Fable’s combat shows a lot of promise, but I'm glad it's not launching this year

Warhammers have never been my thing in RPGs, and I expected the same to be said of my approach to Fable. But, loading into my hands-on combat demo, I found myself falling for a hefty hammer over my usual go-to dagger.

I try out two loadouts during the session: one with a bow and arrow in addition to my hammer, and another with a more rapid-fire, SMG-like crossbow. Each comes with four requisite spells, from levitation to thunder spears and huge floating swords to pin my prey down before finishing them with a big hammer swipe. Most excitingly, I get to polymorph wraiths into little ghost chickens and boot them across the screen.

Hammering home

For Playground Games' first stab at third-person combat (the Forza Horizon developer has been more comfortable behind the wheel until now), Fable absolutely impresses. There’s irreverent delight in experimenting with the two systems, seeing which spells synergize with my weapon as I discover powerful new ways to beat up baddies.

Slaughtering a skeleton makes a spirit burst out of its crumpled form, which spawns even more deadly foes until you beat it to undeath all over again with a well-timed arrow to the head, fire bolt to the face, or wallop with my beloved hammer. Combat here can feel more inventive than typical hack and slash fare.

But, there are a few areas that still need smoothing. My character model's head and neck feel stiffer than expected while breaking into a run, and a seemingly automatic enemy lock-on can get frustrating when I'm swarmed out the gate. The rapid-fire crossbow also seems to break for me now and then – holding RT on my Xbox controller should send out a barrage of arrows, but every so often I need to hammer the button to make it fire instead. I'm not sure if it's meant to feel like it's jamming or not, but it's not the most pleasant experience when angry skeletons have a bone to pick.

There are also moments where I wish enemies would feel more reactive and aggressive. Even on the hard 'Legend' difficulty, crossbow-wielding skeletons and their lengthy reload animations leave ample time for me to close the gap and finish them off. I don't feel overly challenged at the moment. Obviously, early demos can still be a ways off final balance, but in Fable I want to earn the right to call myself a Hero.

Thankfully, the stiffness never distracts from how spells facilitate some truly magical moments. My personal favorite spell lets me disappear and dash behind a group of enemies before knocking them flying with a heavy melee spin attack – which is also how I manage to finish off a huge wraith boss, spawning legions of ghostly minions to his aid.

Beyond these kits that make up my hands-on, I'm told there will be other weapons to choose from in the full game, and that new spells acquired through narrative progression can be swapped out any time you fancy, all in the name of player choice and experimentation.

I'm torn. There's an argument to be made that Playground should delay Fable once more. The next six months running up to launch will certainly be crucial for Playground to refine its work.

The ingredients are there for a sharp, dynamic combat system that packs a mean punch as well as a crackling bolt of lightning. But, so far, I feel like I'm reading a fable that still has notes in its margins. It's just about making sure everything connects to deliver an RPG worthy of Albion's legend. We've waited long enough as it is, and I can be patient if it means getting it right.

Looking to spin more fables of your own? Our best RPGs and best story-driven RPGs rankings are filled with recommendations for tales that'll stick with you!