Everybody wants to know what the storytelling angle of the new Fable game is. The Fable series already has a lot of lore under its belt, thanks to a previous trilogy that saw the land of Albion evolve over generations and develop from a medieval world to an early industrial society. In the hands of Playground Games, it looks like Fable is headed for a reboot, which means the world might change drastically. A reboot of the franchise with new developers at the helm means Fable has some soul-searching to do. What kind of fantasy does it want to focus on? What's the story that Playground Games wants to tell?
Fans can tell that Playground is looking for answers to that question because of who it's hiring. Last December, Fable fans learned that Anna Megill, a senior writer for Control, is joining the franchise reboot. If that suggests that Fable is taking notes from Control when it comes to developing a setting, that's a really good thing. Control is a wonderfully sharp and thoughtfully written piece of fantasy thanks to the work of people like Megill. The Fable reboot should definitely see what Control did that worked if it wants to make its setting feel fresh.
Control Reflects Well on Fable
Control's worldbuilding works thanks to the writers' attention to detail. The Hiss are a menacing force to contend with, but they're not all that protagonist Jesse Faden has to think about. The Federal Bureau of Control contends with a wide range of supernatural events and forces that fill in all the mysterious goings-on of the world of Control. Whether it's interdimensional fungus or telekinetic floppy disks, there's lots of ways for players to scratch at the surface of the unknowable in Control. Every mysterious force, menacing creature, and normal human contending with the abnormal brings Control to life, compelling fans to ask questions and follow Jesse on her journey in search of truth.
The layers built into Control are what Fable needs to have a strong new setting in the reboot. The upcoming Fable game is supposedly a fresh start for the series, which means Playground Games intends on rebuilding the world from the ground up. Control offers Fable a master class in building details into a fantasy world that support the central, plot-relevant fantasy elements while also standing strong as story threads of their own. Megill's experience in telling a sophisticated, complicated fantasy story will be pivotal in giving new life to Fable.
Blending Control and Fable's Storytelling
It'd be fascinating to see Control's environmental storytelling mastery blend with Fable's traditional ways of influencing the player's perspective on Albion. If the Fable morality system returns, players might see even more widespread repercussions for their actions than ever before. Fable could borrow other devices from Control like collectible writing that inform players about the state of the world. Certain collectibles might only appear based on the choices Fable players make and their character's overall morality. Control isn't just a good reference point as a good fantasy setting. It's a great reference for how to actually tell a fantasy story.
Everyone wants to know what Playground is planning with Fable. Based on the general secrecy around the game, there's no telling what Albion will look like when Playground Games is through with it, if it sticks with Albion at all. At the very least, the kind of writers that Playground is bringing in to work on the fourth Fable game give some indication of the fantasy storytelling techniques that it admires the most. Maybe there's looming and hard-to-perceive supernatural forces coming to Fable soon, pulling strings behind the scenes just like the Hiss and the Board in Control. The new take on Fable could be even more fantastical than before.
Fable is in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.