On a recent episode of The Xbox Two podcast on YouTube (go check them out!), Rand al Thor 19 and Jez dropped an exciting nugget for fans of the upcoming Fable IV.
Jez revealed that he had seen alpha gameplay footage (though the date of this footage remains uncertain), and, in his words, it โlooked f***ing fantastic.โ That alone was enough to spark my interest, but here is where it gets better:
Jez said the game has โCD Projekt Red DNA,โ hinting that Fable IV could take cues from The Witcher series, one of the greatest fantasy RPG franchises of all time (weโre pretty big fans of The Witcher around here in case you couldnโt tell).
So, how is that possible? According to Jez, Playground Games, the studio behind Fable IV, has brought on several developers who previously worked on The Witcher, including its combat designer. While he clarified that the combat in Fable IV isnโt a โ1-to-1โ replica of The Witcher, itโs fair to expect gameplay that incorporates the proven mechanics of mixing weapon types, spells, and diverse enemies. And yes, thereโs reportedly a giant chicken – a fun little nod to the quirky charm we Fable fans adore.
A Walk Down Memory Lane
Fable II was the first fantasy RPG I ever played. I still remember booting it up on my Xbox 360 and getting lost in its whimsical world. That game was part of what made me fall in love with the genre, and Iโve played every installment since. When I saw the cinematic trailer for Fable IV, nostalgia kicked in – I revisited the older games to relive the magic, but Iโll admit, they havenโt aged as gracefully as Iโd hoped.
This brings me to why Iโm so hyped about the possibility of Fable IV borrowing elements from The Witcher. Combining Fableโs charm and humor with The Witcher’s depth and combat design could be a game-changing formula.
Xboxโs Magic Touch
Something else to consider is that Playground Games is an award-winning Xbox Games Studio. This studio has a track record of excellence (see Forza Horizon), and being part of Xboxโs first-party lineup means itโs getting the resources it needs to succeed – at least, thatโs what one would expect.
Take Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, for example. Before Xbox acquired Activision, the franchise was in a slump. But the Xbox era has brought new life to it. The latest installment is its biggest launch yet, and Iโve already sunk countless hours into it. The gunplay feels smoother, the maps are what they need to be (though I wish there were more maps to choose from), and the entire experience is just โฆ better.
If Xbox can work similar magic with Fable IV, thereโs no reason this game canโt bring the franchise back to relevance.
A New Legacy for Fable
With the game possibly being delayed to 2026 to avoid competing with GTA 6, it’ll likely be a while before we learn more about Fable IV. Can it match the heights of The Witcher? Maybe not โฆ probably not. But it doesnโt need to.
If Playground Games can blend Fableโs unique personality with the refined mechanics of modern RPGs, it has a real shot at creating something special.
For now, Iโll remain cautiously optimistic about Fable IV.
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