Xbox just released a deep dive video going into new gameplay concepts for Fable, showing off characters and combat systems that will be in the 2027 RPG. While the narrative information was enlightening, the action was also very interesting, as it seemed to mimic combat flow seen in other big AAA titles, especially PlayStation’s Norse God of War series. With God of War Laufey on the horizon too, this comparison is worth exploring as players begin to investigate which parts of both it and Fable make either the game the most appealing to buy for themselves next year.
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The 16 minute deep dive for Fable released by Xbox is a small showcase presented by developer Playground Games, who went into heavy detail about the title’s gameplay and story. The environment shown off in the deep dive was far different from what the new Fable has shown before, with the extended combat sequence in the gameplay clip provided being a bigger highlight. It’s worth noting that the combat shown for Fable within the deep dive was at a point described to be “around half way through the game,” giving players a strong indication for how combat evolves from any simple, foundational parts.
Fable’s Action Heavily Resembles Sony’s Norse God of War Titles From Its Gameplay Deep Dive
The deep dive shown by Xbox comes two months after a larger combat-focused video for Fable that came out a few months ago. However, unlike that brief footage, the deep dive is at a much later point in Fable‘s story, showing new features that are likely unlocked as characters progress to that midway point of the narrative. As such, the combat from that trailer is likely more accurate to what Fable‘s combat is like now, from its third-person melee action to the magic and ranged options that seem to be at the player’s disposal.
The action of Fable has a striking number of comparisons to Santa Monica’s God of War games, but especially God of War Ragnarok due to how magic and special abilities seem to work. The two games aren’t just similar because of them both being rooted in third-person combat, but in how they organize the player’s decision making into cooldown based systems and limited ranged options. For example, players in Fable have a list of abilities in the bottom right corner of their screen, indicating a number of skills tied to the RT input. Players can activate one of four abilities, but after using them, they have to recover from a cooldown before being cast again.
This is extremely similar to God of War‘s Relics, which provided special abilities that also took time to recharge. If the comparison is anything to go by, players will have ways to upgrade or enhance the abilities they have in Fable, mixing and matching certain ones to forge a unique character build. At the same time, the combat shown for Fable indicates that players can stop and aim a ranged weapon, swapping from their melee tool to hit targets far away. However, it appears that players have a limited ammunition count to these shots, mimicking how the Norse God of War games restricted Kratos’ ranged options to what his companions Atreus or Freya could do.
The big difference in these games is that Fable‘s combat seems weightier, slower, and more deliberate, sharing the same pace as other action RPGs like Dragon’s Dogma 2. This isn’t a “bad” thing by any means, as it forces players to make careful choices when committing to certain attacks. Yet, having the same limitations as God of War Ragnarok means that the game suffers from the same pitfalls as that AAA title, and any other game that adopted the same strategies when it comes to third-person action.
Smaller Ideas Present in Fable’s Combat Showcase Might Help It Stand Out Upon Final Release
Other comparisons in Fable extend to how its ability cooldown system also reflects games like Final Fantasy 16 as well as God of War Ragnarok, but the game isn’t just a compilation of systems you’ve already seen. Some of the magical abilities shown for the game so far include magic to create lightning bolts on the ground or generate air underneath foes to lift them helplessly into the air. When combined with different move sets for various weapons, there is some depth in Fable‘s combat, much like how exploring the combat of other AAA games mentioned reveal their complexities.
Players also seem to have access to parry and dodge mechanics in Fable, though that should be unsurprising if you’ve followed trends in AAA games with an action component. Everything from Phantom Blade Zero, God of War Laufey, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword have been geared around those fundamentals, which looked to be represented at least in their bare basics in Fable‘s gameplay. At the same time, players are able to deliver cinematic finishing moves to enemies at low health in Fable, another similarity to games like God of War Ragnarok that can’t quite be ignored.
With all these gameplay ideas integrated from other titles, the combat for the latest Xbox RPG seems to be fairly straightforward. The deep dive, though, shows off corrupted red enemies, indicating a diversity of foes that could demand players adapt their combat strategy as the game goes along. Hopefully, Fable doesn’t rely completely on what games inspired it, giving players the chance to develop their own play style over time as their adventure reaches the point shown in the Xbox showcase.
What do you think about the new Fable‘s combat so far? Let us know in the comments below!
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