and gray wizards alike look runway-ready.

The best visual aspects of the game are found in the lush environments of the Shire, where painterly texture work and layered vegetation take the lead. Sunlight dapples across softly blended colors to excellent effect, bringing the scene to life in a way that plenty of games gunning for higher fidelity struggle to achieve. A revamped approach to sunrise and sunset could highlight these strengths, as the transition periods are currently little more than gray, and some work on character shadows would make them blend in more naturally.

I spent much of my 90 minutes with the game running back and forth across this landscape, partly with the intent of sightseeing but mostly for