Fable May Find Itself Between The Hammer and The Anvil

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home January 3, 2025 5 Views 6 Min Read
Fable May Find Itself Between The Hammer and The Anvil

There’s a lot riding on the upcoming Fable reboot, and gaming audiences don’t really know what to expect from it at this point. Aside from some reports about Playground Games struggling to pivot to action-adventure from the Forza Horizon series and a rather embarrassing controversy about the female lead’s appearance, there’s not much information to suggest the game will be particularly good or particularly bad.

Nevertheless, Fable is supposed to come at some point in 2025, so a solid look at its gameplay is presumably not too far off. Thus far, the game’s trailers have centered more on its narrative and overall tone rather than any of its particular interactive elements, which elevates its air of uncertainty. The fact that it appears to be somewhat removed from the original trilogy doesn’t help matters, nor does the fact that it’s being developed by a studio with no experience making open-world RPGs. One can hope that it will live up to the beloved games that came before it, but that remains to be seen, and it could wind up facing an uphill battle when it comes to public perception.

2025 and 2004 have serious parallels

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2025’s Game Releases Have Serious Parallels to 2004’s

Next year is already set to be a huge year for gaming, and there appears to be a fascinating parallel to 2004’s release schedule.

Fable Is Going To Be Sandwiched Between Two Other Xbox Fantasy RPGs

Avowed Is Coming Before Fable, The Elder Scrolls 6 Is Coming After

Avowed is right around the corner, and it’s looking quite promising. Though it managed to snag a bit of bad press due to disappointing reveals like a 30FPS cap on consoles, the outlook has been generally positive since the last round of hands-on previews, which showcased the game’s stunning art design and unique combat system. It’s coming from Obsidian Entertainment, a company known for a number of great games, including Pentiment and Fallout: New Vegas, which is helping to elevate hype even more.

Then there’s The Elder Scrolls 6 which, while certainly still far away, is nevertheless going to generate tons of excitement when it is eventually revealed and released. Again, this game will be coming from a studio with a track record of producing widely successful and beloved games; even games like Starfield and Fallout 4, which have attracted a lot of criticism, have no shortage of fans who will jump at the chance to play the next Elder Scrolls.

All of this is to say that Fable is going up against some stiff competition in the fantasy RPG genre, and from its own parent company no less. Fair or not, comparisons between these three games will be drawn, and with Avowed looking much more promising than Fable at this stage, there’s a very good chance that they won’t be favorable. Of course, nothing concrete is known about The Elder Scrolls 6, but it has the benefit of being part of one of the most popular franchises ever, while Fable is basically a fresh start for its IP and may have little in common with what came before it.

How Fable Can Avoid Being Cannibalized by Avowed and The Elder Scrolls 6

Avowed and The Elder Scrolls 6 will likely be self-serious in a number of ways, adhering to more traditional high fantasy tropes. Thus, one obvious way that Fable can stand out is by doubling down on the wry and cheeky humor of its predecessors, establishing itself as a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. This can come down to its narrative, naturally, but also its broader interactive sandbox. In a nutshell, Fable shouldn’t be afraid to let loose.

At the end of the day, though, it’s impossible to predict what this trio of Xbox fantasy RPGs will look like. Fable could very well blow Avowed and TES 6 out of the water, and then such comparisons would swing in the other direction. With enough support and strong creative power, all three games could be equally great, and equally distinct from one another.

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