At Gamescom, Polygon had the exclusive opportunity to dive deep into a behind-closed-doors demo of Playground Games’ highly anticipated Fable reboot. This 30-minute session focused entirely on combat, offering a glimpse into an early-game quest that saw us, accompanied by the hilariously sarcastic character Humphry, battling our way through a decrepit mine teeming with undead skeletons and wraiths, before venturing into a misty bog culminating in a challenging boss fight.
A Combat System That Feels Like Magic
Playground Games has been vocal about their commitment to delivering a combat system that feels both fluid and empowering, and after getting hands-on, it’s clear they’ve achieved their goal. One of the developers explained that the team strived for seamless integration between melee, ranged, and magic – a vision they’ve masterfully executed. The result is a combat experience that truly feels like you’re wielding the power of a hero.
Melee weapons offer the familiar light and heavy attack options, with satisfying combos available for skilled players. Ranged combat is equally versatile, allowing you to utilize bows for precision shots or switch to a repeater crossbow for crowd control. And then there are the spells: from an antigravity suspension spell that sends enemies soaring into the air, to offensive lightning bolts and fireballs, you can seamlessly switch between them on the fly. The ability to chain these different combat styles together is incredibly satisfying.
The beauty of Fable’s combat lies in its flexibility. You’re not locked into a specific “build” that forces you to specialize in one type of attack. Instead, you can adapt your approach based on the situation at hand. During combat, melee attacks are mapped to the face buttons, aiming and firing the bow utilizes the triggers, and switching to magic is as simple as holding the right trigger while not aiming and pressing the face buttons to unleash a spell.
While you might not be an all-powerful god (cranking up the difficulty to “master” will result in frequent deaths), the default difficulty leans towards the easier side, creating a true power fantasy. It was incredibly satisfying to charge my heavy attack for a devastating spin with a hammer, then seamlessly switch to my bow to finish off a distant enemy, before casting a spell to push nearby skeletons off a ledge. This level of control and versatility is what sets Fable’s combat apart.
While this demo didn’t allow us to explore the open world or delve into the non-linear quest design, nor experience the life sim aspects of Fable, it did confirm one thing: Playground Games has absolutely nailed the combat. The game feels like a worthy successor to the beloved series.
Fable is slated for release on Windows PC and Xbox Series X on February 23, 2027. Get ready to become the hero you were always meant to be.
Source: Polygon
Comments
Be the first to comment.