The Fable series has experienced their fair share of highs and lows. The first game was dubbed as a revolutionary role-playing masterpiece, citing the intriguing story, the freedom to decide the character's alignment, the British humor, and the simulation-esque vibe where the player can spend the entire day, building a family, a house, and a business, similar to the Sims.
The second game saw the same formula, however there wasn't enough boss battles that would peak the interests of the player. The third entry received mixed results as some fans praised the fun gameplay it offers, while others would criticize the lack of innovation, the slow pacing, and the technical issues.
And the downward trend carried on as the spin-off games failed to recapture the magic that the first game established. When Peter Molyneux, the game's lead designer was asked why the game suffered a collapse, he blamed the timeline since the sequels happened 500 years after the events of the previous game. There have been accounts of the game's downfall caused by internal disagreements regarding the game's development.
With the announcement of a new Fable game and a new developer, comes a glimmer of hope for fans of the series. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of information regarding the game's development as the game's identity has yet to be revealed. Amid the limited information, there are still some talking points that are worth discussing.
THE DEVELOPERS
Lionhead Studios will no longer lead the charge in developing the game as Microsoft announced the acquisition of Playground Games back in 2018. Rumors started speculating that Playground is formulating a new Fable game as the developers were looking for individuals to be involved in their upcoming role-playing project. These rumors were confirmed to be true in 2020.
Though their arrival could offer a new twist in the Fable franchise, there are some concerns regarding their involvement. Playground are only known for their critically acclaimed racing series Forza Horizon and this transition is a huge leap of faith for both the series and the developers. Perhaps they could integrate drifting in horse-racing? That I doubt, unless if they want to bring the fantasy genre into the extreme.
Since the developers are British, it can be inferred that they could carry on with the comedic tone of the previous entries that relied a lot on sarcasm, puns, taboo subjects mixed with fluffy delivery and poetic vocabulary. The developers have already announced that their game will not follow a massive multiplayer online system, but will stick more to its traditional roots.
No, Fable isn't an MMO and no, the multiplayer for #HaloInfinite isn't being delayed. https://t.co/G2QzqZBLvJ
— Windows Central Gaming (@WinC_Gaming) July 24, 2020
Matt Booty, the head of Xbox Games Studios mentioned that the recent entry will synergize the old features of the game with the new mechanics.
STORY AND SETTING
Not much is known regarding the game's story and setting. A sword is revealed in the trailer, creating speculations that the game will happen in the medieval period, a theory that is misleading knowing that swords have also been a prominent weapon during the Victorian era. Since there are fairies involved, the game's fantasy elements remain.
It remains a mystery if the upcoming game will be a complete reboot, foregoing the narrative and possibly the lore of the previous entries or a direct sequel to the third entry. It's also possible that the latest entry could answer some question marks left from the previous entries like the events that took place during the 500 year gap. It could also be a prequel to the first game which would narrate the origins of Albion, the Heroes' Guild, etc. Ultimately, the story is a complete enigma and not even Theresa, the blind and legendary seer of the franchise can boldly use her abilities to foreshadow the events that will take place. The Fable series has always prided itself on its storytelling so they are keeping a tight lip on that aspect.
It will be interesting to note if a fairytale ending will occur not only in terms of the game's narrative but also in terms of its legacy.
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