Try to get your franchise-multiplier even higher
23rd July 2020 marked the day when the OG Fable fans finally got to shed a tear of longing. After 10 years of longing, Xbox finally announced a proper Fable game for both, Microsoft Windows and the next-gen console Xbox Series X. With Playground Games taking the wheels for development and the teaser trailer hinted a return to the roots, here is our wishlist for the upcoming untitled Fable 4:
Stick to the medieval setting
Almost every Fable fan will agree that 2005’s Fable: The Lost Chapters is the best game in the series so far. The whole setting was mostly inspired by medieval British and European fantasy settings. The following sequels made time-jumps to 500 and 50 years causing the ‘fantasy’ element to be lost. The lush green forests filled with mysterious monuments of the Old Kingdom were replaced with your regular average cliché locations. The element of magic and mystery was diluted by the uninspiring scientific gadgetry. Gone were days of legendary weapons like Skorm’s bow, the heroes now settled for a musket.
Character customization please
Remember Beardy Baldy, the guy in Bowerstone Quay who asked you to get a ‘handsome’ makeover so you could have his daughter’s hand? Remember you rushing to barber shop to get that silly haircut? Remember him having no daughter who loves strong, handsome men? Yeah, me too. It has become a thumb-rule for every rpg to allow the player to customize the looks of their character in the beginning and throughout the game. Now, who doesn’t like to create a character in his own image?
Different Playstyles
When Fable Legends was announced, it got everybody turning their heads because it offered something that no previous game in the series offered: different characters with different playstyles. The beta version of the game was well-received but the lack of story and lore was criticized. It eventually got cancelled while leaving the fans craving for some more, especially the different playstyles; be it Inga’s giant shield or Evienne’s long sword or Rook’s rapid crossbow. The blueprints and mechanics are already there, all that is needed is implementation.
Introduce party system
One sin that all the previous Fable games are guilty of is button-mashing. There comes a point in many games when you just rapid-click your way through enemies just to get the mission over with. Getting tired of playing with one character is a fatigue of its own. Enter Dragon Age series. Dragon Age allowed players to choose party member for a mission and switch between them in order to keep the players engaged in the game. If Bioware was able to do this in 2009, surely Playground games can easily pull it off in 2021. Imagine being able to switch between characters like Thunder or Whisper in Fable: The Lost Chapters. Heck, reintroduce the characters from the cancelled Fable Legends. Who wouldn’t love to hear the party banter?
Make the choices actually have CONSEQUENCES
Fable: The Lost Chapters surprised fans back in 2005 when it gave them the power to change the direction of the story by making tough in-game choices; your friend Whisper’s life or the title of Champion of The Arena, your sister Theresa’s life or the Sword of Aeons, marry Lady Grey or turn her in for her crime. But none of that actually affected the ending of the game. Enter Telltale Games. The now defunct gaming developer’s made several choice-based games like The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The Wolf Among Us and even Batman. Each and every major action lead to some reaction. An action would make a character more loyal towards you while the same action could make another turn against you. Honorary mention: The last mission of Bioware’s Mass Effect 2 where choosing the correct member to lead a certain section of the mission could lead to 100% survival of the team.
Make unique magical spells just like Fable: TLC
Who remembers ‘Assassin Rushing’ behind enemies and hitting them with a flourish? Who remembers going ‘Berserk’ and hitting enemies with a heavy weapon? Who remembers ‘Slowing Time’ and running past the enemies? Who remembers raining down ‘Divine Fury’ from the sky or opening the gates of hell by ‘Infernal Wrath’ while being surrounded by enemies? Now does anyone remember any good spell from Fable 2 or 3? Probably not and rightfully so. Think outside the box, guys. It’s 2021 already and you have X Box Series X.
Different pets
Certainly something good came out of Fable sequels too. The pet system where you have an animal companion to aid you throughout the game was the only upgrade Fable 2 and 3 had over the original Fable. The dog was a loyal companion and the ending of Fable 2 bears witness to it. But how about we get to choose from different animals? How about riding the legendary Sand Goose from the lore of Fable? Tired of chasing chickens, how about having one as a companion?
While Playground Games is best known for its racing series Forza, we as Fable fans hope that they don’t abandon the British humor and fan-favorite Demon Doors. Stay tuned for more on Fable.
