Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Trending
  • Gamescom 2025 schedule
  • Gamescom
  • Battlefield 6
  • New Games for 2025
Don't miss these
Fable 4 screenshot showing the hero holding a sword and sitting next to a man clad in armor called Humphrey
RPGs Fable 4: Everything we know so far about the new Fable game
A top-down view of the Fame & Fable box on grass
Board Games This D&D-style board game "pairs gentle strategic fun with tempting press-your-luck mechanics" for a very good time
Lego Batman
Action Games The stealthy spirit of Arkham Knight returns in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and I never believed a Lego game could pull this off
Phantom Blade Zero
Action Games Phantom Blade Zero director crafts enormous boots for himself, suggesting his action RPG is a blend of Dark Souls, The Witcher 3, and Baldur's Gate 3
New screenshot of Keeper, showing a Lighthouse exploring a cave system
Adventure Games Keeper is quintessential Double Fine, a strange creative concept with a truly wondrous execution: "We wanted to make something that we could probably never have gotten signed and published"
A header image for the GamesRadar+ Best Games of 2025 list, showing Mario Kart World, Blue Prince, The Alters, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Games The best games to play in 2025, so far
Final Fantasy 16 screenshot of protagonist Clive Rosfield standing in front of flames. He has dark hair and a tattoo on his left cheek.
Final Fantasy After conquering Clair Obscur and Persona 3 Reload, I'm continuing my JRPG discovery journey with Final Fantasy 16 on Xbox – and I'm very impressed
Lego Batman screenshot showing him on a motorcycle
Adventure Games Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is set in "a much more immersive city than we were ever able to do before" thanks to the tech built for The Skywalker Saga
Phantom Blade 0
Action RPGs Phantom Blade Zero is "neither a Soulslike game nor a traditional action game," creator says, suggesting that "maybe it could create a new identity" altogether
A walking lighthouse runs across a barren environment while the sunsets in a screenshot from Keeper.
Adventure Games You simply will not guess the main character of the Psychonauts studio and Brutal Legend art director's new mind-bending adventure
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game.
RPGs The Blood of Dawnwalker dev says comparisons to The Witcher 3 are inevitable, but it's OK because "we are not compared to a bad game" and "we are making our own kind of beasts"
Fate of the Fellowship box seen from above, with a board and box of components below
Board Games Fate of the Fellowship is the most anticipated board game of the year, and it's a thing of absolute genius
Upcoming Xbox Series X games header image featuring State of Decay 3, Fable 4, The Outer Worlds 2, and South of Midnight
FPS Games Upcoming Xbox Series X games for 2025 and beyond
A cloaked woman holding a lantern looks out into a forest at a skull-headed beast
Tabletop Gaming Legend in the Mist challenges D&D with "incredible flourishes on press-your-luck mechanics to incentivise tough decisions"
Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era artwork showing a beautiful fantasy city
Strategy Games Playing Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era has turned me into a Dungeon devotee, and I can't help but feel like I'm already seeing a strategy classic in the making
  1. Games
  2. Adventure
  3. Fable Legends

Fable Legends is clever and ambitious (but it's not really a Fable game)

News
By Hollander Cooper published 12 June 2014

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Roll for initiative

Roll for initiative

Honestly, it might just be best if you check your Fable expectations at the door when it comes to Fable Legends. The team-based, four-on-one multiplayer action RPG is a move away from what most would associate with a Fable game, even if it looks like it fits right in line with Lionhead's previous entries.

Set hundreds of years before the previous Fable games, you're playing as a hero arriving in the city of Brightlodge. From there, you're able to grab quests and set off on adventures, jumping into three-part, linear missions that put the emphasis on action over storytelling. But instead of heading out to make your mark in the world as your own hero, you're picking from a dozen or so pre-made characters to play as, and you're entering into missions that pit four good players against one villain.

Each area has you fighting a group of enemies and dodging traps set by another player, who is serving as that level's villain. It's vaguely Dungeons & Dragons-like, with the evil character serving as the mastermind of an area. Different characters have different abilities, and there are a few archetypes (like healer, support, DPS, and tank), making the encounters somewhat like MMO dungeons. It's plays well and looks great--running on the Unreal Engine 4 gives Legends an impressive aesthetic. But while it's fun, and you'll likely enjoy playing as either the hero team or the devious villain, it doesn't feel like it's going to provide the sense of exploration and narrative that previous Fable games have. It might--the developers are promising an in-depth story (for both the good and the bad characters)--but so far everything I've seen makes Legends look more like a competitive game than anything. That's not bad, mind you--just different.

Check out the following screenshots for additional info!

Page 1 of 6
Page 1 of 6
Trolls can take a lot of damage before going down.

Trolls can take a lot of damage before going down.

Page 2 of 6
Page 2 of 6
This is Brightlodge, a city of immeasurable quests.

This is Brightlodge, a city of immeasurable quests.

Page 3 of 6
Page 3 of 6
Different abilities make things more varied.

Different abilities make things more varied.

Page 4 of 6
Page 4 of 6
The game will ship with the first "season" of missions, and future "seasons" will be released with new content.

The game will ship with the first "season" of missions, and future "seasons" will be released with new content.

Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6
Each encounter should be different, since the Villain can customize his monster and trap loadout.

Each encounter should be different, since the Villain can customize his monster and trap loadout.

Page 6 of 6
Page 6 of 6
CATEGORIES
Xbox One Platforms Xbox
Hollander Cooper
Hollander Cooper
Social Links Navigation

Hollander Cooper was the Lead Features Editor of GamesRadar+ between 2011 and 2014. After that lengthy stint managing GR's editorial calendar he moved behind the curtain and into the video game industry itself, working as social media manager for EA and as a communications lead at Riot Games. Hollander is currently stationed at Apple as an organic social lead for the App Store and Apple Arcade. 

See more Xbox One News
Read more
Fable 4 screenshot showing the hero holding a sword and sitting next to a man clad in armor called Humphrey
Fable 4: Everything we know so far about the new Fable game
A top-down view of the Fame & Fable box on grass
This D&D-style board game "pairs gentle strategic fun with tempting press-your-luck mechanics" for a very good time
Lego Batman
The stealthy spirit of Arkham Knight returns in Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, and I never believed a Lego game could pull this off
Phantom Blade Zero
Phantom Blade Zero director crafts enormous boots for himself, suggesting his action RPG is a blend of Dark Souls, The Witcher 3, and Baldur's Gate 3
New screenshot of Keeper, showing a Lighthouse exploring a cave system
Keeper is quintessential Double Fine, a strange creative concept with a truly wondrous execution: "We wanted to make something that we could probably never have gotten signed and published"
A header image for the GamesRadar+ Best Games of 2025 list, showing Mario Kart World, Blue Prince, The Alters, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
The best games to play in 2025, so far
Latest in Adventure
Snatcher
Hideo Kojima's overlooked cyberpunk adventure game is one of the three games Atari's CEO would love to remaster: "I don’t know if it would do well, but I’d probably push it through"
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle screenshot of Indiana
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle director says gameplay has been one of the most "challenging aspects" of development because even Wolfenstein was "very linear"
Haunted Chocolatier
Haunted Chocolatier was announced almost 4 years ago, but don't worry, Eric Barone says Stardew Valley 1.7 won't "hinder" the development of his next life sim
Danganronpa
In the face of countless live service shutdowns, Danganronpa creator believes devs should be "taking responsibility" to give "players a sincere conclusion"
Honkai: Nexus Anima
Pokemon goes gacha in Genshin Impact devs' new adventure strategy game Honkai: Nexus Anima, with pudding-themed puppies and bunnies peddling "tainted donuts"
Out and About screenshot of the player character forager who has purple hair and wears dungarees
Out and About is a very cozy foraging adventure that's taking me back to my fish obsession in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Latest in News
The Outer Worlds 2 gameplay trailer screenshots
Outer Worlds 2 bosses "think it's funny" they've made an RPG about evil mega-corporations with Microsoft as their new owner: "It'd be ridiculous to say we don't notice that"
Channing Tatum as Gambit in Deadpool and Wolverine
Channing Tatum says he'll "drop the Mardis Gras mask" and tone down his Gambit accent for Avengers: Doomsday - "I'm not gonna go full Cajun"
Helldivers 2 soldier with an explosion reflecting in their visor
Helldivers 2 players fume over performance issues, Arrowhead CEO admits "it's not good enough" but promises "a fix for some of the most immediate things is being prepped"
Zombie Captain America's eyes glowing red as he howls with undead hunger
I've been skeptical of the Marvel Zombies animated series, but the hilariously violent first trailer just convinced me to watch it
NES
An uber-rare Nintendo cartridge worth $1,000 sat in a Las Vegas retro shop for months until it sold for $12, and the store's owners aren't even mad about it: "Score! Our f*** up their gain"
Dan Da Dan season 2: Okarun and Momo getting ready for a fight during Dan Da Dan season 1 episode 8.
The best moment in the Dan Da Dan anime was also the hardest for Okarun and Momo's voice actors to record: "'I have to take a break.' I was like, 'I can't do it'"
  1. Twisted Cryptids card on a wooden surface
    1
    This gorgeously weird monster board game warms my Halloween-loving heart, and it's a delight
  2. 2
    Lost Soul Aside review: "We (don't) have Final Fantasy Versus 13 at home"
  3. 3
    Hell is Us review: "The lack of waypoints and explicit objectives is a double-edged magical sword that pulls me deep into its harsh world"
  4. 4
    Shuten Order review: "The Danganronpa creator's new multi-genre mystery feels like a forgotten DS cult classic I would have been obsessed with"
  5. 5
    The Rogue Prince of Persia review: "I roguelike but don't roguelove this freerunner – there's just not enough to stand out"
  1. Demon Slayer Infinity Castle
    1
    Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle review: "Roars past Mugen Train as Demon Slayer's best adventure yet"
  2. 2
    The Long Walk review: "One of the best Stephen King adaptations ever made"
  3. 3
    Frankenstein review: "A classy, if somewhat safe, adaptation"
  4. 4
    Weapons review: "A twisted fairytale that bests Barbarian"
  5. 5
    The Fantastic Four: First Steps review: "An occasionally thrilling heroic adventure that sits safely within a B-tier MCU range"
  1. John Cena as Peacemaker holds a gun to the head of a different John Cena as Peacemaker in Peacemaker season 2.
    1
    Peacemaker season 2 review: "Darker and sadder than the first year, but there's still a lot of fun to be had with the 11th Street Kids."
  2. 2
    Wednesday season 2 part 1 review: "Complex and exciting but weighed down by too many subplots"
  3. 3
    Alien: Earth review: "Arguably the franchise's strongest outing since James Cameron's Aliens"
  4. 4
    King of the Hill season 14 review: "Hank Hill himself has evolved into a much more open and accepting person"
  5. 5
    Eyes of Wakanda review: "A creative premise shortchanged by the runtime and Marvel bloat"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...