For years now, Xbox’s upcoming Fable reboot has never really felt like a real game to me. We’ve seen lots of trailers, snippets of gameplay, and other looks at the RPG reboot from the Forza Horizon developers at Playground Games. But none of it really convinced me that Fable was an actual video game I’d be playing one day. That changed today after watching a new 30-minute video showing extended, uncut sections of what players do in this open-world adventure.
On June 10, Xbox and Playground Games uploaded a lengthy deep-dive with minimal edits to the official Fable YouTube channel. It was seemingly in line with what was shown behind close doors at recent Summer Game Fest preview events. Here’s a reupload via GamersPrey because Xbox has blocked embeds due to age restrictions:
The gameplay video is dedicated to showing off how your actions can cause ripple effects throughout the world that can change how people see you and treat your character. In the process of the 30-minute video, the devs show the hero talking to NPCs and point out how each is unique and has different opinions about the game’s hero.
They also include a moment involving a talking pig and a butcher, which all felt very Fable-y. Later, we see the hero trying to date a woman, buying a pub, getting charged more money for clothes from someone who dislikes the hero, working a job at a blacksmith, and even some combat.
Yup, this looks like a video game!
I’m not saying Fable looks like it will be my game of the year or anything. Some of these conversations feel stilted, and how quickly the world reacts feels a bit odd. I’ll need to play it and see more before I can make a final call. Hopefully, all of these things feel more natural in the flow of a normal playthrough.
But what this extended demo did was finally convince me that Fable really is coming together after years of delays and long periods of radio silence. The new Fable is not at all vaporware and it looks very intriguing. If they can pull off this ambitious idea that every store can be bought, every NPC is different, and the world is always reacting to you, it’s possible Fable could be a very special RPG that I get lost in. Or maybe this all falls apart once you start poking at it.
Regardless, I can now say confidently that Fable feels like an actual video game and not just a collection of snippets and ideas. We’ll find out if it’s any good when it launches on PS5, Xbox, Game Pass, and PC on February 23.