It’s been 19 years since players first stepped into the fictional nation of Albion to experience what the very first Fable game had to offer. This was September 14th, 2004.
Since then, the video game series has had a rocky path. From being an incredibly popular franchise to dwindling in the 2010s, it has definitely been through a lot. However, rumors of a reboot that have been circulating for the past 5 years have sparked a new public interest in the games. These rumors were only confirmed at the Xbox Games Showcase in July 2020.
Considering the Fable reboot seems like it’ll actually happen, let’s take a quick dive into the few details we know. After that, we’ll discuss the best Fable game in the series that has come out so far!
Fable Reboot: Everything We Know So Far
We’ve already mentioned that Microsoft confirmed a new Fable game was in development in July 2020. However, they haven’t yet given an estimate as to how long it will take to finish the game. This means we don’t have an official release date for the new Fable game.
Regardless, we do have a few more slivers of information. First, we know that the game will be out on the Xbox Series X and Series S as well as Microsoft Windows. This makes sense considering Playground Games, the developer responsible for Fable 4, is a part of Microsoft.
We also know that Fable 4 will run on the Forza series’ engine, ForzaTech. If you’ve seen or played the Forza Horizon series, you’ll know that this gives us high hopes for the next Fable game. The engine produces stunning games with beautiful scenery and lifelike cars.
According to the Fable 4 teaser trailer Microsoft showed off in June 2023, we can expect this reboot to have the same high quality. You can take a look at the teaser trailer below!
The trailer shows off some of the story and gameplay elements. These include sword fighting, magic, giants named Dave, and many other legendary beasts.
Fable 4 will also receive an open-world action RPG treatment. This is a contrast from the earlier Fable games, which had open-world elements but aren’t considered open-world games by some definitions.
This means the player will be able to freely traverse the environment and explore the maps. This is not a surprise since we were able to come back to the maps and areas in the first three Fable games. The difference is that they were sectioned off from each other and some maps only existed as corridors for other areas.
The Best Fable Game: A Definitive Ranking
It’s important to mention that there are 10 Fable games in total. However, we’ve ruled out the following four games from the ranking:
- Fable II Pub Games
- Fable Coin Golf
- Fable Heroes
- Fable Fortune
This is because these four games are not really part of the “main” line-up of Fable games. They also don’t have any action role-playing elements. These four games are, respectively, two minigame collections, a beat ‘em up game, and a digital collectible card game.
Without further ado, let’s get to ranking the best Fable game!
#6: Fable: The Journey
Okay, so Fable: The Journey is more of a spin-off game than a main title. Sue us. But it still doesn’t really fit in with the games we’ve mentioned before, so it deserves a spot on our list. Yes, even if it is the last spot…
We have mixed feelings about this game. Fable: The Journey had great characters and was a real tear-jerker. However, that doesn’t excuse the lackluster combat, tiring Kinect controls, and boring, on-rails storyline uncharacteristic for a Fable game. However, it’s important to remember this game came out during Lionhead Studios’ twilight years, just before shutting down.
#5: Fable
Ah, the game where it all started. At the time of its release, Fable had an 85% Metacritic score and was the Xbox’s fastest-selling game. With engaging combat and a decent library of side quests to sift through, many players can remember spending hours on this game despite its flaws. It’s also important to mention the Fable series had a big impact on the concept of morality and consequences as gameplay elements in video games.
Unfortunately, it’s safe to say the game hasn’t stood the test of time adequately enough to receive a higher spot on our list. The character models and graphics scream early 2000s and the character designs just weren’t good enough.
#4: Fable Anniversary
Fable Anniversary somewhat picks up where Fable: The Lost Chapters slacked off. The graphics and audio provide a much better experience than the original and offer better support for newer consoles and TVs.
These include native widescreen support, a larger draw distance, and higher polygon counts. Porting it to Unreal Engine 3 made all this possible and even enabled mod support for players to personalize their games.
But Fable Anniversary had a shot to fix all the bugs in the original game and failed to do so. It’s safe to say this game was purely a graphical update to help improve the storytelling and immersion.
#3: Fable III
Fable III was, in general, a good game. The world-building, combat system, and attention to detail stunned both critics and fans of the series alike. Many have described these aspects of the game as meticulous and gorgeous. The emotional investment in the game and characters is exactly something we would expect from a Fable game, and Fable III delivered beautifully.
However, like Fable Anniversary, Fable III also suffered from a few technical bugs and flaws such as the pathfinding. A few clunky controls with the minigames have also managed to frustrate players, such as the Lute Hero, pie making, and blacksmithing minigames.
#2: Fable: The Lost Chapters
Fable: The Lost Chapters acts as an expanded version of the original 2004 Fable game, and it does this beautifully. With new monsters, weapons, towns, new quests, and an expansion on the main story, it’s hard not to love everything about The Lost Chapters.
The 9 new areas and additional quests help extend the game’s playtime by a good amount, which is a big plus considering most people thought the 2004 version was too short.
This paired with nostalgia is definitely the reason Fable: The Lost Chapters has earned such a high spot on our list as the second-best Fable game.
#1: Fable II
Any other Fable game really has trouble holding a candle to Fable II. This game received high scores and positive reviews from critics and fans alike. In October 2008, Fable II was the best-selling title in the United States across all platforms. This is quite an impressive feat considering it came out in the same year as Grand Theft Auto IV and Madden NFL 09!
The combat, the world-building, the characters, and the moral compass system highlighted and refined the concepts the original Fable was trying to get across. And this game did it so much better, considering it’s a beloved fan favorite even today.
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