It’s been nearly a decade since players last walked the forests and fields of Albion. In that time, players got their hopes up that the multiplayer Fable spinoff, Fable Legends, would be able to satiate their hunger until they got the next installation of their favorite magical RPG. When fans heard that it was cancelled after four years of development in March 2016, so were their hopes of getting to play any new Fable. That was until an Xbox Series X event in 2020, when Playground Games showcased a trailer for a new Fable entry that sent fans into a frenzy.
Alongside other popular titles like Halo and Forza, Microsoft used one of its Xbox Series X stages to give players all the exciting news that would’ve normally gone out at E3 or comparable gaming festivals that were cancelled due to COVID-19. The trailer opens on the hilt of a sword, expanding out to a fairy who notices the audience and begins guiding them. She guides the viewer to a mystical mushroom forest where a flower opens up as she approaches. The fairy inhales the delightful smell of the flower… and then immediately gets eaten by a frog. After the frog swallows, the camera shoot up through the trees to see a beautiful village surrounding what could be Bowerstone Castle in the distance.
The Trailer
Almost as soon as the trailer graced their screens, fans of the Fable franchise took to social media to speculate about what it means for the new game and the franchise as a whole. What fans have noticed is that The Guild of Heroes has existed or will exist in this world, apparent by the Guild Seal on the bottom of the sword’s hilt. The narrator’s mention of “legendary heroes” may imply this game takes place post creation of the Guild, with the seal potentially being further proof. On the other hand, the sword could also be The Sword of Aeons, created before the Guild was established. Whether either of those are true remains to be seen, but it's clear that Playground Games's unique take on the series will bring Fable to a new generation fans in a big way.
What Does It Mean?
If there is one thing that’s apparent in the trailer, it’s the mystical elements of this world, as a big fish turns into many small ones and fairies flutter in the background. This seems to imply that this world is living and breathing magic, something fans wished they’d gotten more of in Fable 3. Another reassuring bit for fans is the toad eating the fairy, an example of the silly and surprising humor fans have come to expect from the Fable series. This also adds emphasis that not every story in Fable will be a happy one, and that players can expect that in the next entry. While Fable have online elements, it won't be strictly multiplayer like the cancelled title from 2016.
The sword, the frog, and the fairy also have a large presence in Grimm-esque fairy tales. While most are familiar with the more innocent Disney adaptations, the Brothers’ Grimm’s stories would be much more aligned with Fable’s humor and occasion for tragedy. The Grimms’ recognized, like the narrator of the trailer, that not every story has a warm and peaceful finale. A good ending will only come when it’s been earned, which seems to speak to the level of magic and storytelling that fans will see in this non-industrialized Albion, maybe even more so than in prior entries.
While the hype for this game has been real, the announcement was also met with skepticism from some fans. This entry marks a departure from the original series’ developer, Lionhead Studios, which closed down in 2016. Even with the Fable developer's hiring of high profile talent, some players are skeptical about whether or not Playground Games has what it takes to breathe new life into the series. While fans may have to wait for the Fable release date or at the least for more concrete info, this all seems to point to one big idea: Fable has the chance to usher in a new era for Xbox.
Fable is currently in development by Playground Games.