However, flintlocks could be state of the art at the time of the Guild’s destruction. Flintlock rifles and pistols were already obsolete by the time of Fable 2, with all Fable 3 guns being functionally semiautomatic. Fans will disagree over whether guns should return in Fable 4, but this transitional period offers a potential compromise. This brings up one of the arguments for Fable 4 taking place between the second and third games. The subsequent invention of flintlock rifles allowed normal humans with minimal training to match Heroes in battle. At some point before Fable 2, traders from Samarkand brought gunpowder to Albion. ![]() However, the ordinary people of Albion had something to level the playing field. It’s one thing for Albion’s people to turn on Fable’s Heroes’ Guild, but it’s not like the order of magical warriors are just going to sit there and take it. Even if most or all Heroes are Good, Albion’s citizens will probably be more worried about the bad apples killing their friends and burning down their villages. ![]() All in all, it’s easy to see how Fable’s Heroes could start abusing their power to the point that “Evil” almost becomes their default alignment. While that would put them right at home with the heroes of Greek mythology, it’s not exactly a heroic trait in the modern sense. Fable’s concept of Renown also makes Heroes come across as glory hounds. The Guild that players see in Lionhead Studio’s original Fable looks more like a group of magical mercenaries than upholders of the balance between good and evil. The Guildmaster even explicitly states that Heroes can choose to be good or evil during his speech at the protagonist’s graduation. The heroes are happy to stop Fable 1 antagonist Jack of Blades from ending the world, but the Guild signs off on some pretty heinous stuff, including mass murder, as long as the gold is good. While morality has always been an essential concept in the Fable games, the Guild is functionally amoral. However, the first game might hold some clues. Until then I’ll keep myself content with more speculative and wishful thinking.Theresa doesn’t go into too much detail about why the people of Albion turned on the Heroes. Hopefully, we’ll hear more about the progress made on Fable 4 this summer at some form of Microsoft Xbox showcase. And the Fable series is ripe for a form of reboot after all. ![]() I may be letting my ideas run away with me at this point, but the others in this list seem like realistic wishes. Though that technology could also be used through the game to create a truly evolving and almost unique RPG experience. This could also be augmented with Microsoft's extensive technology, say cloud-based AI helping shape a dynamic world based on a player’s end-game choices. Sure, that would require a degree of commitment, but Playground Games is owned by Microsoft and such developers seem hardly short on money. Or after Fable 4 is released, whenever that may be, the developers could build out the world after the credits roll on the main game. These could open up extra quests or new areas that may have been locked before. Speaking of setting up a place to while away the days, I hope Fable 4 has a comprehensive post-story game where the choices you made in the main story have a direct effect on the world that get to see first hand. This could be quite the ask for developer Playground Games, as its latest game Forza Horizon 5 is almost insufferable cheery, praising you even if you send a stupidly expensive car flying into a wall. Strong characters will be needed too, to aid a story that can be dark and broody yet punctuated with moments of levity and dumb humor. ![]() So I’d like to see Fable 4 offer a story that meanders and evolves throughout its course, something The Witcher 3 and Deus Ex games managed to do well. Fable 2 had a pretty decent story, but the outcomes of the ending didn't really have much of an effect on the world in the post-game action. I really hope Fable 4 continues with this theme and tone, and avoids the high-fantasy tropes that some open-world games can fall into. And as a Brit, bye George, did I love it. This was then wrapped in a distinctly British sense of humor, with a Wookey Hole's worth of regional accents. There was a big bad, but he was less a Thanos-like figure and more of an existential threat that parents would tell their children to ensure they behave. The first Fable was less of a fantasy game and more of a dark fairy tale.
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