Okay, so here’s the lowdown on this game, “Tales of the Shire.” You ever heard of the Hobbits? I mean, who hasn’t, right? Those little guys, with their homes and their tea times—they scream coziness. So you’d think a game about them would be a snug little fit, like a warm blanket on a chilly night. But somehow, it’s like brewing tea and running out of water halfway through.
This thing kicks off set somewhere between Bilbo’s shenanigans in “The Hobbit” and the epic drama of “The Lord of the Rings.” Gandalf pops up for a quick hello—classic move. You slide into the shoes of your own Hobbit, plopped right into Bywater. Imagine stepping into a community, full of hustle and bustle, trying to make it a legit village of Hobbiton. Running around chatting with folks, and oh, the cooking quests. Everyone seems to want a bite of something homemade. Bywater’s not massive, but twisty enough to make you wonder if it’s a tiny bit evil.
Cooking. Let’s talk about that. This game sticks to it like glue. From picking stuff in your veggie patch to rummaging for odd greens, it’s all about whipping up meals. I kinda dig that focus, but it feels like there’s not much else going on. Every little side story morphs into a dining invite. Different dishes for different pals—but then, it’s like hitting replay on a never-ending loop. Excited reactions all around… yawn. You’d think a game bathing in Hobbit lifestyle would have you feel hungry, but nope. And maybe that’s okay. Or maybe not.
Days pass, one after the other, pretty standard for life-sim types. Cook, fish, farm, repeat until it’s sleep time. There’s no great penalty for staying up late, just a groggy late start. Early on, I’d mope around, running out of activities with time still ticking. Standing by the pond, fishing, just waiting.
Switching gears—literally—to consoles: you play it on the Nintendo Switch, or its cooler cousin, the Switch 2. Graphics? Nothing to write home about. Okay-ish, slightly boring, and those Hobbits… well, something’s just off with their looks. Kudos for the dwarf lady with her beard though. Frame rate fumbles here and there, like an awkward teen dance. The Switch 1 struggles more, but even the Switch 2 trips a bit. The red sky glitch had me scratching my head—didn’t happen on the Switch 1, but who really knows why? Biggest gripe? Crashes. Oh, the horror of fighting a game that quits more than a sore loser. I was saving my progress like it was my only lifeline after hitting brick walls over and over.
At its core, “Tales of the Shire” sounds like a dream—great concept, charming scribbles of script. Feels like an unfinished canvas, waiting for the masterpiece to bloom. But today, as it stands, it’s more shadow than substance. Add in tech hiccups that tarnish the experience, and even die-hard fans might pause. I want to love it, I do. Maybe someday it’ll shine brighter, but right now? It’s not quite there.
