Like many other members of the Pure Xbox community, I was blown away by the Fable reboot reveal at Xbox Developer Direct a few weeks ago. I know some of us immediately started thinking about revisiting the classics — Fable 1, Fable 2, and whatever else you consider to be a "classic" — but for me personally, it was less about "revisiting" and more about going on a journey of discovery.
Fable 2 and Fable Fortune are the only games in the series I've ever put real time into, and even then, I bounced off them both quite quickly at the time. It wasn't that I thought they were bad games at all, but you know how it is — sometimes you start a game, and then a million other things grab your attention and you end up pushing it to the side.
So, this time I'm really trying to get properly invested in Fable: Anniversary on my Xbox Series X (a game I've never played before), and although I'm only a few hours in so far, it's already surprised me in more ways than one!
Surprise #1 - It Looks Good For 2026, And Benefits From Xbox FPS Boost As Well
I didn't know what to expect when booting up the backwards compatible version of Fable: Anniversary on Xbox Series X, aside from that this Xbox 360 remaster of the original 2004 release was said to feature "all new textures and 3D models, an entirely new lighting system, and a slick new interface". That's not all though — the game was also Xbox One X Enhanced, meaning it runs at 4K Ultra HD if you're playing it on the Xbox Series X as well.
The result is a good-looking game for something that originated in 2004, especially in terms of the environments and the overall land of Albion. Auto HDR is enabled automatically to improve the image further, and best of all, FPS Boost means you can play at 60 frames per-second rather than 30FPS. We're being spoiled!
Yes, characters can still look very ugly up-close, and there are certain visual elements that have aged better than others, but I've still been surprised by how impressive this game looks on Xbox Series X.
Surprise #2 - The World Feels Just As Immersive As Many Modern-Day Games, If Not More
I've long been aware that one of the key selling points of the Fable franchise has been its immersive world, and I'm definitely feeling it here in Fable: Anniversary after just a few hours of exploration.
There are so many details that go into each area of the map, including the Heroes' Guild where I've been training and taking on quests, as well as when I've ventured out into the wilderness and explored different towns, Bandit Camps and whatever else. There's obviously more of the map for me to discover, and the best compliment I can gave is that I'm excited to explore each individual location — nothing I've seen feels like filler material at the moment.
Of course, one of the big reasons everything feels so immersive is because how people interact with you. I've engaged with pretty much every single person I've met, and they'll react to my presence when I'm around them as well. It's doing a great job of making me feel like I'm part of something bigger — although I'm obviously a central character, the world doesn't revolve around me alone. Sometimes, I like just following the NPCs around and seeing what they get up to!
Surprise #3 - It's Got A Stunning Soundtrack
I don't know why I hadn't anticipated that Fable would have such a beautiful soundtrack, but it certainly does! Danny Elfman of Simpsons fame (as well as many, many other Hollywood projects) helped put together the stunning main theme, while BAFTA-nominated composer Russell Shaw worked on the rest of the game's soundtrack.
Looking around, it seems like most people credit the first Fable with having the best OST, and I can definitely see why — orchestral masterpieces like "Oakvale" and "Summer Fields" play a massive role in immersing you in the world, and people clearly have a lot of nostalgia for them here in 2026.
Interestingly, the composer for the upcoming Fable reboot has yet to be revealed, and considering Shaw worked on all three of the main games, you'd think he'd make a return for the fourth. Then again, with Playground Games now helming the series rather than Lionhead Studios, it's possible someone else is getting a chance to carry on the legacy.
Surprise #4 - The NPCs Aren't Just Hilarious — They're An Essential Part Of Fable's Identity
It's not very often I find myself laughing at video games — for whatever reason, nothing tickles me that much (I'll lend an exception for Thank Goodness You're Here!), but Fable has definitely elicited a few chuckles out of me already.
As soon as I could go around calling myself "Arseface", I obviously had to do it — and it never gets old hearing other characters refer to me that way. I love being called a "Chicken Chaser", I love how obsessed everyone is with beer in the taverns, I love being insulted by the local kids in a town, I love people bowing and clapping at my feet because of the "Hero" actions I've undertaken, and I love some of the insane accents and random lines I hear in passing.
This is a British game through and through, and you can tell they had a fun time putting this dialogue together. Most importantly, it helps separate a game like this from other fantasy action-RPGs on the market, even all these years later in 2026.
Surprise #5 - There's No PC Game Pass Version
I started playing Fable: Anniversary on my Xbox Series X, but then quickly wanted to jump over to the ROG Xbox Ally X and carry my progress to the PC version. The problem? There's actually no PC Game Pass version of Fable 1.
What's so bizarre about this is that Fable: Anniversary does exist on Steam, so you can actually buy it right now on that platform, but there's no way of accessing it via the Xbox PC app natively. Fable 2 and Fable 3 aren't there either, of course, but Fable 2 has always been an Xbox 360 exclusive, and Fable 3 got delisted on Steam back in 2013.
Fortunately, there is a workaround here, and that's to stream Fable: Anniversary through Xbox Cloud Gaming to your PC or handheld device (in my case, the Xbox Ally). That's all well and good, and I appreciate the option, but it's still baffling to me that you can't play any mainline Fable game natively on PC Game Pass ahead of the reboot.
So, there we go! I know many Pure Xbox members have probably played the Fable series to death over the years and much of this isn't new to you, but it's one that just got away from me, and now I'm really enjoying the ability to experience it for the first time in 2026. There's a long way to go, but it's done enough to hook me in so far!
In the comments below, I'd love to hear your memories about Fable 1, and please do drop any tips for me if you have any! Here's hoping we'll all have an amazing new Fable experience to enjoy on Xbox consoles and PC later this year.