Every Fable Game (Ranked)

The Fable franchise being rebooted is good news for fans of the franchise, as Fable III was the last mainline game. How much the rebooted game keeps the same and what it changes remains to be seen, but fans may want to binge-play the current Fable games while they wait. Here are all the Fable games ranked, with their strengths and weaknesses explained. 

6. Fable Fortune

This game is the furthest removed from the Fable formula, which explains its ranking. Fable Fortune has the morality system and Albion setting, but it’s a collectible card game rather than an RPG. It was launched in 2018 on Xbox One and PC, with players having the choice to select Fable-themed Heroes and build decks. 

CCGs can work depending on how they are made and what their gameplay involves, but Fable is traditionally an RPG, which makes Fortune ranked lower than other games in the series. This doesn’t mean the game shouldn’t be played; it just uses the name of a popular game with barely any similarities. 

5. Fable Heroes

Fable Heroes was released in 2012 on Xbox 360, and it deviates completely from the Fable RPG formula. The game is a four-player brawler, and players must fight through matches while collecting coins and competing against other players. The world is also more cartoonish, while characters are based on familiar Fable NPCs. 

The biggest issue with Fable Heroes is that it barely has anything that makes it feel like a part of the series. There is no role-playing element, exploration, or even morality-based progression. The game essentially takes Fable elements and makes a normal brawler title. While collecting coins may be fun, fans looking for a Fable title will be disappointed. 

4. Fable: The Journey

This isn’t one of the mainline games and was released in 2012 exclusively for Xbox 360. The game is true to its namesake and focuses on traveling by horseback. You play as Gabriel, who becomes involved with Theresa and a threat facing Albion. The game is more linear compared to the mainline trilogy, and doesn’t allow much breathing space.

Fable: The Journey’s strength is its narrative, with the relationship between Gabriel and his horse Seren being a crucial element. However, a major criticism of the game is that it relies too much on Kinect, and players have to use their own movements to cast spells or otherwise interact with things in the game. 

3. Fable III 

Fable III was released just two years after Fable II for the Xbox 360, with a PC version being launched later. The game follows the events of its predecessor and takes Albion into its industrialized era. You play as the sibling of Albion’s ruler, initially plotting to overthrow them. Once you successfully become the ruler, the gameplay changes toward governing Albion and improving its future. The game still has the British humor, funny NPCs, exploration, and RPG combat that the series became known for. 

Fable III is one of the newer titles in the series, but it isn’t higher on the list compared to the two original games, as it expanded the formula, but it wasn’t as optimal as Fable II. The gameplay was simplified substantially, and the NPCs were funny but not as memorable or detailed. This isn’t to say the game wasn’t good, but it wasn’t on the level of the original two Fable titles. 

2.  Fable

The game that started it all and was released on Xbox in 2004, with Xbox 360 and PC getting a remastered version in 2014. Fable put you in the shoes of a young boy who would eventually go on to become a Hero. There were several elements that made the game stand out, such as your choices having lasting effects. Your morality, reputation, and appearance were linked to your in-game actions. This allowed players the option to either become a hero or evil, with NPCs reacting to each differently. The game blends RPG combat with exploration and social interactions. 

There would have been no series if not for this original title, as it established and turned Fable into a massive franchise. The morality system and NPCs changing their behavior based on your actions made the game more realistic. The British humor and mythical feel of Albion made the game unique. It isn’t number one because the sequel took the original’s formula and expanded it substantially. 

1. Fable II

This game may be one of the earlier titles in the series, having been released in 2008 for Xbox 360. Fable II expanded Albion, returning to the in-game world 500 years after the events of the original Fable. There is substantial freedom in how you build your Hero, as your choices affect their morality, appearance, and relationships. Fable II also introduces several additions, including a dog companion.

The game may lack elements that modern titles have, but it is still the strongest one in the series that uses Fable’s formula to perfection. The choice and morality system gives players consequences where their actions matter. Marriage and family mechanics make the game feel more realistic, while the dog adds another intimate layer to the game.