Review of “Tales of the Shire”

Ah, food and fantasy—two worlds that collide quite perfectly with Hobbits, right? These little guys are like the kings of coziness, always keeping their homes tidy and bellies full. Tolkien knew what he was doing there. So, naturally, a game all about Hobbit life? Seems like a winner, right off the bat. “Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game” — yeah, I know, the name’s a bit of a mouthful — kind of bites off more than it can chew, though. Sorry, I just had to throw in a food pun there.

Anyway, this game drops you in during that ambiguous time between “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.” You bump into Gandalf right away, which, let’s be honest, is a pretty good start. Then you putter around Bywater, a tiny place with dreams of becoming an official Hobbiton village. To help out, you do quests — mostly running errands for other Hobbits. I spent a lot of time zipping back and forth until I felt dizzy. It’s charming, though; the quirky writing kinda kept me on track when I was tempted to do… well, nothing.

Cooking takes center stage here. You plant stuff, find herbs — basically become a kitchen wizard, which is kind of neat given Hobbits’ notorious appetite. The catch? You’ll be inviting folks over, slinging the perfect meal, watching their glee over a dish well-cooked. Eventually, though, it all feels a bit same-old. Like, too many cookies from the same batch, you know? Still, even for a laid-back game, this one might just take the chill cake.

There’s a day-night cycle — not groundbreaking by any means. It’s like every other farming sim you’ve tried. You do your tasks, mingle with the hobbits, stare at the clock until bedtime. But I hit this weird place where I’d finished up everything early and had nothing to do but fish my life away. Am I asking for too much action in a game about cozy Hobbits? Maybe.

So, played this thing on both Switch and Switch 2, and to be honest, visuals didn’t knock my socks off. There’s a kinda “meh” feeling to the whole look of it. The hobbits especially… not sure what’s off, but something is. Oh, and then there are frame rate hiccups that make me feel like I’m playing a game of its own sort — “Spot the Dip.” Funny enough, the second-gen Switch doesn’t totally clear them up either. Oh, and this one time? The entire sky went red on Switch 2. Freaky, no clue why. Like the game was trying to channel Mordor or something.

Here’s a kicker though: crashes. Lots of ‘em. Like, every 20 minutes! I ended up saving compulsively, fearing I’d lose progress and chuck the Switch across the room — not very Hobbit-like of me. But seriously, doesn’t matter which Switch you’re on, you’re likely gonna wrestle with this issue a lot.

So, how to sum this up? The game’s brimming with potential — seriously, has all the makings of something great. But right now, it just feels prematurely baked. Bugs, crashes, all the delightful frustrations that make a gamer sigh. If you asked me to recommend it? I’d struggle. But, there’s part of me hoping it’ll patch itself up down the road. Fingers crossed or whatever Hobbits do for luck.