Are Lord of the Rings games cursed now? As an avid Tolkien fanatic with multiple LotR tattoos and a bookshelf specifically for the author’s fantasy work and posthumous derivations thereof, I grew up playing great Lord of the Rings games. Battle for Middle-earth 2 immediately comes to mind, but even the movie tie-ins weren’t terrible. But something went wrong. Gollum released last year and might be one of the worst games I’ve ever played. Thankfully, though, despite a torrid development and an unfavourable critical reception, Tales of the Shire might be bucking the downwards trend.
In more recent years, the Shadow of Mordor series did unspeakable things to the lore but I accepted it for the Assassin’s Creed-esque gameplay and beloved Nemesis System. But could Tales of the Shire live up to its predecessors as one of the best fantasy games available? Or could it compete with the likes of indie gargant Stardew Valley for the title of best farming game?
Tales of the Shire didn’t get off to the best start. A day before its release, The Verge published a report on its troubled development. Critics had a lukewarm reaction, and the cosy Hobbiton simulator sits at just 59 on Metacritic.
Things looked rocky in the hours after release, too. The initial Steam reviews were ‘mixed,’ as players criticised the fishing minigame, transactional interactions with villagers, and regular frame rate drops. Many fans also expected full voice acting, which was never advertised for the game.
However, reviews improved overnight as players got stuck into decorating their houses and cooking delicious second breakfasts. In a comeback worthy of Gandalf, Tales of the Shire now sits at ‘mostly positive’ on Steam, with 73% of reviews giving it the thumbs up. If developer Wētā Workshop drops updates that include seasonal festivals or events—classic Hobbity fare—the game could continue to win players over.
Who knows, if you’re a fan of the best management games, this Lord of the Rings iteration might be worth checking out. If the dichotomic reviews put you off, maybe it’s just time to peruse our list of the best Stardew Valley mods to breathe new life into a classic.
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