Summary
Tales of the Shirehas some inventive new mechanics that feel right at home in the fantasy setting, and other cozy games could take a page from its book to expand their own gameplay. In particular,Animal Crossingmight be the perfect place for some ofTales of the Shire’s new gameplay to pop up next.
Set in the world of theLord of the Ringsfranchise,Tales of the Shireputs a new focus on the life of hobbits. Hobbits aren’t typically adventurers, much preferring a simple life of farming, relaxing, and enjoying each other’s company. This makes their home in the shire the perfect setting for Private Division’s new life sim. While most games in the genre include some elements of farming,Tales of the Shirepushes the purpose of its crops to a new level. Weta Workshop has created asurprisingly in-depth cooking mechanicthat feels right at home in Middle-earth. WithAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsadding farming to the series for the first time, it might want to look atTales of the Shireto figure out the next step in the process.
What Tales of the Shire is Cooking Up
Looking to become the standout inclusion ofTales of the Shire, cooking is very important in the life of a hobbit, so it makes sense that Private Division chose to focus on it as a main mechanic. One thing the source material is clear about is that hobbit culture includes plenty of feasting, so as the player takes on the role of one, they’d better be ready to prepare a few meals. Based onearly gameplay previews ofTales of the Shire, the cooking mechanic is far more extensive than it has been in previous cozy games. While typically all a player needs are the proper ingredients and the push of a button, inTales of the Shire, the entire dish is carefully prepared by hand.
Cooking up delicious food is sure to be important to players who want high friendship with their newfound neighbors. It appears that the games friendship system will in part be based on attending or hosting potluck-style feasts for other hobbits. Potentially, the better the player does at cooking, the more friendship they will gain with particular characters. This gives the player even more purpose in tending to their garden and gathering resources. The true beauty of this system is thatit creates a greater need for players to gather diverse ingredients. Unlike inStardew Valley, where the player needs to focus on earning money,Tales of the Shireensures the player’s activities serve a larger purpose in moving their relationships forward.
Why Animal Crossing Needs to Turn Up the Heat on Cooking
Animal Crossing: New Horizonsintroduced plenty of new mechanics to the franchise, including growing crops. While gardening has long been part of the fan favorite Nintendo series,farming is a completely new activity inAnimal Crossing. Along with this inclusion, a bare-bones cooking mechanic was included, but unlike other cozy games, not much could be done with the dishes afterward. The player could use them as decoration, eat them, or give them to a villager, but each dish effectively functioned the exact same way. The only true standout that came from the crops was the ability to craft pumpkin-based decorations for Halloween.
Crafting and cooking are still brand new to the franchise, and while the crafting mechanic serves its purpose well enough,cooking inAnimal Crossinghas plenty of room to grow. By looking toTales of the Shirefor inspiration, Nintendo might be able to give cooking an upgrade in the nextAnimal Crossinggame. A similar made-by-scratch style mini-game would provide players with more reason to make dishes. With an added emphasis on this system, villagers could have favorite ingredients or dishes that the player could give as gifts. It would also be more satisfying using dishes as decorations if the player felt the attachment of having truly participated in their creation. With the help ofTales of the Shire’s deep cooking system,Animal Crossingcould take its gameplay to brand-new heights.
