Fable reboot will not change character appearance based on morality

Kotaku reports that Playground Games’ upcoming Fable reboot will drop the series’ long-standing mechanic of altering a player’s appearance based on whether they act “good” or “evil.” The studio showcased the game during an Xbox Developer Direct and outlined a new approach to morality.

In the original Fable games, a binary hero-or-villain system gradually changed your character’s look — good characters appeared pristine and almost angelic, while evil players grew horns and became monstrous. That visual feedback was a defining feature of the series for many longtime fans.

Playground’s Ralph Fulton told IGN the reboot treats morality as subjective, with NPCs reacting according to their own values and reputation building being location-based. Fulton said the legacy appearance-morphing feature “is not in ours” and argued the change reflects that “there is no objective good and evil,” and that players can form different reputations in different settlements.

Some fans reacted with disappointment on Twitter and Reddit, citing the old appearance changes as central to Fable’s identity. The reboot is the series’ first to include a character creator, and the studio will reveal whether customization lets players manually emulate the classic transformations when the game launches in the fall.

Key Topics

Culture, Fable, Playground Games, Lionhead Studios, Ralph Fulton, Xbox Developer Direct