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The famous fable of the tortoise and the hare has been told many times. It dates back to Aesop, an ancient Greek storyteller who told this as a moral fable about hard work and boasting. I’m pretty sure you’ll know it – it focuses on how it’s not about how fast you are, but how slow and steady wins the race.
The latest multiplayer racer, Running Fable, uses the characters of this as an influence, but also the moral. You see it’s not only about legging it around a race track, but how you prepare that track, laying traps and goodies to help you along the way.
There isn’t a story as such in Running Fable. It’s very much like a Mario-style kart racer where you can make up your own narratives if you wish. But as a single-player experience, I don’t think there is much fun to be had; the interest for the game does get to wane a bit. But take it to the online multiplayer and there is a lot of fun to be had. Whether those servers are going to be busy enough going forward, well, only time will tell. But Running Fable does support crossplay, even if there isn’t any local co-op or local multiplayer. That is a shame.
Running Fable does give you an engaging take on a racing game. So each game supports up to nine other players either online or with bots replacing the empty places. The first part of the game is that you are presented with a map of the racetrack that you are about to go around. There you can lay down several items of that track, with the idea being that they will help you out, whilst deterring your enemies during the race.
You can place health power-ups around the map if you’re in trouble or – for example – you can lay down traps for your opponents to run into. These might be web traps or cyclones that damage, throwing the victim down the pecking order. But you’ll want to remember where you’ve put them as these traps will also affect you if you land in them. It’s a great fun system and, with all the players doing this, fast sees Running Fable turn into chaos; in a good fun way.
The next part of the game of course is the race. It’s fast and frantic with each race you take in only lasting a few minutes. You play as either the tortoise or the hare but both move at the same speed. You have a boost button for a short period of extra speed and a special move. Hare spins in the air and tortoises pull out a hoverboard to get over obstacles or water.
When you complete a race you get points. There are multiple points on offer for winning the race and a few extra ones if your traps snare another racer. In theory, you could not win the race but get more points because of your traps – something which fits neatly with the moral of the fable.
Running Fable has a nice visual look which definitely puts it into the family-friendly category of gaming. It’s cartoony and colourful, and doesn’t really look like it comes from this gen of consoles, but that doesn’t matter for a game like this. The menus are clear and bright, but the in-game camera is a bit loose and uneasy at times. Thankfully the soundtrack is bouncy and fun, going along with the action on the screen.
Cheap and cheerful, Running Fable isn’t one that will appeal to single players or those looking for narrative. It’s all about hitting the mean online streets, having quick fun with others to see who comes out with bragging rights. But that does mean this is a game that will live or die on how many people are online.
I love the unique track preparation mechanic, and the points systems work well, but it’s a hard ask to find this one keeping the interest long-term.