Tales of the Shire questions answered: Review scores, release time and more
Most Lord of the Rings games are all about the combat side of things. Tales of the Shire flips the script and lets you live out your Hobbit dreams instead.With the game's release now upon us, you may be wondering if it's worth trying out for yourself.To help you make that decision, we've put together all the info you need, like review scores, Game Pass info, gameplay details and more.When is the Tales of the Shire release date?Tales of the Shire launches on 29th July 2025.The game was officially announced back in 2023, and was slated for a 2024 release.This was later pushed back to a 2025 release, with the current release date confirmed at a later date.What is the UK launch time for Tales of the Shire?Tales of the Shire will officially launch at 5pm BST on 29th July, as has been confirmed by the game's official Twitter account.For comparison, here's how that release time translates into other time zones:West Coast US (PDT) – 9amEast Coast US (EDT) – 12pmCentral Europe (CEST) – 6pmEast Coast Australia (AEST) – 2am 30th JulyNew Zealand (NZST) – 4am 30th July
Which platforms can play Tales of the Shire?Tales of the Shire launches on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.Interestingly, although the game is launching more than a month after the Nintendo Switch 2's release, the game is launching with a Switch 1 version only.This means that, while the game is fully compatible with the Switch 2, the Switch version of the game has been developed with the Switch 1's weaker capabilities in mind.How good are the Tales of the Shire review scores?Not great, to put it bluntly.At the time of writing, Tales of the Shire has a Metacritic score of 60 from 15 critic reviews.It's similarly poor reading on OpenCritic, where the game has a top critic average of 64 from 24 critic reviews, with only 29 per cent of critics recommending the game.The reasons for these low reviews vary, but while many reviews credit the game's commitment to the lore of the LotR world, many also criticise shallow gameplay, a lack of content and poor performance.Is Tales of the Shire on Xbox Game Pass?Unfortunately, Tales of the Shire is not launching on Xbox Game Pass.While the game is coming to both Xbox consoles and PC, it has not been confirmed whether or not the game will be coming to Xbox's flagship subscription service.That being said, it certainly seems like the kind of game that would benefit from being on Game Pass, so we wouldn't be surprised to see it added to the service at some point in the future.
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Tales of the Shire gameplay and story detailsTales of the Shire is a life sim in which you live your life as a Hobbit in the quaint village of Bywater.Gameplay involves you managing your daily life, performing tasks such as gardening, fishing and collecting resources, as well as decorating your home.While there isn’t much story, players are able to explore the village and its surrounding areas, talking to NPCs and developing friendships, similar to games like Stardew Valley.Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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