Summary
The life simulator scene has witnessed an uncharacteristically packed influx of titles in recent weeks, with multiple new IPs lined up to explore the genre that has become synonymous with Maxis’The Simsfranchise. On the surface, there seems to be scant wiggle room for more than one big dog in the space since the titles share the same premise of virtual living, butTales of the Shire’sLord of the Rings-inspired landscape could provide all the propulsion Weta Workshop hopes for to make a splash. However, basing a game on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional masterpiece poses a myriad of questions for the developer to answer. High on the list for the cozy sim is whether to include magic in its mechanisms.
There’s hardly been a more competitive time than now in the life simulator genre. While there is no shortage of new indie entries into the field making a name for their studios, few efforts have threatened the status quo ofThe Simsbeing the most visible title in the category since it launched. The likes ofStardew Valley,Animal Crossing, andCrusader Kingshave all created sub-niches to thrive within the same space in recent years, butTales of the Shirehas an advantagethat could finally present direct competition for the Maxis series. For it to live up to its potential as a genre leader, it has a few make-or-break level decisions to make, and magical elements form the basis of one such contentious theme.
Magic Could Be a Game-Changing Wand for Tales of the Shire
As a cozy life sim, there are quite a few paths Weta Workshop could decide to take regardingTales of the Shire’s development.Stardew Valleyfound immense success with its playbook of a protagonist working to rebuild their bucolic town through farming proceeds and building relationships with NPCs, andTales of the Shireis adopting the fantasy side of this premise by leaning into life as a Hobbit. Since the source material for Hobbit life centers around themagic of the One Ring, the question of magic appearing in the upcoming title has popped up quite a bit.
However, “magic” inLord of the Ringshardly ever had a flashy appearance compared to the reputation of wizardry — only a handful of spells were used in the entire franchise. For instance, The Witch King famously used magic to breach the gates of Minas Tirith, but similar usages were few and far between in the story. It’s hard to envision such dramatic instances forming practical use cases forTales of the Shire, although gentler demonstrations likeGandalf’s rarely-seen spellsto open the door to Moria could find a home in the life simulator if the developer wishes.
Tales of the Shire’s Quality-of-Life Mechanisms Could Use a Boost from Spells
Since outright displays of magic are so few and far between inLord of the Rings, Weta Workshop wouldn’t be remiss to omit it entirely fromTales of the Shire, instead focusing on creating the cozy feel expected from the hobbit holes players will be able to inhabit. Unfortunately, neglecting the mechanism would present a missed opportunity, especially in light of the game-changing potential magic has shown in the Supernatural and Realm of Magic DLCs inThe Sims 3and4. Given the idiosyncrasies ofeach race in theLord of the Ringsfranchise, which seemed magical to other peoples, not leveraging the innate abilities of the Hobbit race inTales of the Shireseems like an oversight.
The contingent had a natural flair for undetected stealth movements, and this dynamic could apply to tasks like fishing. Another way to explore incorporating a magical system inTales of the Shirewould be to pay homage to Gandalf, making the great wizard’s spells available for purchase to improve cooking skills and other such abilities. Weta Workshop may pass over magic for its meta, but the potential quality-of-life upgrades the mechanic would bring to the cozy sim make it a complicated choice for the developer.
