Tales of the Shirewill be a welcome addition to the cozy game genre of video games, especially for fans ofThe Lord of the Rings. For those familiar with the Shire, the land of the hobbits, there is no other setting that better captures the appeal of the cozy game genre, with repetitive tasks such as farming, homesteading, and baking becoming a joy. Added appeal toTales of the Shireis thesetting ofThe Lord of the Rings, and the ability for players to customize their own hobbit.
While character creation is a staple of the genre,Tales of the Shireappears to have more detailed characters than similar games likeStardew Valleyor evenAnimal Crossing. Rather than drawing from the character creator from these games,Tales of the Shirecould take inspiration fromThe Sims 4’s character creator for players to create hobbits that are truly unique.
Create-a-Sim in Cozy Games
The Evolution of Create-a-Sim in The Sims
The Simsseries has always given players the ability to create Sims, but the level of customization Create-a-Sim has offered has evolved over the years.
The Simslaunched in 2000 and only offered players the option to customize clothing and pre-made heads. There was a massive leap betweenThe SimsandThe Sims 2, which offered far more face and hair options and the ability to edit them, two body types, make-up and accessories, and clothing.The Sims 3introduced Create-a-Style, which allowed players to customize the colors and patterns of their Sims' clothing.The Sims 4allows players to sculpt their Sims, giving players the tools to create unique characters.
Implementing something along the lines ofThe Sims 4’s sculpting tools andThe Sims 3’sCreate-a-Style inTales of the Shirecould be a game-changer because of the draw for players to create their own hobbit character. A robust character creator could transform the experience ofTales of the Shire, where a player’s only limit is their imagination, and could add incredible value to the experience.
Implementing More Character Customization in Tales of the Shire
A character creator likeThe Sims 4’s could go beyondTales of the Shireand transform the cozy game genre. Whilegames likeStardew Valleyare very stylized and pixelated, with robust character creation tools not translating well for them, future cozy games with more details, could implement tools such as Create-a-Style to customize their characters.
This would even work for games where the art style is more stylized and cartoony, such asAnimal Crossing. Comparisons betweenTales of the Shire,Animal Crossing, andStardew Valleymay arise, andTales of the Shirewill need more than its setting to stand apart from the other two franchises with established playerbases.
About Tales of the Shire
Tales of the Shireis an upcoming game by Weta Workshop that allows players to create a hobbit and establish a life in the village ofBywater in the Shire. Set far away from the turmoil and violence of the rest of Middle Earth,Tales of the Shireis instead focused on building the perfect hobbit hole, raising crops, fishing, collecting recipes, cooking a variety of meals, and having the neighbors over for a meal.
The announcement trailer shows the customization of a hobbit hole interior and garden, and the game’s description implies the player will be able to become a productive member of the community. If all this includes customization on the level of aSimsgame,Lord of the Ringsfans are in for a treat.
The Sims 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Unleash your imagination and create a unique world of Sims that’s an expression of you. Download for free, and customize every detail from Sims to homes and much more. Choose how Sims look, act, and dress, then decide how they’ll live out each day. Design and build incredible homes for every family, then decorate with your favorite furnishings and décor. Travel to different neighborhoods where you can meet other Sims and learn about their lives. Discover beautiful locations with distinctive environments and go on spontaneous adventures. Manage the ups and downs of Sims’ everyday lives, and see what happens when you play out scenarios from your own real life. Tell your stories your way while developing relationships, pursuing careers and life aspirations, and immersing yourself in this extraordinary game, where the possibilities are endless
