Tales of the Shire Announcement Trailer BREAKDOWN 

"I am in fact a Hobbit in all but size. I like gardens, trees, and unmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, and like good plain food (unrefrigerated), but detest French cooking; I like, and even dare to wear in these dull days, ornamental waistcoats. I am fond of mushrooms (out of a field); have a very simple sense of humor (which even my appreciative critics find tiresome); I go to bed late and get up late (when possible). I do not travel much." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Here's to it being basically animal crossing with hobbits

On second thought let's not go to Mordor. It's a rather scary place.

When you find a ring while fishing…

We have been begging for a Hobbit/LotR farming sim or otherwise cozy game for so long. Hell yeah!

"It'll be interesting to see [Gandalf's] role in the game and how he interacts with hobbits who aren't Bagginses." Gandalf to player: "I did not pass through fire and death to bandy words with a witless worm!"

If I can't grow, harvest, and smoke pipeweed, I'll be bummed.

I'm really excited about this. Im looking forward to a slower speed, low stress game set in the Shire. I love the art style and low poly handpainted textures. It REALLY reminds me of the 2003 The Hobbit game.

Thank you for pointing out the "Alpha Footage" tag at the beginning! I had missed that until my most recent watch, and it makes me feel a lot better. I love the storybook feel of the art style and think the environments look great overall, but the character graphics still look a little off to me. So maybe that's one of the things they're still working on. Also, the fork in the road drawing that you thought looked Barrow Down-ish, I wonder if it's the Three-Farthing Stone. I didn't notice till the map shots how close it is to Bywater.

I can see having a lack of snow in the shire in winter. In the fellowship they comment about how snow there was an unusual treat.

the grumpy guy must be a Sackville Baggins.

Would love to see some Gameplay streams of this! Looks so calm , peaceful & relaxing. I'd love to live in a place like the Shire.

I want a "Scouring of the Shire" DLC.

Although I’ve heard about this game, I didn’t know I needed it until I saw this trailer! Do hope it releases just before the winter holidays, as this would be a perfect addition to sit down to during that period of time…and yes, I would definitely watch you do live streams of this game, so please do so!

If this takes place between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings since we do see Gandalf, I wonder if we'll get to meet and hang out with Frodo, Bilbo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. That would be awesome!

I'm only 5 mins into this video and I am overwhelmed with glee at the prospect of customizing and tidying up my own hobbit hole. On the style of the game,it DOES look charming,from the way the hobbits look, down to the overall artistic aesthetic of the world. I can tell that this is a game I will be wanting to just exist and stroll around in.(much like the real location in New Zealand) I cannot wait to visit!!😃🙌

I suspect the Armoured Duck may be the current chief of the Shire Sheriffs, or possibly a deputy working with the Dunedan Rangers.

Man I'm so thankful you did this video. I'd absolutely overlooked the farm/livestock animals, grumpy hobbits, even Gandalf himself 😓 But I'm thrilled to see an NPC dwarf😊 This looks super fun, relaxing, and cosy. IDK if it does come to mobile, but this might make me buy a Switch or SteamDeck.

I think the thing that makes it look a bit janky is the definitely that it’s alpha version and that it’s not running at a consistent frame rate. I think a fableish cartoony art style like this works fine. Just needs a bit of work on the frame rate, and more fluid movement with the character models. It gave off a feeling of like early 2000s character models that would “snap” into doing stuff. A really concept that looks fun.

None of this peaceful Hobbit lifestyle would be possible if it weren’t for Aragorn and other rangers protecting and watching the Borders. “If simple folk are free from peril, simple they will be. Yet we would not have it otherwise.” (Paraphrasing, but something close to that).

Thanks for this Matt. Even though I’ve watched the trailer about 5 times 😅 definitely missed a few things you’ve pointed out. Looking forward to this !

It's giving me very cozy vibes and I honestly think it's going to take off. Can't wait for it to be released ❤

It seems to me as though it’s a sort of LotR Animal Crossing… which I think would be really interesting!

It looks fun! I see Gandalf as a quest giver

I most certainly would enjoy it, thank you for showing this, I had no idea there was a game coming out 😊

Who else would want a Shire building Anno style game?

if this is the Shire version of games like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley, I'm in

I've never had a real interest in any farming/social sim/cozy/easy life sort of games but if this turns out to be good? Just hanging out in the Shire and chilling to the max? goddam. maybe, just maybe that'll be enough to get me outside of my gaming box, for once, lol. hell yeah!

Omg the trailer JUST came out, you're so ridiculously fast!

Yes please to all of it. The game streaming would be great and just to have it on in the background

Thank you Nerd for reviewing it!

Finally, a game my kids can play without me getting yelled at by the mrs for letting them slice orcs heads off in shadow or Mordor.

A cozy Shire game -- how charming! I'd love to see more!

DLC: The Barrow Downs Rated M

I think that Gandalf could appear on player's birthday, it could be a nice in-game event !

The style is so cute T^T

The duck is channeling its inner Gimli 😅, I’m super excited for this game! Great breakdown Matt 😊

Can’t wait thanks for the breakdown 💖

This games looks so good! It looks like it delivers exactly what it said it was going to deliver: calm and cozy gameplay. I'll have to pick up a switch just for this game

This is exactly the type of lotr game I’ve always wanted! The graphics don’t bother me at all, I think it’s painterly and fits with the vibe ❤️❤️

I’m just hoping it has some depth in its gameplay. Lots of games of this sort can get pretty repetitive quickly. I’m surprised they didn’t show any fishing, which seems like a staple for these kind of games. I’m also hoping for some mischief like when Merry and Pippin stole some of Farmer Maggot’s crops.

The doll kinda looks like a scarecrow

Very excited! Great Breakdown ! Thanks matt!

Thanks for the trailer breakdown. I'm even more excited now. :D I've gotten really into sim games (specifically Disney Dreamlight Valley) the last couple years and this looks like just what I want in another game in this genre. 10,000 bonus points for being set in my favorite fandom.

That looks like something worth checking out. Guess I'll start saving up for it.

Can’t wait!

I like these types of games. The artwork looks so pretty!

Was hoping for a first person view as well but I guess we shall see how it all works out

It has everything I was hoping for so far. Would definitely watch gameplay. This is from the website - Tales of the Shire will launch in the second half of 2024 on the Nintendo Switch™ system, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.

What a charming game. Likewise, your review’s emphasis on this approach is great.

This is looking SO much fun and has a touch of the whimsy of the non-movie tie-in games I loved as a kid, and the aesthetic is refreshing! I wonder if Gandalf will have a role similar to the Harvest Goddess in Harvest Moon 🤔❤ I am seriously excited, and this video was a great dive into the details of the trailer

I love The Shire! In LotRO, the main base for my alts is in the Shire Homestead. Having had quite a few ales in all of the Shire pubs, I am looking forward to this new interpretation.

In all honesty? I'm crossing my fingers that the game's cooking feature shows a shot of the food you cooked, lovingly rendered in 3D. And conversations with the NPCs if you decide to eat together with friends like in Harvestella.

I didn't notice Gandalf! Great catch

This looks so cozy - can't wait for it's release! I'm wondering what they mean by fixing up Bywater - quest stuff maybe?

Yes please. I’d love a live stream play of this.

Yes i think i would quite love the streams of you playing the game

Given how popular games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley are, I’m amazed it took this long to come up with a Hobbit simulator!

Can’t wait! Hoping it’s something my 4 year old and I can bond over!

Yes!!! I'm ready.

I am all for cozy games. Bring it on!

Can't wait for the Scouring of the Shire DLC!

I do wonder whether players will be able to wander as far as the shore of Lake Evendim or into the Old Forest. Maybe in a later DLC?

I love this new trailer. Can't wait to live my cozy relaxing hobbit life. Have wanted a game like this for many years. I enjoyed your breakdown very much. Thank you

Reminds me of Fable, looks fun!

Yes please!

Unrelated to the video but a suggestion for a future one: the population of middle earth (the different amounts/estimates of elves dwarves men and orcs in the first second and third ages (and maybe hobbits?) although admittedly I don’t know if Tolkien wrote at all about it or if it’s possible to get an estimate

Well for starters it's a Weta project so it's bound to be good. And it looks like fun. I liked the decorate your home chapter and the foraging and pantry thing.

@three minutes in, sold! Yes would like a peaceful day in the shire after a hard days work. These graphics are Alpha? Looking forward wow!

I’ll get this game for my switch and play it with my kids. Can’t wait!

I really hope we get to visit Tom Bombadil.

I'm really looking forward to this! 🥰 P.s I really hope the graphics get better, there a bit rough....

I really wish they would release one for the App Store.

A video game about the Shire. And it is pretty much everything you would want from a game about the Hobbits and their cozy life.

If I had to guess I imagine Gandalf will be in town for the tutorial and then maybe just show up for events

I really loved this breakdown. Thank you, I’m looking forward to getting all cozied up with a nice puff of Old Toby as I explore the Shire. I see the appeal for this style of graphics with its simple paint kind of look. It’s got an at home vibe which I love. Though I understand why people would prefer a higher graphics level to it. Of course graphics don’t necessarily deter from a game’s potential to be great, for example KOTOR is very old yet it’s still an amazing game to this day, but if the technology is there, why not use it? Of course budget is a factor, but who’s the game directed towards? If it’s kids alone then weaker graphics is probably fine, but if it’s to a wider audience, adults included, wouldn’t top level graphics give a chance to experience the Shire in an even more realistic manner and feel? Take Ghosts of Tsushima for example. Just experiencing the atmosphere and environments with great graphics makes it all the more immersive. I’m sure Tales of the Shire will be all it’s said to be, cozy and all, but in a way it’s more akin to a mobile game or an online computer game. Still, I’m excited to check it out!

I hope it doesn't have the unfixable dot walls that moria still suffers from...

I don't mind the art style, but I really hope they polish it more, graphic quality-wise. I hope it's an endless game like Stardew Valley, where you can just play forever with not a fixed ending.

I will be subscribing to your channel 😁

This looks like a really chill game, and the Hobbits look straight- up adorable, especially the girls!

I’m excited for this game super excited but is there no fighting at all?

This looks so very pretty! They have hollyhocks! And there's a hedgehog in the prop book so maybe in the game too?

an animal crossing/stardew valley hobbit game is all i’ve ever wanted so i’m pumped for this. i don’t need lifelike graphics when i have literally hundreds of hours on a 16 bit farm lol

I want to go into the barrow-downs and find treasure but this looks fun to!

I loved this game video! It looks so fun to play when it comes out! 🥰💖 And yes, I would love to see you play it too!

Looks fantastic.

This looks so charming and cozy! My fiancée and I are already hoping for a multiplayer mechanic so we can bond with some soothing gaming together 💚

I would have loved it if this could have been an open world Shire game. You could traveled to every settlement in all Four Farthings. Maybe even visit Bree-land. That would have been sweet. Customize your Hobbit, even choose to get married, and etc. Still looks interesting though.

This game is like a dream to me, if done correctly and as advertised! I will struggle to go to work if it's as good as I'm hoping

I’m interested but not sold yet.

It'll be interesting to see how this competes with Lord of the Rings Online. As you can do fishing, customize housing, grow crops, have pets and cook on there, plus you can explore the whole Shire (not just Bywater)

as someone who put a gazillion hours into Stardew Valley, I'm very exited about this game!

it sounds silly but I am kinf of hoping for maybe like an "animal crossing" style hobbit game with some missions, lot of interaction with charecters, crafting and farming. I know the Moria game kind of did that, but that one was also very story driven, not in a bad way, but story based survival vs just a calm "animal crossing" style open world game with some missions, but also freedom.

The sign is I think the Three Farthing Stone.

Please let there be a physical release. 🙏

It could also take place before The Hobbit. If you recall, Bilbo remembers Gandalf from his childhood.

Did you get to try the game when you visited?

I had no idea this was coming. I almost never buy new video games, and I probably haven't bought an actual NEWLY RELEASED game in like 10 years. This looks fun though! I would actually consider it. Not gonna buy a new console for it though. Haha

I look forward to the game.

so.. there has been dozen of lotr based games and tales after the movies. What is your opinion on them? have you played any of those? what do you think of the lore of those? how well do they fit into story of the middle earth. would love to hear your thoughts as well.