Playground Games has done a remarkable job of keepingFable 4out of the spotlight. Lots of major games see their content spoiled online nowadays, but the newFablegame has eluded fans thus far. There have only been a handful ofFable 4leaks, and they don’t provide a particularly clear picture of the game despite some being interesting ideas. Notably, oneFableleaker has claimed thatFable 4does have some kind of multiplayer component, possibly allowing fans to group up and go on adventures together like in previousFablegames.
Longtime fans would certainly appreciate the opportunity to play the new entry together, but Playground Games shouldn’t just settle for bringing back the previous multiplayer model. Rather, it would be great toseeFable 4lean heavily into multiplayerand give players lots of new powers. While previousFablegames have had co-op, they’ve also had multiplayer imperfections that might have discouraged fans from working together.Fable 4ought to use the modern state of online multiplayer and a more flexible party system to deliver aFableco-op experience unlike anything fans have experienced.
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A New Age of Fable Multiplayer
Multiplayer didn’t join theFablefranchise untilFable 2.Simply having the feature was an improvement, butFable 2’s co-op was limited; the second player took control of a Henchman who lacked basic gameplay privileges.Fable 3had a more empowering co-op system, giving the other player a Hero who could spend money, grow in strength, and progress through the game in the same way as the other player, but it still had bugs and limitations.
IfFable 4brings multiplayer back to the franchise, Playground should give fans as much freedom as it can when they play together. Ideally,Fable 4’s multiplayer could besimilar toBorderlandsmultiplayer, with each player bringing a character from their own save file so they don’t have to control a default co-op character. It would be great to seeFable 4expand multiplayer to up to four people, rather than sticking to two-player co-op like its predecessors, while letting each user do everything that the others can rather than tethering them to the party leader. When determining its vision for theFableIP, multiplayer is the perfect place for Playground to push some boundaries.
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Setting Fable 4 Apart
Strong multiplayer with large party sizes wouldn’t just helpFable 4stand out from its predecessors; it could be invaluable in competing with other fantasy RPGs. There’s no sign of co-op multiplayer inAvowedorThe Elder Scrolls 6,so ifFable 4comes up with a unique co-op system, it could appeal to RPG-loving friend groups in a way its peers can’t. Playground is under a lot of pressure to makeFable 4competitive in a dense market, so through multiplayer it might find a necessary competitive edge.
It’s important to remember that online multiplayer inFable 4is only a rumor for now, but the precedent of multiplayer features in theFablefranchise bodes well, even if there’s no other concrete evidence. While Playground seemseager to honorFable’s heritageby creating a lighthearted world with heavy British influences, there’s no telling how dramaticallyFablemight change in the studio’s hands. Even so, dramatic changes don’t have to mean abandoning longstanding features. On the contrary, it can mean revisiting features like multiplayer co-op and working hard to make them better than ever.
Fable 4is in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
