Fans have been paying close attention to all the information released about the upcoming Playground Games fable reboot as the series takes a new direction. Not much is known about the game at the moment, despite rumors of a next installment being confirmed as early as 2020, and players have been busy speculating ever since. The developer has assured: fable fans that the essence of the series will remain the same, even if the constituent parts undergo a few changes, and that most likely includes how magic will appear in the world.
Despite the popularity of the previous entries and the status of the beloved fable franchise for many gamers, it started to stumble in recent years. After Lionhead Studios closed and fable legends was cancelled, it was clear that if fable would survive, he had to switch. Playground Games, which until now only worked on the Forza Horizon series, hopes to provide that gear change, but the developer needs to look closely at fundamental aspects such as: fable‘s magical system to ensure the franchise’s future is secured.
How magic ran through the previous games
As a series set in a fantasy world, it’s not surprising that magic was a big part of fable games so far. Not only does it offer some interesting additions to combat and examples of character development as players increase their spells, but it also fits nicely into the lore of the land that is already full of mythical creatures and magical elements. Known as Will in the fable universe, magic has an interesting history within Albion, from the legendary feats of William Black who shaped the kingdom to the history of the Heroes’ Guild that trained people in willpower and produced a long list of notable figures.
Magic was not only an important part of Albion’s history and the base stories for the games, but it could also be an important part of the gameplay. Players can choose to use a variety of weapons to fight enemies in the different fable games, but magic was always an option too. They may have had to balance their use of Will energy and replenish if necessary after casting a spell in the first fablebut fable 2 and fable 3 removed these limits and let players cast whenever they wanted.
There was a selection of spells in each game, from protective to more aggressive attack spells that allowed gamers to adapt to different combat situations. fable 3 even tied its magic to the advancing technology of the world, as players had to use special gloves to channel their will. This demonstrated how magic adapted through each cardinal rule, and could be the blueprint for how the next… fable also approaches this fundamental aspect.
Why the reboot should confuse things?
The updated magic system in fable 3 was a welcome improvement for some players, but others preferred the simplicity of the older games. It’s certainly true that as the series progressed, it moved further away from its fantasy and fairytale roots, and it seems that the next fable wants to honor the earlier games with its style and setting. This doesn’t mean it should rely too heavily on the systems and gameplay in the previous games, though, especially when it comes to magic.
Games have come a long way since the first fable launched, and with upcoming titles such as Luminous Productions’ pronounced to show how creative and impressive magical systems can be, the next entry needs to step up its game. The reboot is the perfect time to renew fable‘s magical system, making it more complex and challenging while maintaining its prominence in the gameplay. While magic was fun to use in the previous entries, it was too easily sidelined by other features and didn’t often get the spotlight it deserved. The old system in the previous games just won’t have the right power and it obviously needs a massive overhaul. The new fablethe world could be the ideal platform to bring magic back to life, and fans hope Playground Games can deliver on that.
fable is in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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