A tweet from Xbox Game Studios Publishing earlier in October gotFablefans hyped, leading them to believe news about the RPG franchise was right around the corner. Considering how quiet Playground Games has been about its next game, it’s no surprise fans got excited. Although it turned out Playground Games didn’t have any updates onFable, those events sent an important message: Lots of people are eager to know exactly what Playground is planning.As famous as the franchise is, if the newFablewants to be a success, the devil is in the details.
It’s obvious that the newFablegame will be unlike anything fromthe originalFabletrilogydeveloped by Lionhead Studios. TheFableIP is being developed in a completely different context from its older entries, so there’s no wayFable 4ends up particularly similar. On the other hand, Playground’s game can’t just coast on the inherent differences created by the passage of time and new developers. IfFablewants to compete with other Xbox-exclusive fantasy RPGs, it has to bring some major selling points to the table.
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Fable’s Two-Pronged Change
EveryFablefan knows the IP has been wandering for a while. After Lionhead closed in 2016, it needed a new developer. It found a new home in Playground Games, a studio almost exclusively known for its work ontheForza Horizonracing games. Due to Playground’s inexperience with RPGs, there’s no doubt the newFablegame will be unlike any so far. This could hold it back, but it also means Playground might have a lot of refreshing, creative new ideas.It’s also worth noting that technology and game development culture have changed a lot since the lastFablecame out. As a product of the 2020s,Fable 4will contrast sharply with theFablegames from the 2000s.
All of these factors should result in a uniqueFable 4,butFable 4can’t be unique simply within the context of its own series. Unfortunately for Playground Games,Fablehas a lot of heavy-hitting fantasy RPG competitors on the way. Obsidian Entertainment is working ona mysteriousPillars of Eternitysuccessor calledAvowed,while the newly acquired Bethesda will deliverThe Elder Scrolls 6in some years. Even ifFablecomes out first, it has to come up with some unique characteristics that give it staying power on the Xbox Series X/S among these influential titles.
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Playground Games Should Double Down on Fable
Rather than playing it safe due to its limited knowledge of RPGs, Playground Games should go all-in, taking risks and pushing for a huge newFablegame. Maybe Playground can lean intoFable’s habit of referencing real-life folklore and fairy tales, giving it a whimsical but classically medieval aesthetic unlike seemingly more serious games likeAvowed.In terms of gameplay,Fable 4should take strong ideas from previous games likeFable 3’s magic systemand expand them aggressively, modernizing them with new options.
Although there’s little information out there about whatFable 4will be like, there’s already good signs that Playground Games is taking an ambitious approach toFable’s development. The studio has hired major talent from across the industry to work onFable,includinga senior gameplay designer fromCyberpunk 2077.A bold, fearless approach toFable 4will serve the franchise well in an industry teeming with fantasy RPGs. TheFablefranchise is sure to change drastically in the coming years, but drastic change is exactly whatFableneeds.
Fableis in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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