It’s official: the long-awaited Fable reboot is well on its way. At least, it appears that way, given the brand-new teaser trailer showing in-game cinematic footage that was unveiled at Xbox Games Showcase 2023.
Thanks to a pithy introduction to Playground Games’ newest rendition of Fable by none other than British comedian Richard Ayoade, we’ve now seen a glimpse into what the reboot of Xbox’s classic open-ended roleplaying game series could offer players when it finally releases. We still don’t have a solid release date as of today’s stream, however.
What we do have is a look directly into the distinctly fairy-tale-like art style that Playground’s reimagining of the Fable series will be able to convey through incredibly detailed graphics, and it’s clear just how much inspiration the reboot is taking from traditional Brothers’ Grimm-esque fairy-tales and storybook fables.
The Fable reboot teaser portrays everything from swordfights and giant pumpkins to werewolves and a moment that seems directly inspired by Jack and the Beanstalk, where Ayoade is revealed as the giant, though it’s unclear if this was simply to show Playground’s inspirations.
If the upcoming Fable reboot is as open-ended as its past entries, players can expect it to include rich character customization, a diverse open world, emotionally engaging questlines, and the ability to change the game’s map in many different ways.
The Fable series was originally developed by Lionhead Studios, and its final mainline title was Fable III in 2010. In January 2018, rumors abounded that Playground Games would be reigniting the series after Lionhead Studios shut down in 2016, and the Fable reboot was eventually confirmed at Xbox Games Showcase on July 23, 2020.
There is still no release date for the Fable reboot, though it’s been confirmed for PC and Xbox platforms. As with Microsoft’s other first-party games, Fable is slated as a day-one exclusive for PC and Xbox Game Pass subscribers.