Weta Workshop’s Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is seemingly on track for its Summer launch. A new gameplay trailer showcases various activities players can engage with in the cozy life sim. Check it out below.
Creative director Stephen Lambert also outlined the core gameplay pillars to the PlayStation Blog in a new interview. The focus is on the community as you spend time cooking, gardening, fishing and “doing peaceful activities.” Players can also explore by water and inspect the environment to discover secrets and “lovely little glades and areas to hang out within the world.”
Adding to the community aspect is building relationships, which Lambert calls “pretty important.” “Every thread of the story is going to help you not only expand what’s available to you as a player but also broaden the depth of the characters and storylines.”
Of course, you’re free to take things at your own pace. “You can either dive deep into those stories or just live out your own little life along the side. It’s all about enhancing your feeling of peace and tranquillity.”
Another community aspect is shared meals, where you prepare food and invite guests to eat which is pretty laborious. “You’ve got to find a new recipe, grow ingredients or go to the market or fish or forage for them. And then you’ve got to go through the process of cooking, and that’s not just a case of putting the ingredients together. It’s how much of something you add, how much you stir it, and how much seasoning you add that adds characteristics to the food.”
If the food matches a guest’s taste, you may become closer. Players can expect plenty of detail in these dishes if nothing else. “One of our 3D artists who modeled much of the meals used to work as a chef, so they’re all beautifully plated up.”
As for decorating your Hobbit’s smial, you have extensive freedom for moving things around and can even adjust the curvature of the hole.
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game launches on July 29th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
