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[IbizaPocholo]

So far, Playground Games seems to understand the assignment in rebooting one of Xbox's most beloved franchises. We combine Fable's big showing at the recent Xbox Developer Direct with the new information gained from an interview with Fable director Ralph Fulton to deliver our first proper preview of Microsoft's upcoming fairy tale action-RPG. Previewed by Ryan McCaffrey

- The previewer is highly impressed by the Fable reboot so far and expresses strong confidence in Playground Games' vision.
- Playground Games transforms the Forza engine into a richly detailed medieval British world with layered combat and classic Fable humor.
- Classic Fable identity is preserved, including meaningful moral choices that visibly affect the player and the world.
- The franchise returns after over a decade, following Microsoft's failed multiplayer experiment that previously killed the series.
- Playground was chosen partly because Fable is seen as a quintessentially British series that required a British studio to reboot it authentically.
- Deep town management systems return, allowing players to buy property, run businesses, form relationships, marry, divorce, and raise children.
- Morality is no longer black-and-white; NPCs individually judge the player based on personal interactions rather than global good/evil meters.
- Every NPC is handcrafted, fully voiced, and unique, with no procedurally generated filler content.
- Player choices can permanently alter the world, such as deciding the fate of Giant Dave, which can even affect local property values.
- Combat remains the biggest concern, as Playground Games has no prior experience developing combat-focused games.
- The iconic dog companion from Fable 2 has been cut, disappointing fans despite internal regret from the development team.
- Fable is expected to release in fall, aiming to avoid launching too close to Grand Theft Auto 6 and positioning itself as a major Xbox RPG contender.

 

[R3TRO]

Sounds great but when did the dog become "iconic"…

 

[Sephimoth]

Wait wtf?

I associate previews with "something we've played early, here's our impressions", not "we've combined info from what everyone saw in a direct, and an interview we did".
Slapping "THE FIRST preview" on is even funnier (redefining something so you can claim to be first, for clicks)

Maybe that idea of a preview is my mistake.

 

[Pigenator]

At least we can change that disgusting looking "woman" MC. Thank god

 

[Bark]

Wait wtf? I associate previews with "something we've played early, here's our impressions", not "we've combined info from what everyone saw in a direct, and an interview we did".
Slapping "THE FIRST preview" on is even funnier.

Maybe that's my mistake.

No, you are right.
You can't spell ignorant without IGN

 

[PeteBull]

At least we can change that disgusting looking "woman" MC. Thank god

Game has all the signs of being wokefest, all the material the studio released has tons of "DEI" in it, but lets hope we can contain that shit to minimum if we go with standard masculine muscular white bloke protag and not chose any feminist options in dialogues
I really want this game to be good and have great sales so franchise continues which defo wont happen if we get 2nd vailguard/avoved/outer worlds or other shit like that

We know from recent xbox direct doublefine is dead and burried when this launches:

Looks like some first game from indie studio of 5devs, not 50m+ usd budget AAA game from veteran AAA studio with over 20years of experience

 

[DenchDeckard]

Wait wtf?

I associate previews with "something we've played early, here's our impressions", not "we've combined info from what everyone saw in a direct, and an interview we did".
Slapping "THE FIRST preview" on is even funnier (redefining something so you can claim to be first, for clicks)

Maybe that idea of a preview is my mistake.

I think it's fine being both. But, I am with you.

I think historically, and previews I remember I paid attention to were when the journalist played the game and could share some details on how they feel it's shaping up without saying if it's good or bad or not, as it is not a finished product.

Maybe I'm wrong too

 

[winjer]

IGN....

 

[Gonzito]

At least we can change that disgusting looking "woman" MC. Thank god

The problem is that judging by the footage we saw a couple of days ago, most npcs have this woke cringe look that doesn't give much hope

I hope I am wrong but I have a bad feeling about the inclusive content of this game

 

[Juza]

- Morality is no longer black-and-white; NPCs individually judge the player based on personal interactions rather than global good/evil meters.
- The iconic dog companion from Fable 2 has been cut, disappointing fans despite internal regret from the development team.

 

[Thebonehead]

At least we can change that disgusting looking "woman" MC. Thank god

Weirdly, I think she suited the Fable aesthetic

 

[Krathoon]

The problem is that judging by the footage we saw a couple of days ago, most npcs have this woke cringe look that doesn't give much hope

I hope I am wrong but I have a bad feeling about the inclusive content of this game

This dipshit on another forum got pissy because I said that woman looked derpy. People are way too "social justice warrior" these days.

 

[EPG_Every_Platform_Gamer]

I loved what I saw, and LOL at the first preview.. its something all content creators have done and will do. Yes it contains info already in the developers direct but it also contains gamers opinions. people can click or not click. I am literally in the process of finishing my video on the direct and have already posted my written preview on my website. Again it contains opinions which is hopefully what people want to also hear vs just seeing what was revealed in the direct.
Onto Fable, i am very excited now. I was worried at first for this game but they literally answered all my questions. Like being able to change my character, i know the opinion might be disliked, but i am in the camp that the original main character reveal was terrible. I Hated that character and was very worried about the idea of having to play the whole game as her. Thankfully that wont be an issue and I will be picking my own character right away. The actual game looks stunning and the fact that they have built on all the aspects of the classic fable games is good to hear.
Open world, realistic looking but fantasy world setting, npcs galore, morality being able to marry and have kids, property management.. the list goes on and on. I loved the original games and I am now very excited for the new Fable game.

 

[bighugeguns]

Weirdly, I think she suited the Fable aesthetic

I think they lost momentum for the game with that character reveal.

But instead of cancelling, they move forward, this kind of yolo creative direction kamikaze shit will sink Xbox.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Weirdly, I think she suited the Fable aesthetic

Literally this. She looks like she woke up on her father's farm, tended to the pigs etc then found out she was a hero.

I don't hate it.

 

[RJMacready73]

They really need to fix the "dude walks like a lady" animation... We all know you fucking bottled it when the internet called out your ugly AF DEI protagonist so you hastily put together a limited character creator and swapped heads, but FFS have your body type B or whatever have a different animation, some of us men actually walk like men.

And bring back the morality system so I can be bad bastard and grow horns

 

[Gonzito]

This dipshit on another forum got pissy because I said that woman looked derpy. People are way too "social justice warrior" these days.

I guess you are talking about the purple asylum

I prefer to jump in a pool with piranhas rather than participating in that shithole for the mentally challenged

 

[Thebonehead]

I think they lost momentum for the game with that character reveal.

But instead of cancelling, they move forward, this kind of yolo shit will sink Xbox.

I think the reveal suffered due to the amount of terrible choice females out there, so it kind of backfired.

That being said, Forza 5 was very they/them so maybe it wasn't an ironic character choice

 

[L*][*N*K]

At least we can change that disgusting looking "woman" MC. Thank god

Make a really hot girl with gigantic boobies and have a wank, brought to you by y Playground Games.

 

[Krathoon]

I guess you are talking about the purple asylum

I prefer to jump in a pool with piranhas rather than participating in that shithole for the mentally challenged

It is actually this other forum that used to be part of Penny Arcade, but they are starting to get just as defensive.

 

[Hohenheim]

My most anticipated game this year. It looks and feels excatly like how I wanted it to be.

 

[Ozriel]

This isn't a traditional 'preview'. bait and switch from IGN

 

[Pigenator]

Weirdly, I think she suited the Fable aesthetic

I dunno, everyone looks kinda ugly in this game I agree. But the MC they went with for all the marketing so far was just a dudebro looking gal

Make a really hot girl with gigantic boobies and have a wank, brought to you by y Playground Games.

Make em bounce by the power of the cloud

 

[Fake]

The more I learn, the worst is gets.

 

[bighugeguns]

I think the reveal suffered due to the amount of terrible choice females out there, so it kind of backfired.

That being said, Forza 5 was very they/them so maybe it wasn't an ironic character choice

Well, it's not really this issue that's an issue to me, frankly it doesn't phase me if the protagonist, as presented to the world via that initial marketing, doesn't look like a hentai model, my worry with Xbox is how absolutely terrified their software people are of risk. The risk of pissing off the reviewer community is reaching genuinely weird levels and their games are becoming strange because of it, not in a good way, IMO.

They want to cast impossibly wide nets whilst being terrified of any kind of meaningful risk, this is a broader problem though and I think new hardware or money won't solve.

I have zero understanding about internal politics in this industry but shit sure looks weird from the outside looking in.

Most important of all, is any of this shit really worth spending my very limited sporadic brainpower on, it's their money, their projects, their publishers, their reviewers, their opinions, their fears, not mine.

A painting isn't appealing to purchase if the artist was scared, the product no matter how grand, is subconsciously distressing, there sure are instances where that's necessary for specific works in art but I doubt that's the AAA shareholder desire, but they keep feeding the machine that terrifies their creatives, so it's their fucking problem to solve.

 

[Musilla]

Previewed by Ryan McCaffrey.

 

[adamsapple]

This isn't a traditional 'preview'. bait and switch from IGN

Correct. It's a summary of the video and their own interview.

Disingenuous to call it a 'preview'.

 

[KyoZz]

meaningful moral choices that visibly affect the player

So no morphing but... it's kinda still there?

Morality is no longer black-and-white; NPCs individually judge the player based on personal interactions rather than global good/evil meters

I like that.

 

[ThroatPie]

Most likely complete woke slop.

 

[Plague Doctor]

I am here for that masculine strut

 

[CentralScrutinizer]

Sounds great but when did the dog become "iconic"…

Fable 2 dog was always iconic.

 

[videogamedude]

"borderline blown away"


i am partially obsessed with this opinion

maybe definitely


kinda for real

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

Content (or should I day slop) like this is an exact reason why AI is replacing gaming access media with such ease.

 

[dorkimoe]

cant believe its finally a game

 

[IntentionalPun]

Not a preview.

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

At least we can change that disgusting looking "woman" MC. Thank god

have you played the fable games before?

 

[Saber]

This is not a preview, just a recycle of info already provided. This time I will report IGN for false information.

 

[nemiroff]

I love dogs, but I'm glad it's gone in this game. I don't like pet companions, stresses me out. Mutt was always safely back home while I was roaming in KCD2

Anyway, this video is more like a summary of what we've seen before.

 

[Disciple of MSSP]

Feeling like Avowed part II. Hopefully not. But the DEI push is annoying.

And fuck IGN for calling this a preview.

 

[Fess]

have you played the fable games before?

I just started playing Fable Anniversary, never played Fable before, and the awkward designs works so well with the silly humor, I'm not sure it would work with realistic characters. Imagine having a fart expression with an otherwise seemingly serious game lmao

 

[Humdinger]

I love dogs, but I'm glad it's gone in this game. I don't like pet companions, stresses me out. Mutt was always safely back home while I was roaming in KCD2

Same. And plus, you know that if there's a dog, the dog will usually end up dying in the end for the sake of the sentimental, tear-jerk moment.

I just started playing Fable Anniversary, never played Fable before, and the awkward designs works so well with the silly humor, I'm not sure it would work with realistic characters. Imagine having a fart expression with an otherwise seemingly serious game lmao

Yeah, the original Fable was intentionally cartoonish. We have a different art style here, more realistic.

 

[Moses85]

At least we can change that disgusting looking "woman" MC. Thank god

She is beautiful

 

[Humdinger]

This ain't no preview.

 

[Sgt.Asher]

Make a really hot girl with gigantic boobies and have a wank, brought to you by y Playground Games.

I'm not sure that's entirely possible either. They said you can pick from a variety of character heads in the video, and I didn't see any face scuplting.
So I think you're still stuck with what they created.

 

[Elginer]

I'm not sure that's entirely possible either. They said you can pick from a variety from character heads in the video, and I didn't see any face scuplting.
So I think you're still stuck with what they created.

Sadly i believe you are right

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

I just started playing Fable Anniversary, never played Fable before, and the awkward designs works so well with the silly humor, I'm not sure it would work with realistic characters. Imagine having a fart expression with an otherwise seemingly serious game lmao

To be fair, I've pretty much avoided much of the footage because I've just been busy with shit, but I assumed this game would maintain the silly humor

Again, I haven't really watched any of the preview footage at all, but if the tone has changed substantially, this doesn't really feel like fable to me then

The humor and tone is what differentiated fable from most fantasy games

I discovered the fable series pretty late in life, but the best quality about these games is the writing and humor

 

[Fess]

To be fair, I've pretty much avoided much of the footage because I've just been busy with shit, but I assumed this game would maintain the silly humor

Again, I haven't really watched any of the preview footage at all, but if the tone has changed substantially, this doesn't really feel like fable to me then

The humor and tone is what differentiated fable from most fantasy games

I discovered the fable series pretty late in life, but the best quality about these games is the writing and humor

They said that they kept the humor but now that I'm playing the original I can't see the new design fit the tone of the first one, it's going to be more serious for sure.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

cant believe its finally a game

"prepare to be shocked"

 

[The_Observer]

Previewed by Ryan McCaffrey.

Looks like someone who would give Alien Isolation a 6 out of 10… and call this a preview

 

[March Climber]

Looking back, I hope they can deliver on the "Cause and Effect" part of the game. The Fable devs killing that giant guy and seeing his corpse lay near the village reminds me of a cool moment from season 1 of an anime I watched, Shield Hero.

To explain, in the anime the Shield Hero there are 4 heroes, shield, sword, spear, and bow. The Shield Hero came across an entire village near a mountain that was affected by a plague. Once he managed to heal enough of them so that they could talk to him, villagers ended up revealing to him that the Sword Hero visited a while ago, traveled to the top of the mountain and killed a Dragon.



He killed the dragon and left the corpse to rot, which affected all of the village folk and monsters nearby, but he didn't consider the aftereffects of doing such a thing and he simply walked away. Some dark magic occurred as well, and Shield Hero ended up having to fight the Rot Dragon who was potentially stronger than the regular one due to being immune to certain damage types.

This happened more than once where the other heroes left certain towns, people, or cities in disarray simply because they were treating their actions like turning in a quest and walking away, without considering anything after.

I always thought that was a cool way to potentially present a game, because normally when you complete quests in games, that complete area would then feel 'frozen in time' which in some ways could be seen as immersion-breaking.