Summary
Although there has been a trailer revealed, much ofTales of the Shireremains a mystery. Since the game sets out to bring cozy gameplay to the world ofLord of the Rings,Tales of the Shirewill likely boast many of the genre’s staple features. From early looks, it’s clear thatTales of the Shireis aiming to make Hobbit life as relaxing and fun as possible, but developer Weta Workshop may have revealed the game too soon.
Since it was announced back in April,speculation aboutTales of the Shirehas persisted as small bits of information have been revealed about the game. There are hopes thatTales of the Shirefeatures many popular characters from the franchise J.R.R. Tolkien brought to life, but the next footage revealed should be ready for launch.
Tales of the Shire Looks Cute, But Also Undercooked
Concerns About Tales of the Shire’s Visuals Explained
Although the initialreaction toTales of the Shirewas positive for many, closer inspection of the trailer has raised some concerns. The artwork of the game has proven to be divisive among potential players. Despite the consensus being that the artwork is cute and matches the cozy genre aesthetic, many have come to the conclusion that it doesn’t necessarily look complete. The colors are muddy, and the graphics and performance appear to be outdated.
Another major point of concern is how little is actually showcased in the game’s announcement trailer. While the first trailer offers a glimpse atwhat players can expect fromTales of the Shire, it’s only brief with no extensive gameplay showcased. For a game that has a release window of 2024,Tales of the Shirehas actually demonstrated very little. Now that the year is already halfway over, Weta Workshop will need to showcase more of the game if the studio wants players to get excited about taking on the role of a Hobbit.
The flat visuals may be disappointing to some, but a new trailer will hopefully shed a brighter light on the project. There is noclear launch date forTales of the Shire, but Weta Workshop has yet to delay its launch. So, if the game is still on schedule to hit its release mark,Tales of the Shireneeds a fresh preview, but it will need crisper visuals and more gameplay demonstrations to satisfy many.
Tales of the Shire Taking Feedback Into Consideration
News aboutTales of the Shire has been quiet as of late, but that also may be due to the reaction to the announcement trailer.TheLord of the Ringsis one of the most successful fantasy franchises in the world, so there arelofty expectations forTales of the Shireto showcase a side of Middle Earth that is seldom seen in the series. It’s quite possible thatTales of the Shirecould hit all the right notes with players in terms of mechanics and lore representation. However, if the game’s visuals look bad, it may deter some players from sticking withTales of the Shire.
Of course, it is incredibly possible for a game with bad visuals to still be a lot of fun. Until more footage fromTales of the Shireis revealed, the state of the game remains a mystery. IfTales of the Shirecontinues to have muddy visuals, it could ultimately hurt the success of the game, even if it proves to be a worthy interpretation ofThe Lord of the Rings. There aremany avenues forTales of the Shireto explore, and it would be disappointing to see some miss out on a potentially great game due to an underwhelming first look.
