There’s a big fantasy RPG revival on the horizon. A lot of different studios – a lot of them affiliated with Microsoft – seem to be planning some really intriguing AAA fantasy titles. Obsidian Entertainment is working on the mysteriousAvowedas a new way to return to thePillars of Eternityuniverse. Bethesda, newly acquired by Microsoft, hasthe covetedElder Scrolls 6on the way,finally confirmed after many years of leaning onSkyrim.On top of all that, Playground Games is working on the first core game in theFablefranchise since 2010. It seems a lot of studios aren’t just interested in fantasy, but in exploring old worlds in new ways.
Fableis a particularly interesting part of this sequence of games.Fableisn’t quite as new an experience asAvowed,nor has theFablefranchise had the staying power ofThe Elder Scrollsin the last decade. That means that the newFablegame will be drawing in a community that’s a mixture of seasonedFablefans and total newcomers. These newcomers will probably be wondering if they should play the games from before Playground Games' time rather than jumping into the newFableright away. For now, that question is actually pretty hard to answer, because it’s unclear ifFable 4is a hard or soft reboot.
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Two Paths in a Fabled Wood
A lot of fans are expectingFable 4to be a hard reboot of the franchise. The game’s sole trailer suggests that the world is leaning much more heavily into the traditional medieval fantasy that the firstFablegame used, rather than the more industrial elements of the later games.Rumors aboutFable 4also suggestthat Playground Games is starting the series fresh. It’d make sense if Playground wants to makeFableits own, now that the IP has been handed off from its old developer, Lionhead Studios. If Playground confirms thatFable 4is a complete reboot, then new potential fans don’t need to worry about playing any game before it.
However, it’s still possible that Playground believes that preservingFabletradition is more important than putting its own stamp on it. It’s been very quiet about the game, so it’s hard to say if the rumors aboutFable 4being a reboot are accurate. In fact, Playground’s idea of makingFableits own might just be finding a surprising way tofollow up onFable’s previous narratives. If that’s the case, it might help new fans to play through the old games, or to at least look into what they were all about.
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Getting a Fresh Start
Playground Games has said before that it has a unique vision forFable 4. In order to do bring that vision to life, it seems a little more likely that Playground will giveFablea major reboot. By starting Albion over, it’ll have much more room tomakeFable 4truly unique. That’ll be for the best for all ofFable’s fans, but especially those who are only now developing an interest in the series. Rather than making fans play the previous installments first,it could be thatFable 4turns out to be a great reason for fans to go back and play the old games after playing this new one. In other words, the reboot will become a new vehicle for the original games.
Ultimately, it remains to be seenwhether Playground Games intends to encourage new fansto play the otherFablegames. Nothing is certain, but for now, it seems a little more likely thatFable 4will open its arms to all players without demanding fans to have knowledge of the previous games. It also has to be said that, at the end of the day, it’s okay for new fans to playFable 4without playing the previous games, whether it’s connected to its predecessors or not. Even if previous knowledge turns out to be helpful in understanding the game’s story, players shouldn’t stress themselves out about knowing everythingFableahead ofFable 4.Ideally, Playground Games will makeFable 4approachable for everyone, reboot or no reboot.
Fableis in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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