Fable DNA should be present
There were things to see about this Fableand the first thing that emerges from this presentation, it is Playground Games’ desire to respect the codes of the saga. Not so much on the graphic level, because if it is very impressive, it has more the appearance of a Hogwarts Legacy that one Fable (the cartoon artistic direction no longer being there), but on the very essence of the series.
It starts with the creation of characters, because yes, even if the same face was highlighted in previous appearances, you can indeed create your own avatar here. The studio only showed a very brief glimpse of the character creation system, but we can already see that the clothing possibilities will be quite numerous.
You will then start as a child, in an Albion which has not known a hero for a generation. You will therefore become a little celebrity, until your village, Briar Hill, is attacked by a mysterious individual who will petrify everyone, including your grandmother. It is only later that you will truly become master of your abilities, both martial and magical. And if this is your main objective, you will be free to progress as you want in the gameknowing that the areas will a priori be brought to your level when you visit them.
Loads of references and a combat system that doesn’t change too much
Despite the more realistic aspect of the game, Albion will still have some more fantastic places like a huge vegetable garden or magical forests, all in an open world..
We were also able to see an overview of the different cities to visit, including the capital, Bowerstone and Fairfax Castle, as well as the famous city of Bloodstone, the port city of the second episode. Note, however, that despite this reference, this episode does not fit into the chronology of previous opuses. It’s another Albion, even if it remains very close to the one created by Lionhead. So this is a reboot.
The studio didn’t forget to give us a glimpse of the gameplay, and here things don’t change that much. We are still facing an action-RPG with several weapons to handle (sword, hammer, crossbows) and different spells to castincluding one that can, for example, transform your enemies into chickens. We also find the iconic bestiary of the saga, in addition to new enemies.
A subjective morality
And of course, Fable would not be Fable without its system of morality. Here, Playground Games nevertheless promises us that it will be less binary than in previous episodes, to the extent that it is not the game that will judge you, but the inhabitants.
Actions that you may consider to be good may be poorly perceived by some, it is because this episode features more than a thousand NPCs all with their own personality. They will even be entitled to a little personal routine, enough to make them more alive. They will therefore be judges of your actions, and you will not be able to achieve unanimity. You’ll still be able to build a family with most of them, as the romance system is back. We therefore understand that there will be many choices to make, which will have an impact on the world in addition to those around you more or less close to you.
And as in the previous ones Fableyou will have access to lots of activities far from your adventurous life. This means that you will have access to jobs (including that of a blacksmith), you will be able to buy a whole bunch of houses, and of course, shoot chickens.
In short, a lot of things that recall the spirit of the series, and the British humor will also be there. The studio says this translates to inspirations such as Peep Show, The IT Crowd or even The Office. The latter is also very referenced, because as you could see during the previous trailers, the “looks at the camera” are not just a stylistic effect for a trailer, they will be present in the game.
When will Fable be released?
We’re not going to lie, we were hoping for a more precise release date for this Fablebut Playground Games still gave a release period. Fable will therefore be available during the fall of 2026assuming that another postponement does not change the plans.
And the biggest surprise to remember in this, even if it is no longer necessarily unpredictable today, is that Fable will arrive at the same time on PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5. No delayed exit to be expected visibly.