As an Xbox owner, life can be tough when it comes to first-party exclusives. For the Xbox One/PS4 generation, Sony has just demolished Microsoft. Microsoft has cancelled multiple exclusives including a Fable Legends multiplayer game that looked alright, but not amazing. Also, I’m not much of a Halo, Forza, or Gears fan which seems to be Microsoft’s only consistent AAA series. Xbox Game Pass is a great product but it seems to be the only saving grace for Xbox owners with Microsoft seemingly going all in for their next generation of exclusives. Crackdown 3 and Bleeding Edge have been absolute duds, but I did really enjoy The Outer Worlds (not an exclusive but developer Obsidian is now owned by Microsoft).
A remastered version of the original Fable is on Game Pass and I played it recently hoping to relive some old childhood memories. I beat Fable twice: once for the base game and then another time when The Lost Chapters was released. I didn’t expect much, but the game surprisingly holds up in terms of overall atmosphere, player progression, and to a lesser degree, combat. I adored this play-through as I remembered some things, but was surprised by how much I had forgotten. With the knowledge that another Fable was on the horizon, (supposedly being developed by Forza developers Playground Games) I hope that the devs take a lot of inspiration from the first entry of the series.
While I do like Fable 2 a lot, the Industrial Era aesthetic just did not work for me. The fantasy/fairytale/mythical setting of the first Fable seems to fit it better. Fable 2’s inclusion of guns and machines makes it too close to reality.
Fable 4 will reportedly be a multiplayer, semi-open world game which is the right direction. Player progression and customization will be key for retaining players beyond the main storyline. Creating your own hero is a must. Progression is something that the first two games had a little trouble with (I never played the third Fable). In both Fable 1 and 2, I had the best gear in the game even though I was only halfway through. I doubt this will be a problem for Fable 4 as they will put all the best gear behind whatever endgame content they provide.
I do hope the developers place treasure chests around the world like the original series did. It‘s always a nice surprise when you can upgrade your character solely from adventure. Exploring the world of Albion becomes its own reward. In an MMO like Elder Scrolls Online, the best gear only comes from completing the most difficult endgame content or grinding activities like crafting and the game comes to a complete halt while boredom sets in. Just be more generous toward your player base in terms of allowing them to obtain better gear through fishing, digging, opening chests, even if it is a multiplayer-centric game. I don't want to have to calculate the amount of time it takes to get certain levels of gear through running the same mission/raid eight times for a total of four hours. That would just discourage me from playing altogether.
Although I favor the grounded and serious fantasy setting of The Elder Scrolls, I fully understand that the lightheartedness of the Fable series is key, so the devs definitely need to keep the trademark humor.
Lastly, I want to touch on combat. Combat in Fable 1 is a lot more tactical than I remember. If you know when to block and dodge, combat can be a lot of fun. If you just go in swinging, combat can be a drag. You may not die but you will get knocked down frequently and fights will last a lot longer. Combat definitely needs to be more fluid but the tactical nature should stay. The Batman: Arkham series is good reference point. Obviously, your character will not have the free flow combat that Batman had but having a “counter” button for regular attacks would be an amazing addition. Also, a “jump” button would add another dimension to combat. Fable 4 must make magic more integral to combat too. I never felt the need to use magic in the first two games, but if the new entry adds enemies where certain spells need to be used to stun them or remove their armor in order to damage them, that adds another level of strategy when approaching how to attack an enemy.
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