Sable Preview

After four years in development, we’re finally edging towards the release date of Sable. First announced in 2018, Sable has long been a point of intrigue in the independent gaming scene. Despite the unique art style, it wasn’t until this year's E3 and Steam Next Fest’s that we really got a taste of what Sable was going to be like.

At its core, Sable is an exploration game, focused on the titular character going on their rite of passage, known as the gliding. Sable is a combat-free game, allowing the player to explore the game's vast landscapes at whatever pace they see fit. Early parts of the game take place in a small village, where you can become accustomed to the dialogue wheel, a couple of characters and your most important tool in Sable - the hover-bike.

When it comes to exploration games, the art of getting around is the game's vital ingredient. Much like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has the glider, and Skyrim has the physics-defying horse, Sable’s centrepiece is its bike. Throughout my time with the game, I probably spent more time riding around on this bike than I did anything else. Even in this early preview, it was clear the bike was an asset, not just to the gameplay, but for the game’s narrative direction.

Learning to ride the bike is a surprisingly fun part of the Sable experience. Since the game’s reveal, we’ve seen the main character riding a sleek looking bike. During this demo, presumably set during the game’s opening, you are saddled with a plodding trainer bike. It’s practically an untamed horse when riding it, but it adds a little charm to the game world. In addition to that, it indicates there’s likely a route towards progression.

Regardless of the typical progression being present or not, there’s certainly no questioning the protagonist's adventure is as much about progression as the game mechanics are. Sable is a coming of age tale, focusing on the titular character's growth and understanding of the world around them. The early hours of Sable is an interesting time, laying the groundwork for an interesting narrative, but it remains to be seen how well that ambiguous storytelling will work over the full length of the game.

Over the years since its announcement, Sable has remained a standout game at any event it has appeared due to its cel-shaded art style and distinct animations. Combined with the power of the bike, the sandy world of Sable is a gorgeous world, with sight-seeing encouraged throughout. The overall feel of the game is rough around the edges, but everything seems to indicate the controls are taking a backseat on this, as the narrative and world will be taking the leading role.

Sable is a calm adventure, it’s one that will encourage players to take their time. It’s purposefully methodical, which doesn’t detract from the early portions of the game. It remains to be seen if that deliberately slow style will continue to shine throughout a full playthrough of the game, but during my two hours with the game’s demo, I never found the dialled back speed to be an issue.

In the build-up to the Sable’s release on 23rd September, it’s clear that the charming trailers have translated well to an enthralling exploration game. For me, Sable is one of the most anticipated independent games for 2021, and with its release a couple of months away, it appears to be on course to match the billing of almost four years worth of waiting.