Fable Legends – Preview and Early Impressions

Fable has long been a staple in the RPG/moral decisions game market. Fable, for the original Xbox, was a largely successful game, selling over 3-million copies worldwide. Just to give you a feel for how popular it was, it sold more copies than Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and the Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind combined, sold  just as many copies as Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell, and the only 2 games that ever ranked higher in sales on the original Xbox system were Halo and Halo 2. Those are pretty impressive numbers.

Since then, Lionhead Studios has released Fable 2 and Fable 3. Now Lionhead have their eyes set on the online gaming world with Fable Legends.

In an  interview, Lionhead Studio Head John Needham told GamesIndustry.biz that “This is the next big Fable game that is going to be out for five to ten years so it needs to be big, it needs to be interesting. There needs to be a lot of stuff to do, it needs to integrate all the cloud and Xbox One features so we keep our community alive and growing. So yeah, it’s big and ambitious, but it needs to be because it’s going to be around a long time.” According to Needham, Fable Legends is designed to keep players interested in the game for 5 to 10 years.

Here are a few responses from an FAQ on the Fable Legends forum:
Q: What platforms will “Fable Legends” be available on?
A: “Fable Legends” will release on Xbox One.

Q: Is “Fable Legends” an MMORPG?
A: No. While “Fable Legends” embraces multiplayer, it’s not an MMO.

Q: Does “Fable Legends” support SmartGlass?
A: Yes. As a Hero, you can use SmartGlass on your tablet or smartphone to track your game progress, get more information on Heroes, quests, and other content. As a Villain, you’ll be able to use a SmartGlass-enabled device, such as an iPad, Android, Surface, other tablet, to play as the Villain when you’re in the same room with your Xbox One. In this way, you can play in the same room as a Hero player in couch co-op.

Q: Can I play “Fable Legends” as a single player experience?
A: Yes. In “Fable Legends”, you can enjoy all of the game’s content in a single player experience.

Q: Can I play “Fable Legends” as a multiplayer experience?
A: Yes. You can play with other people in a four-player cooperative experience. Your party could be all human players, or a mix of players and AI-controlled Heroes. You can switch easily between single player and multiplayer styles of play whenever you decide, or when a friend signs on. During a quest, you can elect to battle a human or an AI Villain. As a Villain, you can challenge parties of human players, AI opponents, or mixed groups. After all, as a mastermind of evil, you’re ready to swat aside any adversaries.

Fable Legends is currently in-development with no indication of a release date at this time.