Fable: Gameplay details, trailer, & everything we know
Coming from a wildly different type of developer this time around, Fable 4 is on the horizon. While the development has been shrouded in mystery, we're hoping to expect some fresh new details about the game soon at the upcoming Xbox Showcase.
But what do we know about Fable 4 so far, and are there any story details we can glean from the one CG trailer we've already seen? Keep reading to learn more about the upcoming title from Playground Games, Fable 4.
Is there a Fable 4 release date?
Click to enlargeThe Fable 4 release date is yet to be officially confirmed. Given how the Fable Twitter page has been extremely quiet ever since the game was revealed at the Xbox Showcase, it's safe to say it could be a long time before players can become a Hero of Albion again. Fable fans were also sad not to see the game make an appearance at Xbox’s E3 showcase in June 2021, nor at the Xbox Showcase in 2022.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer did share some long-awaited updates about Fable 4 on the 500th episode of IGN's Unlocked podcast. Although there's no word from Spencer about a potential release date, he did say that Fable 4 would be released before the Elder Scrolls 6. Unfortunately, the Elder Scrolls 6 release date is still being kept under wraps by Bethesda, but it's highly unlikely to come before 2023. This means that Fable 4 could be flying its way into consoles sometime around then or just before.
Click to enlargeFable 4 trailer
Fable 4 was announced during the Xbox Games Showcase in July 2020. It was accompanied by a colourful trailer that screamed fantasy, complete with tales of magic, a fairy-eating toad, and a vibrant voice-over from English actor Simon Callow. The trailer didn't give any indication about gameplay but it did give an idea about Fable 4's potential style and that it was being developed by Playground Games.
Whether or not Fable 4 will continue to take place in the medieval-style world of Albion is still a mystery. What time period in which the new game will take its inspiration from is, also, unclear. The previous Fable games have been styled around various periods of history, beginning with Medieval Britain in the first game, all the way up to the Industrial Revolution in Fable 3.
The latest Fable trailer, shown at the Xbox Games Showcase for 2023, showed British comedian Richard Ayoade as a giant tackling a new hero.
While no gameplay was shown, the footage was in-engine.
Are there any Fable 4 gameplay details?
Fable 4 is being built using the ForzaTech engine. The fantastical creatures and magical lands of Fable seem a far cry from the energy-fuelled car races in Playground's other popular franchise, Forza Horizon. However, it's not a huge surprise given how the graphics of the Forza Horizon game series have been highly acclaimed over the years. The news of Fable 4's game engine was not officially announced, but rather a job post for a software engineer by Microsoft said it was: "Enriching the toolset to support an open world action RPG – Fable."
This choice of game engine is just one of the big changes that Microsoft has promised about Fable's "new beginning". Just exactly how "new" it will be has led to a lot of rumours circulating. One of which, by French journalist CronoTK, is that the game is not a sequel to the games at all but, rather, an MMO set in the world of Fable.
Are there any Fable 4 story details?
Click to enlargeThe secrecy surrounding Fable 4 has sparked a series of rumours to be spread around the game's gameplay and plot. One supposed leak, posted on Reddit, claimed that they had discovered Fable 4's storyline:
"Albion and Aurora are gone. Lands reduced to fables. The Spire was rebuilt and used by a mad king to wish that an asteroid would strike the planet. He also wished it would happen again in the far future. Eons later and everything is new (medieval themed, new continents) and you have to stop the destruction of the planet again. Theresa and a Heroes Guild are preserved on another planet via a demon door. Time Travel heavily involved in play. Jack of Blades returns."
Of course, this has to be taken with a huge pinch of salt. However, if the rumour does turn out to be true, then it really could shake things up for Fable.
What is the Fable 4 developer?
Click to enlarge
Fable 4 is currently being built by Playground Games, the game developer now owned by Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios, based in Leamington Spa, England. The trailer released by the studio received high praise from Fable fans for keeping the fXbox's Phil Spencer Gives Update On Fable 4un silliness of the previous games. However, the tale of Fable certainly hasn't been an easy one.
Once upon a time, Fable was developed by Lionhead Studios and famously hyped up by lead designer and Lionhead co-founder, Peter Molyneux. However, the first game didn't do as well as expected, leaving the company in crippling debt and Lionhead was bought by Microsoft Game Studios. Fable II and III were both much more successful. However, Molyneux then left Lionhead Studios in 2012 which alienated many fans from the franchise.
In an interview with Eurogamer, former Lionhead employee and Fable co-creator Simon Carter said that he was excited to see what's next for the upcoming instalment to the game franchise. Although, he admitted he had "slightly mixed feelings". He then went on to say that the Playground Team "is very talented, and I'm sure they'll do a fantastic job."
Is Fable 4 an Xbox console exclusive?
Fable 4 is owned by Microsoft so, sadly, it's very unlikely that the game will be available to play on PS4 or PS5. As a result, the Fable 4 platforms will likely be:
- Xbox Series X|S
- PC (Xbox Store & Steam)
Thinking that Fable 4 will be around any time soon might sadly be a fantasy. However, Albion is coming. Not much might be known about this mysterious new tale yet. However, given the great team at its helm, Fable 4 promises some really exciting things to come.
For more news about Fable, keep reading GGRecon.
