No doggo, no transformation based on your actions
This long interview gives us some additional details about this new Fablein particular by focusing on certain systems presented during the Xbox Developer Direct. Ralph Fulton, for example, returned to the system of morality, which will be less Manichean than in previous episodes, and which will have more gray areas. And this is one of the reasons behind the absence of a feature appreciated by fans, that of changing appearance according to your moral alignment. This new Fable will not suggest thisand Fulton explains why:
“ This kind of character transformation, a central element of the original games, is absent from our version. I’ll explain why. There are probably several reasons. First, I think it comes down to the general principle I was talking about: there is no such thing as objective good and evil. The original games were based on the idea that there was objective right and wrong, and that your position on that scale determined how you changed in appearance. But for us, it doesn’t work. With our morality system, you are never set in stone, absolutely not. You are different for each person, depending on their tastes and values. That’s one of the reasons why it didn’t work. There’s another reason: in our game, your reputation is built based on the city, town or region you are in. But when you arrive in a new place, an unfamiliar place, you have no reputation and no one knows what to think of you. You can, through your behavior and your choices, build a reputation, an identity, in some way, totally different from that of your last visit. And it’s possible in all locations in the game. »
Another element removed from previous games, here, no canine companions to adopt. And while Fulton doesn’t say precisely why, he humorously acknowledges that even on the team, not everyone is thrilled about it:
“ I knew I was going to get this question. And you know what? Some team members were happy about this question, as I removed this a while ago. For development reasons, you understand? I don’t need to say more, except that several people on the team still haven’t forgiven me for this decision.. »
And what about the game map? Playground Games is now accustomed to offering us open worlds of considerable size, but rather empty given that they only serve as settings for frenzied races. Fulton here promises that the size of Albion will be substantial, but much smaller than a Forza Horizoneven if the map will be denser :
“ Horizon worlds are designed to be traveled at 400 km/h. We therefore cover distances much faster in these games than in ours. In ours, we move at the speed of a horse at most. What we found was that while we incorporated a lot of our worldbuilding experience and technology from the Horizon titles (we obviously share a common base), we had to re-evaluate the essential elements of building Albion. The world is still huge. […] So you move more slowly, but you see and experience a lot more. I think the immersion is stronger. For example, in the game, you can enter all buildings. Each building therefore needs an interior, because you can rob it, buy it and live there with your family or one of your families. So, we focused on the interior and ended up developing much richer details. »
This is enough to reassure those who are afraid of seeing an Albion that is too vast and too empty because of the studio’s experience. Fulton was also asked about the story of this episode, to find out if any links will be created with the previous ones. Fableeven if it is a reboot. But the interviewee pushed back, specifying that other details on the story will be shared during the year.
See you in the fall to discover this Fable on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series.