Tales of the Shire is finally here, and as a long-time JRR Tolkien fan, I've wasted no time in diving into my cozy Hobbit life. From the get-go, I was after the complete lore-based Middle-earth experience with this new game. In fact, I purposely chose to name my hobbit "Belladona Boffin", choosing Belladonna since Belladonna Took was Bilbo Baggins' mother, and Boffin for their relation to both Bilbo and Frodo's direct family line as well. So you know I'm a serious hobbit nerd.
With that in mind, I've had my eyes peeled for any easter eggs during my time with Tales of the Shire. So far, I've completed the main story, got most characters up to at least four hearts, and have charted most of the map, minus some unlockable areas that I'm still working towards. And while the gameplay has been a bit stale at times (read my Tales of the Shire review for more details on that), I've been pleasantly surprised at all the Lord of the Rings timeline tidbits and Tolkien lore that I've found so far.
