Fable Reboot and Forza Horizon Studio Head Highlights Similarities Between Open-World Racing and Action RPGs

Ralph Fulton, the head of Playground Games, the studio behind the Forza Horizon series and the upcoming Fable reboot, shares insights on how the team has transitioned from crafting high-speed racing experiences to developing a choice-driven RPG filled with 1,000 unique NPCs.

It might seem surprising that a studio renowned for its meticulous car recreations and adrenaline-pumping tracks is now tackling a franchise known for its quirky humor and player-driven narratives. However, Fulton acknowledges that this shift may raise eyebrows, and in our conversation about Fable, he highlights the unexpected similarities between the two genres. “There are lots of commonalities, maybe a surprising number of commonalities, between making an open-world racing game and making an open-world action-RPG,” he notes, while also recognizing the significant differences.

One key similarity lies in how players navigate the game world. While Fable’s hero isn’t confined to a vehicle like in Forza Horizon, they do travel faster than a leisurely stroll. Yet, the two experiences diverge in notable ways.

“The world in Forza Horizon is experienced at up to 250 miles an hour,” Fulton explains. “So that world is huge, and it looks great when you park, but it needs to look great when you’re moving at speed as well. In Fable, we move at the speed of a horse, which means our pace is much slower. This allows us to add a level of detail to our world that we think is essential. Albion is 100% the most richly detailed world we’ve ever built.”

The Fable reboot is set to launch this autumn.

Fable allows players to enter and even purchase any building in its world, a feature that was one of the “requirements that we took from the original games,” according to the developer.