I wanted to like this game, I really did. It sounded so perfect. A cozy LOTR game where you play as a hobbit? It's a dream.
Sadly this game does not deliver.
This is not to say I hate everything about it. I think this game is very charming and has some good aspects. There's clearly something here that could become great with more time and updates.
I like the style of it, I think it's very cute. Although, I do wish the character customization was better and more varied. It is very limited and the options aren't that interesting. Now I know hobbits aren't exactly known for being rugged and manly, but there are npcs who have pretty dope sideburns I wish I could have. Also the really dark eyelashes makes everything look so "yassified" but overall, I think it looks very nice and cute and fitting for a cozy game.
I like the npcs, as one dimensional as they can be they're still very charming and getting to know them feels nice enough to make me wanna invite them for more shared meals.
There are little details that show that clearly some thought was put into this world, mentions to lore established LOTR characters, and the game does a good job at making you feel like this is what life in the Shire is like. It has certainly gotten many "awwww"s out of me.
However;
Like many reviews said, this game runs poorly and needs optimization BADLY! (Yes, I mostly played on the steam deck so you can argue that the machine is not strong enough for this game. The game runs fine for the most part UNTIL you hit the town square then it runs like crap. Problem is... You WILL be coming to this area often. It's literally the center and has all the shops you need.)
The game lacks content. I think the most disappointing aspect to me is that this game is just not very interesting. The story quests are mostly fetch quests and fetch quests, some cooking, and more fetch quests. Go here, talk to this hobbit, go there, talk to that hobbit. Give them this, take this and give it to that hobbit. Most of what you'll be doing is running around this map talking to hobbits. It's not very fun.
Later on you do start to have club quests that encourage doing other activities like foraging, cooking, fishing, and gardening and those help you unlock things like more inventory space, better fishing rods, etc. however all these activities are shallow and not very interesting. I really wish there was more interesting stuff to do.
Speaking of these clubs, they'll sometimes ask you to gather stuff with a specific star quality and if you're foraging, man.... You'll be foraging for a WHILE which is annoying considering that what spawns depends on the season. The drop rate for anything above one star is trashy you'll be foraging every day hoping to get 2-3 stars, wasting most the day running around the map (again) praying to God you get something above 1 star. These rates are BAD. Good luck filling that out before the season ends!
Plus the day feels very short. You simply don't have enough time to do a lot of things before you pass out and Orlo has to wheel you back home. Wish there was an option to make the day go by a little slower or just make the day longer.
All in all, I want to keep playing because a part of me is hoping the game will finally get good once I unlock everything I need. But in its current state, with this price tag, riding purely on the LOTR franchise name, and with how mundane the gameplay is... I really can't recommend this game. It won't be the worst thing you've ever played, but if you're looking for a good cozy game, this is not it. Other cozy sims have a lot more to offer for a cheaper price, better mechanics, and overall better experience than this game. However, what they don't have is hobbits. If you're a diehard LOTR fan, give it a go... On a sale.
