The upcoming Fable reboot is set to launch on February 23, 2027, and with that date growing inexorably closer Xbox has dropped a new gameplay trailer showcasing four minutes of heroic questing across a rather grim-looking slice of Albion.

The trailer shows off a little bit of everything: some cinematics, some chitchat, the UI, and of course plenty of combat: melee, ranged, and even a bit of magic.

From the listing on YouTube:

"The Hero of Briar Hill has entered the depths of Deepwood alongside Arden, a local Hero, to investigate why strange magical happenings have been troubling the people of Oakshire. Here, they cross a threshold where the natural magic of Deepwood appears corrupted by an outside force, and they discover hints as to who or what could be responsible..."

The reaction to the video is quite positive among the YouTube comments but somewhat more subdued on the PC Gaming subreddit, where more than one poster suggested that it doesn't really show the game in its best light—which is to say that it doesn't really look like Fable, or at least what Fable fans expected. Fable 3 may not be everyone's favorite game in the series but it was bright, colorful, exuberant—this video, by comparison, seems downright grim and conventional.

That's about where I land on it: A four-minute clip obviously isn't going to tell the whole story, but with the video being showcased as part of Xbox's 25th anniversary, and the full Fable release now just three months away (unless it's delayed again), it's reasonable to assume that Playground and Xbox would want to put their best foot forward. And, well, this is fine, but I can't say it has me all charged up to play Fable: To me, it just feels kind of flat.

But maybe that's just me—we'll find out in February. Fable on the PC is available for pre-purchase now on Steam.