Halo has been delayed but that doesn't mean the Xbox has nothing on its slate as a brand new Fable is coming our way in the next generation. The last mainline entry was 3 which released a decade ago in 2010.
As such, it's been a little while since the franchise's last outing. Even so, there's plenty of facts that may have slipped by the radar way back when the series was in its hay-day, so here are ten things that you may not have known about this Xbox RPG.
10 Fable Was Inspired By Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow
Whilst often described as an Elder-Scrolls-like experience, the brains behind Fable, particularly the original, took inspiration from a variety of unique places. One of these was Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow.
However, that wasn't the only property that lent its hand in shaping Fable's tone and aesthetic. There was The Picture of Dorian Gray, where the idea of morality linking to appearance came from, Mad Max 2 (hence the focus on the dog in the second game), Kill Bill and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.
9 There Is A Reference To Fallout In Fable 2
One of the staples of the Fable games is the Demon Doors which, to be opened, require certain challenges to be complete. These vary from boss fights to riddles to your level of corruption, a karmic weight not unlike Fallout's.
When they made their ominous return to Fable 2, they even came with what appeared to be a cheeky Fallout reference. One of these doors, which was more simplistic than the rest, was called the Vault. It required the player to have 50% or more corruption to enter.
8 Fable 2 Tracked Player's Locations
Whilst Dark Souls 2 tracked and displayed deaths to show the world how unrelentingly brutal FromSoftware's newest game was, Fable 2 went in a more co-operative and light-hearted direction with their tracking system.
The game tracks your location but that's not to say that it stalks where you are in the real world but rather where your character is in the virtual one. It does this to allow other players to peer into your world through the form of glowing orbs. When interacted with, gifts can be sent or co-op can be had as you may pull people through to your world to become your bodyguard.
7 Lettuce Makes You Thinner
Appearance, or morphing, is one of the biggest hooks of the Fable games, particularly in 2. Staying healthy is, as such, part of the mechanic. You can get chubby from over-eating fatty foods and even net yourself a beer belly from too much alcohol - keeping in shape is an actual part of the roleplaying experience.
However, if you want to combat that chub, you can simply chomp down some lettuce as a quick way to get thinner. If only that worked in real life. One way that players used to lose weight for achievements was by nabbing the Bowerstone produce trader's lettuce supply before sleeping a week to refresh their inventory. Whatever works.
6 There Is A Fable Novel
As a tie-in with the release of Fable 3, a novel was released, written by Peter David, and published in 2010. The book, titled The Balverine Order, garnered a fairly respectable score of 3.72 stars on GoodReads.
This isn't too surprising given that the novel came from a bestselling author, the man behind Fall of Knight. It even came with a code for an exclusive weapon in the upcoming sequel.
5 Every Building And Business Can Be Purchased In Fable 2
The castle costs a hefty $1,000,000 to net and plenty of houses, businesses and smaller establishments can be netted as well to really bring in a nice income. Nothing says power quite like property and shareholding.
However, you're not entirely limited in Fable 2. Whilst challenging, every single building and business can be purchased. The catch? You're gonna be set back $100,000,000.
4 Drinking Five Beers Is As Evil As Murder
Like the Fallout series, Fable has its own karma system. It's a major part of why the franchise is so beloved, but it can get a little silly. For instance, drinking five beers is as 'corrupt' (the measurement of negative karma) as committing murder.
So, if you fancy going full-blown demonic evil with horns and a pointed tail, you could murder a town full of innocents or down a few pints at the pub - whatever tickles your fancy.
3 You Can Use Expressions In Fable 2 Cutscenes
Expressions are a nifty addition to the Fable games, allowing for you to interact with those around you in comical ways. They are, in essence, emotes. However, what you may have missed is that these can be used in cutscenes as these semi-scripted events are interactable.
As such, you can use emotes. What's even better is that emotes can change the outcome of cutscenes and NPCs can react to your expressions. If you start mocking them, it's likely they won't take it well.
2 There Was A Fable Kinect Game
There's an upcoming Fable game, three mainline entries, a novel, along with a supposed manga and comic tie-in. However, it doesn't end there, as the Xbox exclusive series was even used to showcase the new Kinect tech.
Fable: The Journey wasn't the best received, sitting at a measly 61% on Metacritic. This might be because it was an on-a-rails experience, a harsh contrast to the proudly free and open RPG it succeeded.
1 Height Scales With Accuracy In Fable 2
It's common knowledge that, in Fable 2, your appearance alters based on your morality - it's a huge part of the marketing that's especially prevalent even on the box art. Yet, what might have slipped past your radar, is how accuracy is linked to height.
The higher your accuracy is, the taller you get, or, in Fable 3, the higher your stature. However, in the Knothole Island expansion, there are some cheaty potions that can alter your standing. On top of this, physique changes how strong a character is and your hero will gradually age over time.