Fable Devs Keep Combat Approachable, Not Dark Souls

Fable's new combat stays approachable like the originals, with hidden depth like shooting enemy legs and turning chickens into roast chicken.

Ever worried the new Fable might go full Dark Souls on you? Well, you can relax. The developers have confirmed they're sticking with the series' approachable combat roots.

In an interview with Edge magazine, associate director Will Kennedy explained that the original Fable games "has a legacy of being quite approachable, so that's something we kept in mind while developing our combat system." So no, you won't need lightning-fast reflexes to survive every encounter.

But don't mistake approachable for shallow. There's plenty of hidden complexity if you know where to look. For example, you can aim arrows at specific body parts. Hit an undead 'Hollow' enemy in the leg, and they'll fall down and crawl toward you. "If you decapitate them," says associate director Craig Littler, "they don't know where to go [...] When you do that to a ranged enemy [...] they're just firing off in every direction." Talk about chaos.

And it gets weirder. The 'Befowl' spell, which turns enemies into chickens, works differently on Hollows—they become undead chickens. Even better: "if you use Fireball on a chicken, they turn into a roast chicken," Kennedy adds. "There are lots of little details." Sounds like the kind of sandbox nonsense you'll want to experiment with for hours.

The approachability also extends beyond combat. Some quests won't require fighting at all—you might solve them through dialogue choices or the game's reputation system. "There are quests that are much broader," Littler says. "More exploration, even a puzzle or two along the way. One of the things we're really proud about is the variety of activities and how they all harmonize to tell a story that you feel really involved in."

So if you're the kind of player who prefers talking your way out of trouble or exploring every corner, Fable seems to have you covered. The combat is just one tool in your kit, not the only one.

While the game isn't launching this year, the combat system is already showing a lot of promise. It's shaping up to be a Fable that respects its past while adding plenty of new tricks.

What do you think? Are you glad Fable is keeping things approachable, or were you hoping for a tougher challenge? Let us know in the comments!