Buried like some kind of cursed treasure at the bottom of this week's episode of the official Xbox Podcast was news about Playground Games' long-awaited Fable. I call it "treasure" because it included a rare glimpse at gameplay, but "cursed" because it came with that dreaded caveat that accompanies so many development updates: a delay. Once planned to launch this year, Fable is now set for a 2026 release.

Delays, of course, are generally not harbingers of doom, despite the agonizing wait they inflict. In Fable's case, hopefully this is the sign of a richly detailed world that just needs more time to bloom. But that extra year of waiting can be put to good use: there's no better time to play the Fable games. Specifically, I'd urge you to try Fable 2, the series' highpoint, and (re)discover just what a strange and unique RPG Lionhead Studios' 2008 classic is.

By today's role-playing game standards, Fable 2 is truly distinctive. Even compared to its 2008 contemporaries, such as Fallout 3 and BioWare's early 3D games, it stands out with its unique vision. While Fable 2 features a fairly traditional campaign structure with a linear main story and an eclectic mix of optional side quests, its RPG systems are refreshingly straightforward. Instead of the complex stat blocks found in games like Oblivion and Neverwinter Nights, Fable 2 simplifies these elements to create an accessible experience, perfect for those unfamiliar with RPG mechanics.

The game focuses on just six main skills that govern your health, strength, and speed. Weapons have a single damage stat, and there are no such complexities for armor or accessories. Combat is prevalent throughout most quests, but it's more about swashbuckling flair than deep mechanics, enhanced by creative spellcasting like the amusing Chaos spell, which makes enemies dance or scrub floors. Even death is lenient, with the only penalty being a minor XP deduction.

Fable 2 is the RPG for people who have never played RPGs before. Back in 2008, when the vast open world of Oblivion might have felt overwhelming for newcomers, Fable 2's Albion offered a more manageable series of smaller, easy-to-navigate maps. You can freely move between these areas, and with your faithful canine companion alerting you to adventures, you can explore beyond the beaten path to uncover secrets like buried treasure, sunken caves, and the enigmatic Demon Doors. This lends the world a sense of grandeur beyond its actual size. However, Albion's geography is more restrictive, guiding you down linear pathways from one landmark to another, not a place to get lost in the traditional sense.

While Albion's physical landscape may not compare to the expansive worlds of BioWare's Infinity Engine games or Bethesda's Morrowind, judging it by modern or contemporary RPG standards would be unfair. Fable 2's strength lies in its bustling, lively world. When viewed through the lens of a game like Maxis' The Sims, it becomes a remarkable simulation of society.

Albion operates like a strange, organic clockwork organism. Every morning, as the sun rises, its inhabitants wake and begin their daily routines. Town criers announce shop openings and, as night falls, declare the time as "very late!" Similar to families in The Sims, every citizen in Albion has an interior life, influenced by their societal roles and personal preferences. Through a growing library of gestures, you can interact with every non-hostile NPC, delighting, insulting, impressing, or even seducing them. A well-timed fart might send pub patrons into fits of laughter, while mocking children could send them running to their parents. These emotes allow you to influence Albion's inhabitants, charming them with your heroism or repelling them with your villainy. We often discuss reactive NPCs and living game cities, but Fable 2 achieves this in a uniquely engaging way.

As a Hero with a capital H, destined for grand adventures, bullying bandits, and finding treasure, Fable 2 becomes even more interesting when you integrate into its society. Nearly every building in Albion is available for purchase, whether houses or shops, using money earned from jobs like woodcutting and blacksmithing, which become soothing distractions. Once you own a property, you can either become a landlord, setting fair or extortionate rents, or make it your home, furnishing it to your taste. The next step involves wooing an NPC by repeatedly using their favorite emote until they fall for you, leading to comedic romance and, eventually, a baby. While individual elements feel artificial, much like The Sims, the overall experience creates a genuine sense of life.

Few RPGs have followed Fable's lead in this aspect. Even the achievements of Baldur's Gate 3 don't include organic romances or property market manipulation. However, Albion's vibrant sense of life finds an echo in Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar's digital Wild West is incredibly responsive, with NPCs reacting believably to your actions. Every character can be interacted with through a system reminiscent of Fable 2's gestures, and your behavior can delight or annoy them. While most interactions are simple, those you help in meaningful ways, like saving them from a snakebite, may remember and reward you later. If Playground's new Fable is to stay true to its roots, it should emulate Rockstar's living world rather than the tabletop-inspired RPGs currently popular.

There are other essential elements Playground must preserve. Fable's quintessentially British humor, with its dry, witty satire of the class system and playful bum jokes, must remain. A cast of beloved actors, akin to Hogwarts' teaching staff, is crucial, and Playground seems on track with Richard Ayoade and Matt King in trailers. But perhaps most important, beyond the bustling world, is Lionhead's approach to good and evil.

Peter Molyneux, the founder of Lionhead Studios and lead designer of the Fable series, has always been fascinated with the dichotomy of good and evil. This was evident from the studio's first project, the god game Black & White, and continued throughout Molyneux's career, including his upcoming Masters of Albion. Lionhead's approach to player choice, however, differs from the nuanced decisions in The Witcher or BioWare's best works. In Fable 2, your choices are starkly binary—either completely virtuous or utterly vile, with no middle ground. It thrives on comedic extremes; an early sidequest might ask you to either clear pests from a trader's warehouse or destroy all his stock. Later, a ghost who committed suicide after being jilted at the altar might request you torment his former lover, with your only options being to make her life hell or marry her.

The past decade of RPG development has emphasized player expression through a spectrum of choices reflecting human behavior. Moral dilemmas are now seen as more complex than choosing between saving children or burning them. Yet, Fable thrives on its binary choices, relishing the opportunity for you to be the most heroic hero or the vilest villain. This was established in the first game, where choosing evil options could grow devil horns on your character, but it truly shone in Fable 2. The sequel's quests offer richer, more creative paths for good or evil, and the reactive world allows your actions to shape your reputation and moral alignment. Many RPGs struggle to make moral outcomes feel impactful because they focus on the middle ground, but Fable 2 excels by embracing its extremes, allowing you to go full Sith with matching lightning powers.

It's uncertain whether Playground Games will capture this essence of Fable. The recent development update included 50 seconds of pre-alpha gameplay footage, but it offered little insight into the authentic Fable experience, except for the obligatory chicken kick. However, a brief glimpse at a city that appears dense, bustling, and full of life gives hope that Playground Games has stayed true to Fable 2's unique societal simulation. I eagerly anticipate the chance to engage with its world, from pointing and laughing at children to dancing on pub tables and embarking on whirlwind romances with strangers behind the green grocers.

But all of that is a year away. In the meantime, revisiting or experiencing Fable 2 for the first time will remind you why it's so beloved and why it's crucial for Playground Games to retain its quirks. What we don't need from this project is a Fable reimagined as a Witcher clone, a Baldur's Gate-alike, or a Dragon Age-style RPG. We just need Fable to be Fable, farts and all.