It’s hard to imagine that we have been without a new additional to the Fable franchise in almost 11 years. Of course, there’s a whole world of background as to the epic rise and fall of Lionhead. If that’s your bag, do check out this excellent synopsis here. But today, all that matters is that Fable 4 is confirmed. And according to Microsoft exec Phil Spencer, said long-term fans of the series should “take confidence” in the development.
Good news indeed. It may have come as quite a shock to some that Playground Games would be the driving force behind Fable 4 (pun intended). Whilst this was leaked harder than CD Projekt Red working conditions, it was revealed officially alongside the first sneak-peak trailer at last year’s E3. You can check out the full cinematic below;
Playground reveal who would win, a fairy or a frog, in 2020’s Fable 4 cinematic
Playground Games, of course are more notably know for the Forza; Horizon series. These are excellent games, of course, but a far cry from Albion. It has long been questioned why this specific in-house developer was given the keys (sorry I will stop) to one of the industries most beloved franchises. But fear not, assures Spencer, claiming the “pedigree of the team” at Playground are on the case.
Of course, with the exceptionally tantalising Forza: Horizon 5 trailer dropping earlier this month, it’s going to be all systems go at Playground. But if the trailer is anything to go by, we’re in for a real treat. Depicting fairies, swords, and a joke clearly in line with the long-running series dark sense of humour, putting Playground at the wheel (I lied, I’ll never stop) might be the best thing Microsoft have ever done. That’s until they overhaul the Creation engine, that is.
Whist we are still without a firm release date for Fable 4, and without any actual gameplay footage we can speculate sometime next year if we are lucky. But considering this has been in the pipes since 2018, we can but hope the guys at Playground…step on the gas (I know no shame).
Source; Gamezo
“Video games are great. I should know, I’ve played some.”
Olly S, July 2020