Out of the many Xbox exclusives in development, one that has the lion’s share of hype is Playground Games' upcomingFable, despite its mysterious nature. Serving as a soft reboot of the franchise that hasn’t seen an entry since 2010sFable 3,a lot is riding on Playground Games to deliver an open-world experience worth the wait that lives up to thelegacy of theFablegame seriesand can push it forward to a whole new generation. Microsoft needsFableandFableneeds Microsoft.
While little has been confirmed regardingFable, this isn’t necessarily a dark omen. Playground Games is mainly known for its work on theForza Horizonfranchise and has demonstrated time and time again that it knows how to create a rich and inviting open world that plays to the strengths of the Xbox platform. Playground Games has built a strong reputation partially for creating expansive open worlds that showcase quality and ambition in size. However, for the upcomingFablereboot, Playground Games would be wise to invest in a more compact world that is dense in detail instead of a giant map.
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In a world postElden Ring,the playing field has never been wider for the next big thing in open-world RPGs.Fableis a classic Xbox-exclusiveIP, with the first, second, and third entries serving as effective system sellers. Initially developed by the now-dissolved Lionhead Studios, theFableseries gave a more whimsical take on a Western RPG, which helped it compete with peers likeElder Scrolls. In the twelve years since the most recent entry’s release, audiences are hungry to return to the beloved franchise and see it in a new light, and this gives Playground Games the opportunity to makeFablean exemplary case of open-world design.
The best way for Playground Games to chart a bright future forFableis to learn from the past. Since this would be the studio’s first time creating an RPG, it should learn from other genre titans.Skyrimhas a lot it can teachFable, and Playground Games would be wise to take notes. It’s no secret that open-world games come with a lot of risks since it’s hard to polish on a large scale, but focusing on a smaller, more intricate open world can help Playground Games soften the blow.
One could argue thatFableis more important thanStarfieldorAvowedas the heir to a longstanding Xbox IP. As such,Fablecannot risk disappointing players with a big, empty world that’s only remarkable for its size. It would be smart for Playground Games to look to other games such asYakuza: Like a Dragon,which gives players small open spaces that are rich with detail and encourage multiple treks through them to see all the game has to offer. Providing players with a dynamic map that’s packed with detail and responds to the player’s choice would immediately giveFablean edge over other open-world RPGs that focus primarily on quantity, not quality.
The upcomingFablegame has a unique opportunity to learn from the past to chart a brighter future for the series.Fableneeds to study other western RPGs likeBaldurs Gateand invest heavily in its world-building. If Playground Games can focus more on making the most of a smaller map, developing the lore of the universe, and provide modern flourishes to the general gameplay loop then there’s a solid chance for the studio to have a huge hit on its hands. One that can return the emblematic franchise back to its rightful seat at the Xbox and Microsoft table.
Fableis in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
