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Microsoft’s big exclusive game announcement at Gamescom was a new title in the Fable series – Fable Legends.
The title has been developed with Unreal Engine 4 and is a co-op game of sorts.
Users can play through the title on their own with three AI controlled characters, or with three friends. And like with previous Fable adventures, gamers can choose the hero they turn out to be, whether it’s a mercenary or trickster or just a nice person.
But in a twist, players can also play as the game’s villain, putting them in control of creatures, minions, traps and hazards that the heroes will have to defeat. This is more a strategic adventure, with the bad guy able to order minions to attack specific heroes, pick which creatures to send into battle and so forth.
Fable: Legends will also use SmartGlass, which actually seems to offer something a bit interesting this time. The second screen will give you information about your quest and other elements, but it can also be used for the villain character. Microsoft says that those playing as the villain can play entirely using the tablet, and can therefore play whilst sitting besides the hero player.
Fable has been a decent franchise for Xbox. Developed by UK studio Lionhead, the series started well, with Fable II in particularly proving to be a critical and commercial smash hit.
Fable III was comparatively disappointing, meanwhile last year’s Kinect spin-off Fable: The Journey – the last title in the franchise to feature involvement from Peter Molyneux – was considered a flop (although, personally, I quite liked it). Fable returns later in the year with a HD re-make of the very first game in the series for Xbox 360.
