Update, Correction: It does seem that Steam gamers can play with and in opposition to XBox and Windows 10 homeowners of the sport, which is sweet.
After seven months in early entry to hammer it into ship-shape, RPG-turned-CCG Fable Fortune nearly prepared for launch. With an official launch date of February 22nd, it’ll be rolling out on Microsoft consoles and PC as a free-to-play title, with present early adopters getting a couple of perks with their Founders Pack buy.
Hearthstone most likely isn’t shaking in its boots, however this one does not less than look to be a fairly polished wanting tackle the ‘light’ CCG style, filling its playfield with chunky cardboard stand-ups after summoning, and buoyed considerably by the whimsical, fairytale-with-knobs-on aesthetic of the Fable franchise.
Fortune not less than has a couple of concepts of its personal up its sleeve. As with the RPG sequence it’s primarily based on, you’ll sometimes be requested to choose between a Good or Evil decision to quests, which lead to modified character skills and even altering some playing cards. Still, it’s arduous to shake that that is the newest in a protracted line of would-be Hearthstone opponents, and this one is hanging its fame on an particularly strained model identify. Especially so now that Lionhead, Big Blue Box and a mess of different Fable-related outfits have closed their doorways, leaving a series of cancelled initiatives of their wake.
Interestingly, the sport is about for launch on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Steam. While I’d hope that Microsoft would let down their guard just a little, I can solely assume which means that Steam-version homeowners will probably be locked out of any cross-platform play, solely capable of work together with different Steam homeowners of the sport. Splitting your neighborhood like that earlier than the sport is even out isn’t going to assist a brand new CCG discover its footing in an already brutally aggressive market, particularly when the sport is constructing its identify on the again of Fable of all issues. It’s arduous to not be just a little cynical after seeing way more instantly tempting video games shut down for much less.
It’s additionally not that nice of an indication that after taking a fast peek at Steamcharts (which, whereas unofficial, skims its dwell knowledge fairly precisely from Steam), I discover that the Steam model of the sport at present has zero gamers on-line, down from its January common player-count of… 5. I really feel like I’m already carving a closing tombstone for the Fable franchise right here, and I hope so desperately that I’m unsuitable, however I suppose there’s solely a lot you are able to do with boilerplate fantasy, strained British humor and a ham-fisted morality system.
Fable Fortune will probably be out on XBox One/Windows 10 by way of their shared storefront, and Steam concurrently on February 22nd. The sport will probably be free to play at launch.
