Transcript
0:00 16 years, that's how long Albion sat empty and it wasn't because nobody missed it. Welcome to another episode of What Happened to This Game, a series where I, Sydney Goodman, tell you what happened to this game. Fable felt like a whole universe before open [music] worlds were the default. You were born in a village, trained as a hero, and from there you could fight evil, own a farm, marry a guard, or maybe kick a chicken into the next life. It was a British fairy tale RPG where your morality literally changed your body. Be good, wear a halo. Be evil, wear devil horns. Fable 2 hit even harder. There were 5 million copies sold, a dog that loved you unconditionally, one of the most emotionally wrecking moments in Xbox 360 history. Then it came Fable 3.
0:40 Technically fine, but it tried so hard to be something new that it lost the plot. Creator Peter Molyneux himself called it a quote train wreck. And then Microsoft took the wheel. And instead of making Fable 4, Lionhead was redirected from its single-player roots towards a free-to-play 4v1 multiplayer game called Fable Legends. Microsoft spent $75 million on it and canceled it before launch. And on April 29th, 2016, closed Lionhead entirely. But there's another Fable being worked on. It's supposed to come out this year, so who's working on it? Playground Games, the studio that built the Forza Horizon series, which are consistently some of the best open worlds. Then in January of this year, we finally got real gameplay. And let me tell you, Albion is gorgeous. A thousand handcrafted NPCs with personalities and routines, you can marry all of them, own every business in town, and fight a giant fire-breathing called a cockatrice. The vibes are very much there. Veteran fans did notice what's missing though. There's no dog companion. The director confirmed it and said quote a substantial number of his own team haven't forgiven him. The classic halo horns morality system is also gone, replaced by a nuanced reputation mechanic. Community is split, but mostly hopeful. Fall 2027.
1:52 Xbox, PC, and for the first time ever, PlayStation 5.
Summary
- Fable was a groundbreaking RPG that allowed players to shape their character's morality and world.
- Fable 2 was a massive success, selling 5 million copies and featuring an iconic dog companion.
- Fable 3 received mixed reviews, with creator Peter Molyneux labeling it a "train wreck."
- Microsoft shifted focus from a traditional Fable 4 to a multiplayer game, Fable Legends, which was ultimately canceled.
- Lionhead Studios was closed in 2016 after the cancellation of Fable Legends.
- A new Fable game is in development by Playground Games, known for the Forza Horizon series.
- The upcoming game features a beautiful world with handcrafted NPCs and a new reputation system, but will not include a dog companion.
- The game is set to release in Fall 2027 for Xbox, PC, and PlayStation 5.