Fable: Legends is “one of the most beautiful games on Xbox One”, says Lionhead
Quantum Break has “just hit full production”
Lionhead’s online co-op spin-off Fable Legends will have a “huge presence at E3”. So sayeth John Needham, studio head and boss of Microsoft’s European publishing team, who also reckons it’s “one of the most beautiful games on the platform right now.” Watch out, Crytek.
The recently released Fable: Anniversary was an opportunity to prepare the ground for Legends, Needham told assembled hacks at a Microsoft Studios event in London today. “It was a good chance for our studio to reengage with its oldest, most faithful fans - we have a website up, forums, and there’s been a ton of discussion about Anniversary and what we’re doing with Legends,” he said.
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“Anniversary was also just a great level-setter for Legends, the next big Fable game that we’re building at Lionhead. Because it’s got to be a Fable game. The first three Fable games - we’ve got to bring a lot of that charm into Fable Legends. So going through that process was really good for the team, I think, to revisit the original title.”
New to Legends? It pits four player- or AI-controlled heroes against one, player or AI-controlled villain - the latter must arrange traps, enemies and the like to obliterate the former as they explore a primordial Albion. “It’s a really exciting title, really fun already,” Needham reflected. “It’s gorgeous - we’re building it with Unreal Engine 4, and that combined with the Xbox One, I think we’re building one of the most beautiful games on the platform right now.”
Lionhead is known to have at least one game in production that isn’t Fable - Microsoft’s recent trademark filing for “Eden Falls” suggests that one of the studio’s older, cancelled projects has been revived. It seems possible that there’s yet another Fable game on the boil, too - an Xbox One version of Fable Anniversary, or the mythical Fable 4.
“This September we’re going to celebrate our ten year anniversary, with the franchise, so we’ll have some more announcements around that,” Needham added, mysteriously.
In parting, he touched on the topic of Quantum Break, Remedy’s time-bending third-person shooter. “It’s a big first party title, we’re not talking about it much, but it’s a big exciting title - just hit full production.” Among other things, the game will offer "the highest fidelity of facial motion capture that’s available on the market, and is “the ultimate Remedy game”. All aboard the hype-train, etc.