There have been plenty of rumors surrounding BioShock 4 in the past several weeks, mainly regarding its potential status as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. It was only recently announced that BioShock 4 was in development, but leaks and information deduced from job listings have already begun painting a picture of what the game might look like. If the rumors are to be believed and that BioShock 4 is a PS5 exclusive , it's likely that no news would come from E3 2021 about the game. Instead, it would be shown off during a PlayStation showcase completely unaffiliated with E3. Even if it's not an exclusive, BioShock 4 is still so early in development that seeing any footage of it would be highly susp

Consequences exist, but unlike in Aesop’s fables, the consequences rarely fall upon those who deserve them in the modern world. They just get pushed onto others who are forced to writhe in the background, cursing those that put them there, but never seeing justice. A bizarre Adventure Game updates indeed, but one that is more poignant than e

Just like Aesop’s Fables, this short, self-contained story has a powerful message, but one that Aesop could never have predicted in a world ravaged by global capitalism. The powerful abuse others, the powerful feel no empathy, and the powerful will use those around them to get what they want, even at the cost of their own happiness. But ultimately, no matter what, the powerful do not feel the brunt of their curse. They do not have to face the consequences of their actions. They just let those around them do it for them, and keep walking forward, living their life. As the man rises from the confessional booth and leaves the church we see the headless servant, bearing the man’s old face, crawl behind him, alongside the homeless man from years before, while the corn magnate himself strolls out, unscathed, with a face that isn’t even his

In the world of Fable, crime unfortunately exists. Those who are so inclined can certainly cause a ruckus and an uproar. Should you go down this devious path, the guards will stop you and demand you pay a hefty fine. Failing to part with the cash will see the player set u

That’s the thing — I love the Fable dog, and I love the art. I love the devil horns and the tricksy little gnomes. But I don’t think Fable 2 was like Fable, so I’m not sure why so many people were annoyed about Fable 3 not being Fable 2: Again. That’s why I was annoyed, as well as pretty much anybody I asked about it. But in hindsight, it makes very little sense to me — I would hope that the new Fable game in development isn’t just a rehash of Fable 2. I’d hope that it takes a lot of its lessons — for better and for worse — from Fable 3.

Instead of murdering people in the middle of Bowerstone and growing big devilish horns, you had to manage a kingdom and decide whether it was more important to build a school or a brothel. This structure is excellently designed, mind, and went on to define similar systems in other games like Dragon Age: Inquisition. But the magic of Fable’s chaotic mayhem was rechanneled into something a bit more serious, a bit more grounded. While I vastly preferred the old versions of Fable, this wasn’t a bad thing. Fable games are anything if not ambitious, and once a game tries something new that’s genuinely worthwhile… well, I don’t care all that much if it’s not up my street — even failed experiments can help steer progress. Now that a new Fable game is confirmed to be in the works , I’m immensely glad that Fable 3 exists, because for as much stink as people talk about it, it’s a smart, audacious, and important game.

Let’s also remember that Fable 3’s dog companion extends far beyond the contemporary "Can you pet the dog?" phenomenon that seems to have been adopted as a marketing tactic for new and upcoming games. In Fable 3 you can teach your dog tricks, and 30 seconds later it will rip an enemy’s throat out. This disparity is par for the course for Fable 3, which is a game that seems to have amassed every existing genre into its massively hodgepodge makeup. Fable 3 is The Sims. Fable 3 is Dishonored. Fable 3 is Grand Theft Auto. You can use your magical affinity to protect innocent people from hordes of vindictive monsters, or you can pump the rent prices in Aurora up so high that people can’t even afford to buy vegetables in the worst place on earth. You can marry someone, absorb their assets, and then file for immediate divorce. They won’t be happy about it, and the game’s morality system will have its due impact on you — but you can do it. It’s a life simulator, a fantasy RPG, a tycoon management game, a rom-com, and every single thing in between. Sometimes it’s too much — how do you even begin to reconcile all of that in a coherent way? But most of the time it’s actually genuinely smart. It’s just not Fable 2, and people — including 14-year-old me — hated that.

Fast forward many years and the man becomes absurdly wealthy thanks to an inheritance from a relative and, um, becoming a corn magnate. As in, he sells Corn Flakes, popcorn, and corn chips thanks to the corn he grows on the land he owns through his inheritance. I told you it was bizarre. He lives in a huge house, has a small army of live-in servants, is married to a supermodel, and has a daughter he loves very much. One day while walking the streets of Venice with his young daughter, he sees her smile and earnestly believes it to be the happiest he has ever been. That’s when the Stand stri