🚨 FABLE GAMEPLAY SLAMMED AS ABSOLUTE TRASH! 😡 Clunky Combat & “MORE GAY THAN GAME” – Devs DITCH Morality for WOKE Reputation BS, DEI NPCs FLOOD Albion! Trailer DISASTER Ignites FURIOUS Backlash… Is Xbox’s Savior DOOMED? You WON’T Believe the RANTS! 👇🔥
Playground Games’ Fable reboot, slated for a 2026 launch on Xbox Series X/S, PC, PS5 and Game Pass, faced immediate backlash after its January 22 Xbox Developer Direct showcase, with critics branding the gameplay “trash,” combat “clunky” and the tone “more gay than game.”
The 11-minute gameplay deep dive highlighted “style-weaving” combat – seamless transitions between melee, ranged and magic – an open-world Albion bustling with 1,000+ NPCs on routines, and a customizable hero whose reputation shapes villager reactions, from “Chicken Chaser” to landlord status. Game director Ralph Fulton touted a “subjective” morality system: “The game will never judge you, but the people of Albion will.”
Yet, X exploded with complaints. YouTuber Qwazar77’s video “Fable is more gay than game, the gameplay is TRASH” racked 13K views in days, capturing sentiment: Combat felt floaty and unpolished, animations stiff, NPCs “ugly” and diverse in ways clashing with medieval Albion.
Gameplay Gripes: ‘Clunky’ Combat Steals Spotlight
Demos showed protagonist petrifying a village, time-skipping to Briar Hill adulthood, then battling Hobbles with sword-fireball swaps. Fire spells dazzled, but melee drew fire: “Feels clunky… like Fable 3 but worse,” one X user posted alongside trailer clips. Another: “Dropping frames, kicking chickens… not ready.”
Fulton defended the pace: Whimsical fairytale over gritty fantasy, echoing originals’ deliberate combat. No UI overload rewards observation; progression via practice, not levels.
Criticism
Examples from X/YouTube
Clunky Combat
“Slower like old Fable but feels off… Witcher 3 it ain’t”
Animations
“Male walks like women… hip sway”
Performance
“Frame drops in demo”
Boring Loop
“Excessive chicken kicking, landlord sim?”
Morality Overhaul Sparks ‘Woke’ Fury
Iconic physical morphing – horns for evil, halos for good – is gone. Fulton: “Objective morality doesn’t exist… Albion judges subjectively.” r/KotakuInAction erupted: “Abandons core mechanics for modern drivel.”
Playground’s DEI emphasis fueled “gay” jabs: PRIDE@PG (LGBTQ+), Women@PG, People of Colour@PG, MIND@PG groups; 100+ women (from 8); trans healthcare; Women of Xbox UK co-founders. NPCs: Diverse casts, “60% black in Albion,” per one viral post. “Ugly DEI characters… woke slop,” another raged.
Fable always winked at queerness – same-sex romances, trans outfits – but reboot amps relationships: Families, divorces, rep-driven reactions. Critics: “Pushes gay agendas over fun.”
Old Fable
Reboot
Morality
Physical changes (horns/halo)
Combat
Slow, deliberate
NPCs
Satirical English folk
Tone
Cheeky, binary choices
Mixed Reactions: Hype vs. Hate
Trailer ratios flipped positive post-creator reveal (18K likes/2K dislikes), but gameplay clips trended negative. Positives: “Filthy visuals,” “alive world.” Reactions poured: CohhCarnage, IGN praised potential; anti-woke channels like HeelvsBabyface: “Gives fans the finger.”
No dog companion yet – another gripe. Multiplat bucks Xbox exclusivity amid Game Pass push.
Studio Stands Firm Amid Storm
Playground: “Fairytale intimate… British humor.” Fulton: Years in making, post-Forza expertise shines in open world. DEI: “Diverse backgrounds drive creativity.”
Backers: “Fatigue real… pirate with mods.” Defenders: “Originals had gay jokes… judge on release.”
Xbox’s High-Stakes Bet
Fable eyes GOTY contention vs. GTA 6. Delays from 2025 built polish, but early noise echoes Concord, Outlaws flops. Pre-orders wishlist live; metrics will tell if whimsy wins or “trash” tanks it.
As Albion awaits, one truth: Gamers spoke – devs listen or perish.
