When it comes to the fantasy genre, there are few gameplay styles that fit quite as perfectly as an RPG. While an adventure game can capture the scale of a fantasy world well, and an action game can deliver some breathtaking fantasy set pieces, an RPG can truly make the player feel like they’re living in a fantasy world.Fantasy RPGscan be some of the most impressive video games on the market, andAvowedandFablelook as though they might be two perfect examples.
Both announced in 2020,AvowedandFableare two upcoming fantasy RPGs being developed byfirst-party Xbox studios. Though few concrete details are available for either one, they’ve both cropped up repeatedly on “most anticipated games” list for the last few years purely due to the pedigree behind each game. But with no news in almost three years, things are starting to get a little worrying for bothAvowedandFable.
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Avowed and Fable Have Both Gone Radio Silent
One of the most well-respected developers currently working in the industry, Obsidian Entertainment already has quite the resume. Though they weren’t technically finished,Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2andFallout: New Vegasare still considered to be some of the best RPGs of all time, and titles likeDungeon Siege 3andPillars of Eternityset the studio up nicely for a return to the fantasy genre. And while Obsidian’s last few games haven’t quite been commercial hits,The Outer Worlds,Grounded, andPentimentshow the studio’s versatility, and its willingness to push the boundaries of the industry.
While Playground Games isn’t quite as well-known as Obsidian, it also has quite a storied history. Since 2012, Playground Games has worked hand-in-hand with Xbox to produce the phenomenalForza Horizonseries, which it’s continued to work on for the last 10 years. Though theForza Horizonseries belongs to a completely different genre, Playground is still an extremely talented studio, and the nextFabletitle seems to be in good hands.
As of April 2023,AvowedandFableare in the same boat. Both games were announced in June 2020, and both games have been practically radio silent since their first reveals. No gameplay trailers, no cinematic trailers, and not even an official screenshot has released for either game since their 2020 announcements. This approach to marketing isn’t uncommon in the current gaming industry, with many AAA titles being announced years before they ever hit store shelves, but it still worries fans, and rightly so.
There’s a lot riding on bothAvowedandFable. For the last few years, Xbox has been continuously criticized for its lack of first-party exclusives. WhilePlayStation hasSpider-Man,God of War,The Last of Us,Ghost of Tsushima, andHorizon, Xbox only really hasForza,Gears of War, andHalo, and the latter two aren’t quite the industry juggernauts they once were. For a while now, Xbox has promised that its first-party line-up is going to get dramatically better, andAvowedandFablewere meant to be part of that initial push. That being said, Xbox’s 2023 might be just fine without them. Tango Gameworks' surprise hitHi-Fi Rushreleased just a few months ago,Redfallis set to release in just a few weeks' time, and Bethesda’s long-awaitedStarfieldis finally set to hit Xbox consoles in September. So although the Xbox could certainly useAvowedandFable, it doesn’t desperately need them just yet, and in this particular case, no news might be good news.
