Many summer showcases might be over already, but that doesn’t mean that anything game-related is over. Today, Playground Games and Xbox Game Studios released an extended look at Fable’s gameplay. Rather than focusing primarily on combat, the footage highlighted the game’s intricate morality system, character interactions, lighter moments of everyday life in Albion, and even elements of business management. So, despite Fable introducing several RPG systems, it looks as if the developers are aiming for proper life-sim mechanics, and we can’t wait to try them all out.
The Cozy Side of Albion
If you haven’t watched it, Xbox published a half-hour demo of Fable, but it focused more on the cozier side of the game, which is all about managing properties, firing people, collecting income, saving a pig, and even dating someone. Now, while these sorts of systems aren’t new to the genre, it seems that Fable is going for a more immersive life-sim-like title.
From what we saw, you’ll be capable of purchasing any business on the map, as well as any property that might be available for you. On top of that, managing a business isn’t too challenging, as Fable is looking for ways to remove the tedium of running your pub by putting everything into one easy-to-use UI and even allowing you to collect all of your income through one chest.
And while all of that sounds fine, it is the way in which everything works in tandem that makes the cozy side look much more engaging. For instance, at one moment, the demo showed how the pub the Hero purchased needed an employee. Players can hire virtually any NPC in the game, though they’ll first need to earn that character’s trust. In the demo, the player helped a beggar, who later agreed to work at the pub.
What makes the whole system look even better is the fact that morality, character interactions, and reactions seemingly affect everything.
Reinventing the Morality System
A key element of how the cozy side will work in Fable is its relationships, and there are many you can work on in the game. For instance, saving a pig early in the demo affected the player’s reputation within the town. While some residents approved of the decision, others reacted far less positively, demonstrating how actions can shape relationships and public perception throughout the game. A few other NPCs will even ask you to chase a different goal or do something entirely different.
In the footage, we saw how dating an NPC required the Hero to dress more elegantly, own a business and a house, and then invite the NPC on a date. That just shows how every action affects how people in Albion see you, and moves the morality system and choice-and-consequence part outside of dialogue and more into a hands-on experience, which is great.
On the other hand, morality isn’t just in the black and white spectrum — it isn’t just right and wrong. After the player in the demo fought several guards and took down a few of them, their standing in the town changed, but without eliminating everything they had. They were still considered a fancy entrepreneur, but they were also a criminal one, which would affect their relationships. Some might shun them, and a few might even welcome their chaotic-evil side.
In the end, it seems that Fable isn’t just trying to add a new coat of paint to existing RPG systems. It is trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to character relationships, interactions, and a deep morality system. Now, this was only a short preview of what we’ll be able to make, but with a lengthier playthrough and all the freedom in Albion, we could throw the Kingdom into disarray or become the chosen hero who helps everyone. Ultimately, the choice will be yours.
