Summary
Ever since the Peter Jackson films, many Tolkien fans would jump at a chance to visit the Shire. Thankfully for them,Tales of the Shireis a surefire way to scratch that itch. A marriage ofAnimal Crossingand the idyllic land of the Hobbits, the game is shaping up to be a bright, relaxing title forLord of the Ringsfans looking for a more laid back gaming experience. From decorating their own cozy little Hobbit hole to partaking inthe Shire’s many parties and festivities, it’s the closest fans can get to actually being in the iconic fantasy setting short of hopping a plane to visit the actual filming location in New Zealand.
Fans of Middle-earth have been spoiled for entertainment lately. The recent announcement ofTales of the Shireand the return of Amazon’sRings of Powerseries means that 2024 is going to be a great year forLord of the Ringscontent. So great, in fact, that the developers at Weta Workshop Game Studio would be leaving a ton of money on the table not acknowledging the show in some kind of crossover DLC content.
How Tales From the Shire Can Crossover With Rings of Power
Tolkien famously documented the entire history of his fictional setting across his many works, most notably inThe Silmarillion. Amazon’s show takes place in the Second Age, when there is relatively little conflict, as Sauron has yet to fully solidify his power base and become the master of evil fans know him as.Rings of Powercurrently features classic Tolkien figureslike Galadriel, Celebrimbor, Sauron, and Elrond, along with a cast of new characters created to fill out the world of the show.
Most notable among these new characters are the Hobbit stand-ins.Rings of Powerinstead featuresHarfoots, which are a precursor to Hobbitsthat Tolkien briefly described in some of his more obscure writings. The show eschewed using Hobbit characters in order to maintain the canon that the Shire and its denizens remained untouched from the horrors of Middle-earth until the events ofThe HobbitandLord of the Ringsbooks.
What Can Tales of the Shire Incorporate from Rings of Power?
That said, the developers at Weta are sitting on a huge opportunity to crossover with the show. Both projects are due out around the same time frame. The popularity ofRings of Powerso far means it’s an obvious choice for collaboration. From character orHobbit hole customization optionsthat make callbacks to the show, to cosmetics that make the player resemble characters like Marigold, Sadoc, and Elanor, to even allowing players to play as a descendant of the Harfoots from the show rather than a Hobbit.
Though the show is more or less an ensemble production, it’s arguable that the protagonist of the show could even appear in the game herself.Galadriel, the heroic elven warriorwho believes a long nascent evil is returning to the world, is one of the most long-lived characters in the series and has displayed a certain soft spot for the hobbits in previous material. This cozy new game could bridge the gap between her warrior portrayal inRings of Powerand her more regal, reserved self in theLord of the Ringstrilogy.
Will the Harfoots be in Tales of the Shire?
Where the game falls in the Middle-earth timeline is presently unclear, though the appearance ofGandalf the Grey in the firstTales of the Shiretrailerseems to indicate the game is closer to the trilogy than the Amazon show. This, unfortunately, means that all the human and Harfoot characters fromRings of Powerwill be long dead by the time of the game.
This doesn’t preventTales of the Shirefrom referencing the Harfootsor their eventual fate in the canon. In fact, references to the Harfoots and the events of the show in general would be a welcome addition toTales of the Shire. It would go the extra mile of making the world feel that much more cohesive and start the work of incorporating Amazon’s contributions to the lore into other adjacent works.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
