Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Türkçe
Svenska
Chinese
MagyarAnimal Crossing with Hobbits: New Lord of the Rings game Tales of the Shire announced, release later this year
The stealth adventure The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is one of the worst games of 2023, making fans' desire for a good, new game set in Middle-earth all the greater. Tales of the Shire, which was officially announced yesterday, could be that game. Apparently, it does a few things differently from the previous installments in the franchise. Instead of slaughtering orcs, players lead the life of a peaceful Shire dweller.
Build a hobbit cave, catch fish and smoke a pipe
Everything that is known about Tales of the Shire so far comes from the announcement trailer. It shows a hobbit doing various things - including close-ups of his hairy feet. The Shire dweller can be seen in his hobbit cave, fishing, gardening and interacting with a merchant. The hobbit is not seen smoking a pipe in the trailer, but a good herb is of course a must for the halflings.
So far, everything indicates that Tales of the Shire will be a cozy game à la Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley. Graphically, it is also more reminiscent of the charming and playful styles of these games than AAA titles such as Middle-earth: Shadow of War (available here on Amazon). According to the announcement trailer, Tales of the Shire will be released in 2024 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X / S and via Steam for PC.
Developed by Wētā Workshop
Wētā Workshop is a New Zealand company that specializes in special effects and props and was responsible for the effects, costumes, weapons and set designs in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. In 2014, the company founded its own game studio, Wētā Workshop Game Studio, which is now working on Tales of the Shire.
The developer studio's only release is the mixed reality game Dr. Grordbort's Invaders which is available on the Magic Leap platform. Wētā Workshop therefore does not have much previous experience in game development. However, the company should know exactly how to stage the characters in Middle-earth.
Tales of the Shire is published by Private Division - a Take Two Interactive subsidiary that specializes in publishing titles from medium-sized, independent developers and is known for games such as "The Outer Worlds".
Source(s)
