Tales of the Shire's Bird Guides Have Serious Ghost of…

Summary

Tales of the Shire innovates on the Lord of the Rings IP, combining laid back gameplay with the charm of Hobbits.
The quest guidance system in Tales of the Shire is similar to Ghost of Tsushima's golden birds, adding a unique element to exploration and increasing immersion.
Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima has set a trend with its bird guidance system, influencing other games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Tales of the Shire.

Private Division and Weta Workshop's cozy farm life sim Tales of the Shire might be one of the more innovative games of 2024. There are plenty of cozy games currently on the market, but Tales of the Shire innovates on its Lord of the Rings IP by daring to be anything but ordinary and far from what is expected to come from the fantasy franchise. Based on early previews, it seems to combine the laidback gameplay of titles like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing with the charm of The Lord of the Rings' Hobbits, so it's already set up to leave a mark (in one way or another).

Tales of the Shire may be a unique innovation of its own IP, but that hasn't stopped it from utilizing some of the best ideas from other popular games. One of Tales of the Shire's features, in particular, is a quest guidance system similar to the golden birds that spawn throughout the open world of Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima. While the two systems aren't identical in their execution, they are certainly alike enough that the comparison is warranted.

Hobbits Have a Natural Downside That Tales of the Shire Has to Consider

Despite all it has going for it, Tales of the Shire has one thing to consider that will ultimately determine its ability to hold players' interest.

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By Josh Cotts

How Tales of the Shire's Bird Guides Compare to Ghost of Tsushima's Golden Birds

Ghost of Tsushima's Golden Birds Act as Optional Guides to Points of Interest

As players explore the vast island of Tsushima in Ghost of Tsushima, they may occasionally hear the polite trill of a golden bird as it attempts to fly into the frame. Upon hearing that trill, players are encouraged to locate the bird and then follow it, as it will lead them to a nearby point of interest. This can include anything from a missable side quest to a headband for Jin Sakai to wear, so these ventures off the beaten path often prove to be profitable in their own right.

Since everything in Ghost of Tsushima can be found without these birds, they act more as optional guides than necessary ones. However, rather than using the map and the wind as a guide in Ghost of Tsushima, players can use the golden birds to maintain their immersion in the game, as bringing up the map can often break that immersion and occasionally steal players away from what is arguably the best way to experience Ghost of Tsushima. In Tales of the Shire, the feature works in almost the same way, though it seems to be more of a gimmick than a method for keeping players immersed in its world.

Tales of the Shire's Blue Birds Act as Modest Quest Guides

Tales of the Shire's blue birds are similar to Ghost of Tsushima's golden birds in that they help guide players to a specific destination. However, Tales of the Shire is not an open-world game, so rather than leading players to random points of interest in a much larger world, these blue birds perch on objects like signposts and tree branches during quests with their beaks pointed in the direction players should go. At the very least, this means players won't need to pull up their map as often as they would if the blue birds weren't there, but it also adds a bit of comfort and cuteness to the upcoming cozy Lord of the Rings game.

All of this just goes to show how much of a trendsetter Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima has been since its launch in 2020, especially considering its influence even beyond Tales of the Shire. Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, for instance, also features a bird guidance system in which Springseeker Owls help players find Lifesprings in the game's open world. They fly into view with a hoot to attract the player's attention, and can then be followed to a Lifespring. It's a significant and somewhat needless feature, but, hopefully, this isn't the last the industry will see of it as quest-tracking systems continue to evolve.

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