Review of “Tales of the Shire”

Hey, so here’s the thing. You ever get hooked on the idea of cozy stuff? Like, it’s supposed to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Enter Hobbits. Yep, those little dudes from Tolkien’s world who are all about comfort, clean houses, and good grub. “Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game” sounds like it should nail this vibe. But, uh, let’s just say it cooks up more like a half-baked pie.

So, you start the game as a hobbit—custom-made, mind you—plopped into Bywater. Got it? And right off the bat, there’s Gandalf. Random, I know, but it’s like a treasure hunt for Tolkien fans with all these little nods to the books scattered around. Anyways, you’re supposed to get Bywater on the map as a legit village of Hobbiton. But how? By running errands, basically. It’s mostly about chatting with folks until someone says, “Hey, cook this.” Bywater isn’t a big place, but it sure feels like a maze. Strangely enough, I actually wanted to keep doing these quests. Weird, huh?

Now, cooking is a big deal in the game. Plant veggies, pick wild plants, whip up a meal—that’s your life now. Honestly, it fits the whole hobbit lifestyle. But it’s like every quest just leads you to invite someone for dinner, make their favorite dish, then watch the same reaction loop over and over. It’s fine the first few times, but not enough to keep me hooked forever. You cook incessantly yet your character never seems to get hungry. How very un-hobbity. On the flip side, it’s relaxing. Maybe too relaxing?

Moving on, it’s got this day system. Standard stuff: mornings for farming, afternoons for fishing. Characters come and go on their own clocks. Shops open and close, nights roll in—you get the drill. If you’re a night owl, surprise! You just sleep in the next day. I ended up bored a lot, just casting lines into the water until bedtime.

This thing’s out for Nintendo Switch and guess what? Switch 2 as well. I got my hands on both, and the game looks okay on each. But the hobbits themselves? Yikes, not feeling it. A bearded dwarf lady does get a tip of the hat, though. Frame rate goes on a rollercoaster, especially on Switch 1. Switch 2, better, but not perfect. And, oh, the sky went all crimson on me once while playing on Switch 2. Glitch? Maybe. Crashes? Definitely. Like, every 20 minutes. So, saving became my new hobby. Nothing like losing progress to send you to bed grumbling.

In the end, “Tales of the Shire” seems like an awesome idea, just… not quite there. The bones are good, writing’s charming—all the trappings of a good game. But as it stands? I gotta say, maybe wait it out or find other ways to cozy up. I mean, maybe down the line it’ll get polished and shine, but I guess we’re left waiting and hoping.