Episode 101: Fable

Retro Spectives

Before Todd Howard’s promises about the climbability of mountains was Peter Molyneux and Fable, a game which promised a level of interactivity never seen before in an RPG. Have children (that could continue your legacy when you died), plant a tree and see it grow, and dynamic rivalries with other heroes - Fable was going to have it all.

Instead we got something far simpler in scope and ambition. There were hints or shadows of something more grandiose, properties could be bought, reputation existed, and you could fart in people’s faces. But for all that it seemed to miss on its promises, Fable was still a widely beloved title when it released in 2004. People loved its childlike sense of charm and wonder, and the freedom with which you could customise your character.

So where, then, does the truth lie? Is Fable a game that’s fantastic precisely because of its limited scope, letting it focus down on the fun? Or is it’s mish-mash of seemingly novel mechanics at odds with how shallow they are, both in and of themselves and how they interact with others?

On this episode, we discuss:

Story.

Fable’s story is a lighthearted and at times comedic retelling of a generic hero’s journey. To what degree is this a sincere attempt to tell a story, and do its satirical elements clash with its rather menacing villains?

Systems.

Fable lets you immediately put skill points into anything from the very beginning of your journey. Is this flat levelling structure better or worse than the far more common skill trees common to action RPGS?

Fluff.

Fable 1 has many different mechanical systems that are wrapped around the core gameplay - marriage, property ownership, reputation and gestures (to name a few). Do these systems integrate well together and add to the depth of the worldbuilding, or are they simply funny and ultimately irrelevant novelties?

We answer these questions and many more on the 101st episode of the Retro Spectives Podcast!

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Intro Music: KieLoBot - Tanzen K

Outro Music: Rockit Maxx - One point to another

Fable OST: Russel Shaw, Danny Elfman

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Thanks once again to everyone who has taken the time to listen to us discuss these great games.

If you haven’t already, come say hi on our Discord Server’s text chat and let us know if there are any great titles you think we should play. Anything 15 years or older and under 20 Hours long is always seriously considered :)

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