14 DAY TRIAL // Peter Molyneux, the legendary game maker that created the Black & White series and Populous, says that he is proud of the Fable universe he created with developer Lionhead and with publisher Microsoft, despite the poor quality of the third installment.
He tells Developer that, “Fable for me was this beautiful, incredible, amusing, funny, artistic, wonderful gem of a game that anyone could play, that tugged on the heartstrings and that was instantly engaging. The gem that was in my mind has never come to be, it’s always flawed in some way.”
The first title in the series was a revelation because it tried to introduce solid action role-playing mechanics on home consoles while creating a fantasy universe that did not draw inspiration from any traditional source.
The world of Albion, with its charming citizens and its dark stories, fascinated enough gamers for two more titles to be launched under the direction of Peter Molyneux.
He adds, “I thought Fable 1 – when you consider that it was the first game I ever did of that type – wasn’t bad. It was hugely flawed in some senses, and there were technical issues like the animation didn’t work but it wasn’t bad. I think Fable 2 was a step in the right direction. I think Fable 3 was a trainwreck.”
Apparently, the biggest problem for the title was the limited time that Lionhead could spend creating it, which meant that it was unable to deliver the huge game world and complex mechanics that it had envisioned.
Molyneux says another year would have been enough to implement the same jump in quality seen between the first two titles in the series.
At the moment, the developer is working with the independent team at 22 Cans on Godus and suggests that it also has bigger ideas that might become titles in the near future.
The Fable franchise is currently in the hands of developer Lionhead and publisher Microsoft.
The two have just launched an Anniversary package that delivers a complete remake of the first title in the series.
They are also working on the all-new Fable Legends, which is designed to launch this year exclusively on the Xbox One.
The game will allow players to become either villains or heroes and explore the world of Albion one thousand years prior to the events of the previously told story, with a unique set of new mechanics for combat.