Released in 2010, Fable 3 may not be as critically-lauded as its predecessor, but it was still a good exclusive for the Xbox 360 console. Putting players in the boots of a Prince, Fable 3’s first act tasks them with taking down their corrupt King brother, while the second act sees them become king themselves, tasked with protecting the kingdom against a mysterious, shadowy threat. Along the way, players will bump into a wide cast of colorful characters, some of which are voiced by big-name celebrities.
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Fable 3 Had a Star-Studded Cast
When it comes to celebrity voices in video games, Fable 3 has an unrivaled cast, both in terms of performance quality and star-power. One of the most prominent voices in the first act of Fable 3 is Michael Fassbender, who voices King Logan. With a naturally deep and commanding voice, Fassbender has total control over every scene he’s in. Similarly, Naomie Harris, later seen in Skyfall, plays Fable 3’s Page. Harris’ natural charisma suits the revolutionary leader of the Bowerstone Resistance perfectly.
Fable 3 also has plenty of other talent involved, some of which are British acting legends. John Cleese, for instance, plays Jasper the royal family’s butler. Skins’ Nicholas Hault plays childhood sweetheart Elliot. Comedy screenwriter and actor Simon Pegg plays Captain Ben Finn, a soldier in Albion Royal Army. Gotham’s Sean Pertwee plays the ruthless Saker, leader of a gang of mercenaries. My Family and Harry Potter’s Zoe Wanamaker also makes an appearance, playing Theresa, a 600-year-old prophet. Lord of the Rings’ Bernard Hill plays the main hero’s mentor, Sir Walter Beck. And rounding out the star-studded cast is Stephen Fry, who plays the charismatic Reaver, a steampunk ex-pirate industrialist.
All in all, Fable 3’s cast is absolutely stacked with famous names and voices. While this can often be a pretty risky move for a video game, with some on-screen actors not being able to translate their talent over to voice work, it certainly pays off in Fable 3’s case, with each performance adding a great deal of gravity and substance to the narrative. Having so many celebrity voices is also a great marketing trick, which Lionhead Studios definitely used on the lead-up to Fable 3’s release.
Should The Fable Reboot Hire Celebrity Voices?
Celebrity culture is only more prevalent in today’s society than it was when Fable 3 released in 2010. With social media becoming an even more integral aspect of everyday life, celebrity opinions - and opinions on celebrities - are often a big part of the daily news cycle. Celebrities are absolutely everywhere now, and including a few in the upcoming Fable reboot could be a double-edged sword.
From a marketing perspective, hiring some well-known celebs to do some voice work on Fable would be a very smart choice. Though it isn’t as prominent in the video game scene, having a central character played by a big-name actor can really bring in new audiences, and the Fable reboot certainly needs as much attention as possible before it eventually releases. However, these potential celebrity hires need to be able to add as much charisma and weight to the narrative as Fable 3’s cast did, which is no easy feat. It’s a tricky balance, but if Fable could pull it off, then it wouldn’t hurt to have some celebrity voices in the reboot.
Fable is in development for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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