Playground Games may have confirmed that it has a new Fable title in development, but that confirmation didn't give fans much to go off of. While the announcement trailer made it clear that the new game will return to a medieval fantasy setting, it didn't tell fans if they'd return to Albion or if the franchise is going in a new direction. It would make some sense if Playground Games' Fable involved a wholly new setting, since it would allow RPG newcomer Playground to make a bigger mark on the IP, but many fans cling to hope that a return trip to Albion is around the corner.
The Fable franchise may be better off if Playground leans on the lore established by Lionhead Studios. Not only would that give the game a stronger appeal to established Fable fans, but it would ease some burdens on Playground's development team. The shift into the RPG genre creates enough opportunities for Playground Games to deliver a unique Fable experience. Even if Playground tries lots of new things mechanically, it should at least keep Fable grounded in the world and stories that fans have come to know and love.
The Case for Classic Fable Lore
An obvious benefit of reusing Fable's known lore is increasing the game's appeal to longtime fans. Players who were dedicated fans of the original Fable trilogy in the franchise's halcyon days would love to revisit iconic locations from those games, ranging from the city of Bowerstone to the mysterious Tattered Spire. These locations and more could get breathtaking new looks with the power of the Xbox Series X, rendering them in more detail than ever before. What's more, reusing Fable's old lore would allow players to interact with Fable's longtime heroes and villains in new ways, giving Playground Games' Fable another powerful source of nostalgia.
Aside from the nostalgia factor of classic Fable lore, reusing the franchise's original world could make development easier for Playground Games on the whole. Playground is famously a racing game studio, not an RPG developer. While the leap into Fable is good for Playground's longevity, it definitely means the studio faces a lot of challenges as it tries to master RPG mechanics, fantasy world-building, and other crucial skills. Returning to Albion's history, places, and faces would ease some world-building responsibilities from Playground Games, since it could focus on telling new stories using established lore instead of trying to build a new world from scratch.
While reusing lore definitely makes it harder for Playground Games' Fable to differentiate itself from the Fable trilogy, the game can still stand out in plenty of mechanical ways. Playground could focus on injecting Fable with all kinds of modern RPG trends that freshen the series up mechanically, even as its story and setting rely on established elements. For instance, even if Fable still takes place in Albion, a fully open-world Fable game could provide fans with a refreshing new look at Albion. An overhauled combat system, new questing mechanics, and creative traversal options could also all give players new ways of engaging with a familiar world.
It's clear that Fable needs to strike a balance between new and old in one way or another. It simultaneously has to prove Playground Games' potential as a multifaceted studio and give its franchise a long-awaited revival that satisfies fans. Playground Games might want to lean towards the latter priority for now. Reusing classic components of Fable could help the studio build trust between it and the franchise's fans, which will ultimately give future games a better chance of succeeding. Whether it means Fable fans will battle Jack of Blades again soon or if they go on a new adventure in a familiar world, the benefits of reusing Fable's old lore speak for themselves.
Fable is in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.