Summary

  • Tales of the Shire offers a cozy take on the Lord of the Rings franchise, focusing on the peaceful life of Hobbits for a change.
  • The apparent lack of multiplayer in Tales of the Shire is disappointing, as it's a staple feature in cozy life sim games.
  • While multiplayer doesn't seem to be part of the game as of now, there is a possibility of post-launch plans to add this feature in the future.

Tales of the Shire is the next big game to take inspiration from the Lord of the Rings franchise, except this time it's all about being cozy. When it comes to games based on the Lord of the Rings franchise, it usually revolves around the dark and serious themes that the series has become known for, but Tales of the Shire is taking a different approach by focusing on the peaceful life of the Hobbits.

Following in the footsteps of Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, Tales of the Shire allows players to experience the wonderfully relaxed life of a Hobbit, and it looks to be a great change of pace. There are high hopes for Tales of the Shire, especially after Gollum and Return to Moria left much to be desired for many players. When it comes to cozy life simulation games, there are staple features that many have grown to expect from the genre, but it seems that Tales of the Shire may be bypassing a popular feature: multiplayer.

View of Bywater in Tales of the Shire
Tales of the Shire's Bywater Explained

Weta Workshop's upcoming cozy life sim Tales of the Shire takes place in the village of Bywater, which has a much deeper history than some might know.

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Tales of the Shire Not Having Multiplayer is Confusing

As of now, Tales of the Shire's Steam page lists the game as single-player, and this could be one of the game's biggest missed opportunities. If the Steam page’s single-player label is completely accurate, then it's quite a surprising choice for developer Weta Workshop to make. There are a few features many fans of cozy life sims expect to see in Tales of the Shire, and multiplayer is definitely a feature that some may have expected when the game was first announced.

Multiplayer is a Cornerstone Feature of Many Cozy Games

It may have not always been this way, but multiplayer in cozy games has become a major feature in these types of titles. Animal Crossing has become well known for its multiplayer, and imagining a world where future entries in the Nintendo series didn't include the feature just feels wrong. It's highly possible that Weta Workshop took a lot of inspiration from Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, as those are the most popular titles in the genre, so it's confusing that multiplayer would seemingly be bypassed.

Based on the footage from Tales of the Shire's announcement trailer, it seems like there's a great amount of fun activities to take part in, and they would be perfect for co-op. Fishing, baking, or foraging is a great recipe for a multiplayer experience, and not including this mode in the game could be a risky move that makes the game feel empty for players who prefer experiencing this genre with friends.

There is currently no official release date for Tales of the Shire, but it's expected to launch later this year.

Possible Post-Launch Plans for Tales of the Shire

However, there is also the possibility that Tales of the Shire could have multiplayer on its list of post-launch plans. There are already an exciting number of features promised for Tales of the Shire at launch. Although it seems like multiplayer won't be one of those features to look forward to on release, there's still the possibility that it could be added later on in the game's life, especially if there's a big demand for it. The only issue is that this is a really complex mode to add later on in a game's life, especially online multiplayer.

So far, Tales of the Shire looks promising, but there are some valid concerns regarding the game. It's incredibly exciting that Weta Workshop, the special effects studio partially responsible for bringing Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy to life, is developing the game, but it's also the company's first attempt at game development. Tales of the Shire has a lot of potential, but the apparent lack of multiplayer is disappointing, because this is the perfect game to spend hours playing with friends.

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The Lord of the Rings
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Created by
J. R. R. Tolkien
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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. 

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