20 Biggest Video Game Bombs Of 2025

Rather than focusing on sprawling battles against Orcs and trolls like most Middle-Earth properties, Tales of the Shire takes a more tranquil approach. Developed by Weta Workshop, The Lord of the Rings sim takes a page out of Stardew Valley, dealing with the day-to-day activities of a Hobbit commune.

Even though Tales of the Shire promises to be a feel-good cozy experience, it drops the ball big-time. While cooking and fishing are reasonably enjoyable, many of the broader activities, like gardening, chores, and social interactions quickly run out of juice. Chats between the halflings lack depth and emotional investment, which is disappointing for any purist of J.R.R. Tolkien's work.

The lack of voice acting and ambient sound creates a lifeless atmosphere, which is a far cry from the beloved source material. Frame-drops, bugs, and crashes are regular, which is pretty preposterous, since there's no viable reason why such dated graphics would put a strain on any modern system.

Although Tales of the Shire was intended to have DLC, the negative reception may have led to all planned updates being paused indefinitely.