A LotR: Two Towers Side Quest Could Inspire Cute Tales of…

Summary

Tales of the Shire may feature cameos from various non-Hobbit creatures and characters, given that it's already known to involve Gandalf.
The game should incorporate a subplot about Merry and Pippin interacting with the Ents as a reference to The Two Towers.
Inter-region exploration in Middle-earth can enhance gameplay variety and engage players in new adventures.

Many longtime fans of The Lord of the Rings have always wanted to experience how the Hobbits live, and they can soon do it in the cozy game Tales of the Shire. Set in Bywater, Tales of the Shire lets players create their own Hobbit who will help the town flourish through missions, friendship-building, and more.

Although Tales of the Shire seems to be mostly Hobbit-centric, there's still a possibility that it will feature cameos from other Lord of the Rings races, such as Elves and Dwarves. There's also one entity from the saga that would be an awesome addition to the game: the mighty Ent.

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By Jackie Arias

Tales of the Shire Shouldn't Ignore One of Lord of the Rings' Most Memorable Subplots

New game centered in the Hobbits and the Shire in 2024

In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Merry and Pippin get separated from the Fellowship and find themselves in the protection of Treebeard and the Ents, which are tree-like creatures. It's an interesting subplot that showcases wholesome conversations between the Hobbits and the Ents, which later leads to the tree creatures helping the Fellowship to attack and destroy the forces of Isengard.

With Tales of the Shire already simulating what life is like for a Hobbit, it would be interesting to see content inspired by memorable events in Lord of the Rings, such as interactions with the Ents. If Tales of the Shire allowed players to interact with the Ents, it would mean opening up other regions of Middle-earth, so the Hobbit could venture out to Fangorn Forest and other areas where the Ents reside.

According to Lord of the Rings lore, the Ents can be found in Fangorn Forest, Eriador, East Beleriand, and Treegarth of Orthanc.

It would be interesting to see if Tales of the Shire will let players venture off to other regions in Middle-earth, especially the lesser-known ones. Hobbits are known to be friendly and adventurous, so this would be a great way to showcase these qualities. Plus, they could discover other quests and mini-games beyond Bywater and also meet and befriend interesting characters. Perhaps the Ents can task the Hobbits with helping take care of the forest and the creatures that live in them to maintain a sense of harmony. Even without a travel option, it's still possible for Tales of the Shire to incorporate Ents through mini-games, conversations between Hobbits, and books that further expand the game's universe.

Exploration Can Be Key to Tales of the Shire's Success

Most cozy farming and life sims are limited to one location, as they follow the protagonists' flourishing life and the positive domino effect on the surrounding villagers. In Tales of the Shire, it seems like the game might stick to exploring Bywater for farming materials, food, and cooking ingredients to improve the main Hobbit's living experience. However, there's a real opportunity for Tales of the Shire to allow inter-region exploration to add more variety to crops, dishes, and more.

This is already a feature that games like Coral Island have adopted. It's been teased before that Coral Island will one day allow players to go island hopping, where they can encounter new people and items to bring home to their farm. The feature isn't out yet, but the closest that players have gotten is the ability to live and thrive in the Merfolk Kingdom, as they can unlock the ability to cultivate a farm and take care of sea creatures underwater, and players can carry the items to the surface as consumables and gifts.

Middle-earth is a vast world with different kinds of people, making it possible to have more cozy games based on Lord of the Rings. But Tales of the Shire can get the ball rolling with regions like Fanghorn Forest to give players another perspective on Hobbit life and adventure.

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