On Thursday, Microsoft’s gaming division held a new Developer_Direct that featured a handful of games with enough time to outline in detail every little reason you should be excited about the game. Our very own Randy Rhodes, Aka Don Otaku on Twitter/X and YouTube, broke down every little positive from the showcase. Fable showed up like a force to be reckoned with, but, as one of those “longtime” fans… I was left a little baffled by how many unknowns there are regarding some of my favorite features from the series, staples, even.
I am very well aware that I could be making this article in vain, as more trailers and interviews could come out confirming the existence of stuff that was absent from the over 10-minute showcase. But it is very well worth pointing out some things that did not sit right with me during the showcase.
Where the Hell are the Demon Doors?
Let’s not talk around this. Ever since the very first Fable hell, in the very first area of the very first game after the opening in Oakvale, there was a Demon Door. Demon Doors have faces that speak in riddles that allude to a puzzle. Behind these doors are small secret areas that have a beautiful soundtrack with a treasure stashed away. I have all of the Demon Doors memorized from the first game due to playing it so much as a kid. Yes, you read that right. That being said, why didn’t Playground Games at least confirm them in the showcase?
Demon Doors are a staple of the series in all 3 mainline games. They are a way of adding a unique puzzle to an area that leaves you stumped and longing to see what the bearded riddler has behind him. For all of the many important features shown off, the series unique puzzle mechanic would’ve stirred up more excitement than the dating stuff (to me, at least). The same goes for some of the little nuances in combat from the original games.
The New Fable Needs to Confirm Flourishes and Weapon Augments Exist
I will not pretend that the original Fable series had amazing combat. As much as people complain about third-person action combat in every game, you have not truly seen where the floor is to appreciate what we have now, and that was the original trilogy. Light attacks with a sword, hammer, or hatchet are all to really expect from the original series. But starting in the original Fable, there was a system called “Flourishing”. This allowed for an unblockable heavy attack that I noticed was not mentioned during the combat segments of the showcase.
Now, Playground Games did speak on combos where you can weave light and heavy attacks, sure. But why stop at what is considered basic combat mechanics and try to weave in a little more of the series legacy? The 2nd and 3rd installments really leaned into flourishes as the only real way to use the melee combat. But I could see a modern take on Fable, allowing for a really cool iteration of it. I think even Tennokai from Warframe is a good example of a modern iteration of a flourish.
One more feature for the combat that Fable should have is the series augment system. I do not think they should go the weird route that the 3rd installment went. But I would much rather they stick to the idea of augments from the 1st and 2nd games. Augments added certain damage types (like fire), life steal, mana steal, XP gains, etc. It is a little bit of customization that should not be skipped over, given how cool the new weapons look.
But this last part stuck out like a sore thumb, due to how bizarre the showing of this mechanic was.
Don’t Skimp Out on Impactful Story Choices
During the showcase, Playground Games went over the most important mechanic in any RPG out there. That being the choices you make and the effects they have. I was very excited at the prospect of seeing how far a modern era Fable could go. Sadly, my memories of the original series were more satisfying to recall than what I saw. Now, of course, they might not want to show anything spoiler-related. But Fable is known for this; many side quests and main story beats have long-lasting effects.
For example, in the 2nd game, you go around collecting warrants for the guards in Bowerstone for some quick cash. After collecting the final warrant, you can either accept the bribe from a local thug or give it to the guards as intended. If you accept the bribe, the section of town you return to much later is in ruin and run by the thugs. On the opposite side of this is that if you give it to the guards, that section of town is just as beautiful as the rest of Bowerstone. The example shown for the new Fable was, for lack of better terms, weak.
They described that in the giant quest shown in 2023’s Xbox Games Showcase, you will have 2 options: to kill the giant or leave him alive. They did not describe what the effects of his staying alive were. But they did describe that if he dies, the body stays in the environment, and his sister will hate you while property prices go up. As someone who loved the original game’s choices due to how empty you can feel seeing some of the effects, this did not land well with me. It feels like a very unnoticeable effect when entire towns can be modified by actions taken in quests in the original games.
The New Fable is Almost There
While I did enjoy what the game looked like, and am intrigued by how it played. The real estate and job mechanics are great to see returning. Seeing how villagers talk about the player and how you can start a family is also great. But that is not everything Fable is about. There is a lot to the moment-to-moment gameplay that needs to either be confirmed or shown off a little. It has only been what, 6 years since it was revealed?
I would personally like to see what the strength, skill, and will systems will look like. Not only that, but maybe delve a little into the fun side of the game with the pub games. Fable is a massive game with so much love clearly put in. I just want some of the more minute details that a “longtime fan” could recognize as missing. Most can deal with not having a dog or a companion at my side. I just want more of the most integral parts of the game confirmed to me. I don’t want to live in a world without those nostalgic elements. It would just not be home without them.
