Sims Customization for Tales of the Shire Could Be a Game-Changer

10/05/2024

Tales of the Shire will be a welcome addition to the cozy game genre of video games, especially for fans of The 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 to Tales of the Shire is the setting of The 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 Shire appears to have more detailed characters than similar games like Stardew Valley or even Animal Crossing. Rather than drawing from the character creator from these games, Tales of the Shire could take inspiration from The Sims 4’s character creator for players to create hobbits that are truly unique.

Why Tales of the Shire Could Be a Peaceful Take on The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria

Tales of the Shire could take the crafting and survival systems from Return to Moria and use them to create a peaceful and cozy world to inhabit.

Create-a-Sim in Cozy Games

The Evolution of Create-a-Sim in The Sims

The Sims series 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 Sims launched in 2000 and only offered players the option to customize clothing and pre-made heads. There was a massive leap between The Sims and The 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 3 introduced Create-a-Style, which allowed players to customize the colors and patterns of their Sims’ clothing. The Sims 4 allows players to sculpt their Sims, giving players the tools to create unique characters.

Implementing something along the lines of The Sims 4’s sculpting tools and The Sims 3’s Create-a-Style in Tales of the Shire could be a game-changer because of the draw for players to create their own hobbit character. A robust character creator could transform the experience of Tales 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 like The Sims 4’s could go beyond Tales of the Shire and transform the cozy game genre. While games like Stardew Valley are 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 as Animal Crossing. Comparisons between Tales of the Shire, Animal Crossing, and Stardew Valley may arise, and Tales of the Shire will need more than its setting to stand apart from the other two franchises with established playerbases.

About Tales of the Shire

Tales of the Shire is an upcoming game by Weta Workshop that allows players to create a hobbit and establish a life in the village of Bywater in the Shire. Set far away from the turmoil and violence of the rest of Middle Earth, Tales of the Shire is 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 a Sims game, Lord of the Rings fans are in for a treat.

The Sims 4

The Sims 4 is the latest offering from Maxis and The Sims Studio, serving as a sequel to The Sims 3. Although it was released back in 2014, the game is still going strong today thanks to an array of DLC add-on packs that give players access to more unlockable items and events.

FranchiseThe SimsPlatform(s)PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleasedSeptember 2, 2014Developer(s)MaxisPublisher(s)Electronic ArtsGenre(s)SimulationESRBT for Teen: Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, ViolenceHow Long To BeatN/AX|S EnhancedNoFile Size Xbox Series22 GB (November 2023)Metascore70