Fable is finally coming, putting an end to the decade long draught of main entry Fable games, and it seems to be making a departure from the series’ iconic setting of Albion. Alongside that, many other changes are likely to come to the franchise despite Playground Games’ best intentions. Through all of this, the trailer makes it clear that the franchise’s whimsical atmosphere will remain, but one feature in particular from Fable 2 should make a comeback as well. There’s a lot to be said about which is the best main entry Fable game, but Fable 2 comes out on top in terms of multiplayer options with its drop in/drop out co-op feature.
Fable was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase and is really more of a reboot than a direct sequel. Officially titled simply Fable, the game is still quite a long ways away. As with any game, though, it will no doubt be a better experience if it can be enjoyed with friends, so reusing Fable 2’s flexible co-op system would go a long way to making this game more enjoyable for all audiences. It remains to be seen whether or not Playground Games will take on that aspect of the series’ history or not.
Fable 2 Co-op
The co-op in Fable 2 was far from perfect; there were a lot of flaws that made the experience less than ideal in a lot of ways. For example, it was difficult for second player to make sure they had the same abilities after every time they loaded the game. The second player also didn’t have any effect on the story or even a name, and NPC’s would refuse to interact with them. Despite its flaws, it was a welcome addition and could still be a lot of fun under the right circumstances.
Ironically, the flaw of second player not having any bearing on the story is also a benefit and a very intuitive design choice. Fable 2 does have a serious story, and there are a lot of moments that hold a great deal of emotional weight, but the aloof nature of the game’s intermediary moments provide a balanced tone. Having second player be able to spawn in and out without any repercussions on the story also works to make multiplayer feel free and easy, and ultimately Fable is a magical world and doesn’t need to explain its co-op nature.
Will Fable Have Multiplayer?
At this early stage of development, it is impossible to say with any level of certainty whether or not Fable will have multiplayer, but if it does, it will likely draw inspiration from Fable 2. With the way the story is designed, it would be difficult to justify having two characters worked in unless they are present throughout the entire story. If that were the case, Playground Games would have to worry about giving the player an AI companion throughout the story that could sometimes be controlled by the player. Though there are still many unknowns about Fable, this is unlikely, so a non-canon ally seems much more probable.
Hopefully if Fable has multiplayer, it will fix a lot of the issues associated with Fable 2’s version of it. Giving allies a way to save their character progression and make themselves different than player one for example would really help the multiplayer feel more intentional. It would also be nice if the second player could create their character with more detail and interact with some of the more unimportant NPCs, forming relationships in the same way as the main character. Ultimately, fans will have to wait and see what Playground Games’ intention for multiplayer in the reboot is.
Fable is in development for PC and Xbox Series X.
