Scheduled for release in late March, Tales of the Shire has already separated itself from other games based on Lord of the Rings by simply existing. As the only simulation game based on the long-enduring fantasy franchise, Tales of the Shire presents new opportunities and ways to play with its source material. If Tales of the Shire is successful in exploring niche parts of the Shire, perhaps other obscure parts of the franchise can get their own video game adaptations.
Creating a simulation game set in the Shire feels like a no-brainer, as other simulation games based on popular franchises, like Disney Dreamlight Valley, have proven to be immensely successful. However, Tales of the Shire stands out from other Lord of the Rings games in other ways than simply just its genre, something that should inspire the bold act of adapting The Silmarillion in game form.
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Tales of the Shire’s Setting and Time Period is Surprisingly Telling
Tales of the Shire is specifically set in the town of Bywater in the period of time between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This makes cameos from characters like Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey plausible. The Green Dragon Inn is also located in Bywater, which appears both in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy and could even make it into Tales of the Shire. Yet, one of the most important historical events in Bywater does not take place during Tales of the Shire’s time period, but rather during The Lord of the Rings itself.
The Battle of Bywater took place in the titular town, ending the War of the Ring with the death and defeat of Saruman. Though he was killed traitorously by Grima Wormtongue, Saruman’s murderer would in turn be killed by the now free Hobbits of the Shire. This battle, notably, was not included in the Return of the King film adaptation, despite being in the book.
While avid Lord of the Rings readers will recall this victory, its exclusion from the films means that a decent portion of Tales of the Shire’s playerbase will not know the importance of Bywater. With the Green Dragon Inn likely acting as an important location in Tales of the Shire, which casual Lord of the Rings fans probably don’t recall as well also, it’s clear that Wētā Workshop and Private Division are dedicated to exploring parts of Tolkien-verse that don’t get as much public attention. Tales of the Shire sets a precedent for another part of Middle-earth’s storied history to be further explored within a video game adaptation – The Silmarillion.
The Silmarillion May Finally Get its Time in the Spotlight
Unlike other key works by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion has never received an adaptation as the rights have never been sold. This collection of stories detailing the War of the Exiled Elves, which takes place prior to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, was published posthumously. The Silmarillion’s narrative is difficult to adapt, or even make sense of, because of this, as Tolkien’s son attempted to piece together a narrative based on his father’s notes with the help of collaborators.
This makes The Silmarillion quite a difficult read, as major plot points are loosely connected. An adaptation of The Silmarillion would be difficult to create because of this, unless developers focused on specific areas or events in the collection. For example, focusing on the various myths in The Silmarillion is one route adaptations could take. This condenses the amount of material that developers would have to cover in the adaptation process and leaves less room for confusion among players.
One could argue that Tales of the Shire is successful at introducing less popularly known aspects of Lord of the Rings to audiences because it is a simulation game. While this may be true, Tales of the Shire itself could act as a gateway for its playerbase to delve into the lore of Middle Earth if it references other niche aspects of its world, such as the myths told in The Silmarillion. Adapting The Silmarillion would be daunting for any medium, but Tales of the Shire proves that such a risky undertaking could be worthwhile for video games at some point.
Life Simulation
RPG
Adventure
- Released
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March 25, 2025
- Developer(s)
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Wētā Workshop