Tales of the Shire’s Character Creator Might Just Be Its Secret Weapon

Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game comes out next year and allows players to create their very own hobbit. As the first cozy game set in the world of The Lord of the Rings, there are a lot of expectations on Tales of the Shire to get things right. Luckily, new information on the game has largely been positive, with customization options that rival other games in the genre, cooking and relationship mechanics, and the ability to create and customize an entirely unique hobbit.

One feature that looks to be a standout is Tales of the Shire‘s character creator. In addition to being able to customize many of the hobbit’s features, including foot hair and waist size, Tales of the Shire includes a detailed list of hobbit names pulled straight from The Lord of the Rings‘ canon for players to pick if they don’t want to choose a custom name. Although there hasn’t been a showcase of the character creator in Tales of the Shire, this is an incredibly positive sign that fans of The Lord of the Rings have been kept in mind during the development of this game.

Tales of the Shire’s Character Creator Has an Unexpected Perk

It’s the character creator that may be the biggest draw for Tales of the Shire. Weta Workshop hasn’t showcased too much of Tales of the Shire‘s character creator as yet, but those who have gotten the chance to play have reported that it’s surprisingly robust, including different options to customize a hobbit’s gender presentation and plenty of adjustable physical traits. The level of the character creator’s details aligns with the rest of the customization in Tales of the Shire, such as customizing decor and furniture in the hobbit hole.

One of the quirks about creating a new property in the world of The Lord of the Rings is the consideration that many of its fans are well-versed in its lore. Tales of the Shire does this in a fun and unique way through its character creator by including a list of names to choose from as an option, in addition to being able to choose a custom name. This list of names includes names of hobbits that are included in The Lord of the Rings books, and it should delight many devoted fans that they can live out the peaceful life of a canonical hobbit.

Tales of the Shire’s Success May Be in the Details

This kind of detail goes a long way in making the game endearing to old fans without being overly intrusive, and is also a great way to introduce new fans to characters from The Lord of the Rings. Including robust customization tools in the character creator is important for creating a unique hobbit character that the player can become invested in, as well as matching the aesthetic of Bywater and the Shire.

The character creator options appear to be in line with many of the other customization options, including the options to customize the player’s hobbit’s home, prepare and cook different meals in a variety of ways, and throw parties with their success dependent on the player’s actions. This deep level of player interactivity appears to be present on different levels of Tales of the Shire, and is a great sign for the game’s release on March 25.