Summary
Tales of the Shirehas a lot of excitement and curiosity surrounding it. Announced back in April, the game surprised many by showing a cozy side to the oftentimes tumultuous world ofThe Lord of the Rings. Following its reveal trailer, many have wondered ifTales of the Shirewill feature any notable characters fromThe Lord of the Ringsfranchise.
Character cameos inTales of the Shirefeel inevitable. The manyiconic faces ofThe Lord of the Ringsare vital to the game’s lore, so leaving all of them out would be surprising. However, there is also a delicate balancing act to consider when wanting to keepTales of the Shire’s cozy atmosphere intact. Seeing well-known characters make an appearance in the town of Bywater would be great, but it could also hurt the game’s intended tone.
Tales of the Shire Cameos Need to Make Sense to be Effective
Adding Characters For the Sake of Fan Service Could be the Wrong Move
Tales of the Shireoffers a new look at Middle Earth. The Shire has been featured in spurts, but an entire story focused on the peaceful world of Hobbits isn’t seen nearly as often.The Lord of the Ringsusually focuses on the fight between good and evil, andTales of the Shirechoosing to forego actionin exchange for a cozy experience is an intriguing change of pace.
Out of all the characters primed for a cameo, it makes sense for Gandalf to be a shoo-in.Gandalf is a common visitor to the Shire, so it would be surprising for the wizard to never be seen visiting the Hobbits. Frodo, Samwise, Merry, and Pippin would also make the most sense to run into while exploring the Shire, but there are other characters who may not make as much sense.
Tales of the Shirehas yet to secure an official release date, but it is scheduled to launch sometime in 2024.
Characters like Aragorn or Legolas would need a backstory explanation as to why they have arrived in Bywater. Of course, it could simply just be that they want to visit Frodo, if the game isn’t entirely canon to the books, but that won’t exactly be satisfying. An explanation like that could easily feel like a cop-out. SinceThe Lord of the Ringshas such specific loresurrounding it, simple explanations may not suffice. Yes,Tales of the Shireis all about simplicity and relaxation, but it also needs to avoid being lazy with its story. Whichever characters make an appearance needs to actually serve the story and make sense in the context of the game.
Tales of the Shire Faces Lofty Expectations
A Trend of Disappointing Lord of the Rings Adaptations Needs to Stop
It’s not been the best time for video games based onThe Lord of the Rings.TheGollumgame was one of the worst gamesof 2023, whileReturn to Moriacame and went without much fanfare. So, unfortunately, there is a lot riding onTales of the Shire’s launch. The concept itself seems like a perfect fit. The Hobbits are the best race in the franchise to focus a cozy-centricStardew Valley-esque game on, but it can’t just depend on brand recognition alone. There are already concerns about the graphics and visuals of the game, so cameos would have to be strong enough to redeem some ofTales of the Shire’s potential shortcomings.
The good news, though, is that Weta Workshop is in charge of the game’s development. Although this is the studio’s first game, Weta Workshop’s special effects work helped bringThe Lord of the Ringsmovies to life. In an era whereThe Lord of the Ringsgameshave felt haphazardly crafted,Tales of the Shirehaving Weta Workshop at its wheel is promising.
