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Sable (video game)

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Sable
Developer(s)Shedworks
Publisher(s)Raw Fury
Director(s)
  • Daniel Fineberg
  • Gregorios Kythreotis
Designer(s)Ioannis Pitsikalis
Programmer(s)Jourdan-Reiss Russell
Artist(s)Shanaz Byrne
Writer(s)
Composer(s)Japanese Breakfast
EngineUnity
Platform(s)
ReleaseMicrosoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
23 September 2021
PlayStation 5
29 November 2022
Genre(s)Adventure
Mode(s)Single-player

Sable is an open world exploration video game developed by Shedworks and published by Raw Fury. It was released on 23 September 2021, for Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, and released on PlayStation 5 on 29 November 2022.[1][2][3]

Players control Sable, a young girl who embarks on a coming-of-age rite of passage: a search for an appropriate mask and return to her nomadic clan. Exploring the ruined desert planet of Midden, Sable encounters several characters who help her find her place in the world, as well as giving her several tasks that often involve solving puzzles and platforming through rock formations or ancient ruins.[4]

Gameplay

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Sable is an open world exploration video game, in which the player can roam and adventure in a non-linear way. The game has no combat or set storyline, since the narrative is explored through NPC dialogue and environmental cues, such as remnants of an ancient civilization left to interpretation. It emphasizes simple puzzle-solving and discovery, traversing sand dunes and ruins. Platforming mechanics are put into place through a stamina gauge that allows for running and climbing, as well as the ability to glide in mid-air.[4]

Parts of the game are customizable, such as Sable's hoverbike and clothing, including the story driven masks. Both hoverbike parts and clothing items can be acquired either by simply exploring the game's world, or by completing quests given by an array of characters, which often revolve around collecting small materials such as bugs or fruit.[4] While clothing is purely cosmetic, with the exception of a few masks, different hoverbike parts affect how the player traverses the world of Midden, with different parts offering several degrees of maneuverability, acceleration and top speed.[5]

Development

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Daniel Fineberg and Gregorios Kythreotis began development on Sable in 2017, working in a shed belonging to the latter's parents.[6] The two-person indie development team is known as Shedworks. Writer Meg Jayanth also contributed to the game, while musician American singer-songwriter, Michelle Zauner using the name of her band Japanese Breakfast provided the game's soundtrack.[7]

The game's concept came from the planet Jakku on Star Wars: The Force Awakens.[8] Its art style was inspired by the sci-fi works of Jean Giraud, aka Mœbius. The game was also inspired by Breath of the Wild, of The Legend of Zelda series.[9] Each of the game's environments are hand-crafted.[7] An extensive art book titled Sable Design Works was published by Lost in Cult in 2024.[10]

The game premiered at the E3 2018 PC Gaming Show, where it was nominated for Best Independent Game.[11] Originally scheduled for 2019, the game was twice delayed for a 2021 release.[7] Its release was supported by Raw Fury and Microsoft.[6] The game was showcased at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, where it competed for the inaugural Tribeca Games Award.[12]

Reception

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Critical reception

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Sable received "generally favorable" to "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.

Jonathan Peltz, writing for Wired, praised the game as "[...] gorgeous and endlessly GIF-able".[25] Alice Bell of Rock Paper Shotgun, credited the game for looking "[...] fabulous in the flesh" and managing to meet the aesthetic expectations set by trailers and teased content.[26] However, she faulted the game for a number of small irritations, including clunky driving mechanics and difficult navigation, comparing these to the annoyances caused by grains of sand in reality.[26] Inverse's Tomas Franzese praised the game for its relaxing qualities.[27] The Washington Post liked the game's approach to the post-game, saying that it adopted "one of the most easygoing approaches to an endgame I’ve come across in an open-world game".[28]

PC Gamer's Natalie Clayton enjoyed the various points of interest placed throughout the world, describing it as "enigmatic" and "memorable". GameSpot praised the writing of the title, especially praising how it helped normalize characters, "The writing is a strong point, too, namely because it's relatively understated. These characters are just regular people going about their lives, and this is reflected in their personable dialogue". Game Informer liked the side content of the game, noting how it created "narrative variety" and made use of unexplored parts of the map. The Guardian felt the open-ended nature of Sable's world and narrative helped set it apart from other open world games, saying that, "There are whispered points of interest, but there is no wearying to-do list, and as such your journey and destination are uniquely, wonderfully personal".[29]

Awards and accolades

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Sable was nominated for the "Best Debut Indie Game" award at The Game Awards 2021,[30] while also garnering nominations for the Golden Joystick Awards' 2021 categories of "Best Audio" and "Best Indie Game".[31] The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Sable for "Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game" at the 25th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.[32] Sable was also elected as PC Gamer's Best Narrative of 2021.[33]

Potential adaptation

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In October 2021, Raw Fury announced that they had entered in a first-look deal with dj2 Entertainment to develop adaptations of games including Sable, Night Call, and Mosaic for film and television.[34]

Soundtrack

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Sable (Original Video Game Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by
Japanese Breakfast
Released24 September 2021
GenreAmbient pop[35]
Length95:52
Label
Japanese Breakfast chronology
Jubilee
(2021) 		Sable (Original Video Game Soundtrack)
(2021)
Singles from Sable
  1. "Glider"
    Released: 27 August 2021
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[36]
Pitchfork7.5/10[35]

Sable (Original Video Game Soundtrack) is a soundtrack album by American indie rock band Japanese Breakfast for the 2021 video game Sable. It was released digitally by Sony Masterworks and Dead Oceans on 24 September 2021, with CD copies released on 29 October 2021, and vinyl set for release on 1 April 2022.[37][38] The album was preceded by the single "Glider" on 27 August 2021.[39]

Michelle Zauner, the band's lead singer and songwriter, was contacted by Fineberg directly to compose the soundtrack, as he was aware of her enjoyment of video games.[40] Zauner began writing the score with concept art and some written descriptions of places in the game for inspiration and guidance.[40] The game's developers sought someone who had not previously composed a video game soundtrack in the hopes of avoiding stylistic conventions associated with scoring games.[40] Zauner has called the song "Better the Mask", written for the game, her "favorite song [she has] ever written as an artist.".[41]

Composition

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The soundtrack of Sable consists mainly of ambient pop songs with "new age-inspired instrumentals that nicely conjure the environmental landscapes and moods of the game play".[36] It combines synthesizers, guitars, and both digital and analogue percussion to craft "textured and deeply enveloping soundscapes".[36] "Glider" and "Better the Mask" are two traditional indie pop tunes, with the later inspired by 1970s singer-songwriter music.[36] The score is mainly location-based with different tracks differentiating the in-game cycle of night and day.[35]

Critical reception

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Matt Collar of AllMusic said that the album "evoke[s] the poignant lyricism of a Hayao Miyazaki anime soundtrack" and praised Zauner's "ability to translate wide-eyed filmic emotions into pop magic."[36] Pitchfork writer Zhenzhen Yu called the score "Not so much an album as the nerve system of a narrative" and said that it would be "best experienced alongside the physical act of in-game exploration."[35]

Charts

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Chart performance for Sable
Chart (2022) Peak
position
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[42] 81
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[43] 7

References

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  1. ^ Valentine, Rebekah (June 10, 2021). "Sable: Beautiful Gliding Adventure Finally Launches in September - Summer of Gaming". IGN. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  2. ^ "Sable coming to PS5 in late 2022". Gematsu. September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  3. ^ "Sable for PS5, PS4 launches November 29". Gematsu. October 28, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Northup, Travis (September 22, 2021). "Sable Review". IGN. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  5. ^ Sable: Why Your Bike Matters, September 8, 2021, retrieved February 18, 2022
  6. ^ a b Kent, Emma (May 28, 2019). "Gorgeous sci-fi indie Sable will now release next year". Eurogamer. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c Horti, Samuel (July 18, 2019). "Sable: Everything we know so far". PC Gamer. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  8. ^ Avard, Alex (November 16, 2018). "'What if Rey never left Jakku?' - How indie darling Sable is inspired by Star Wars: The Force Awakens". GamesRadar. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  9. ^ Peltz, Jonathan (September 22, 2021). "On 'Sable': "You'll See Other Quests in the Game That Are a Bit Silly"". Wired. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  10. ^ Sledge, Ben. "Book Review: A Beautiful Game Design Treatise", The Gamer, 6 Jan 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  11. ^ Fogel, Stefanie (June 28, 2018). "'Anthem,' 'Sekiro' Top Nominees for the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2018". Variety. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  12. ^ Beresford, Trilby (May 6, 2021). "Tribeca Festival Unveils Games Lineup Including Annapurna Interactive's 'Twelve Minutes'". The Hollywood Reporter. MRC. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  13. ^ "Sable for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  14. ^ "Sable for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  15. ^ "Sable for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
  16. ^ "Sable for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  17. ^ Khan, Zubi (September 22, 2021). "Sable (PC) Review". Computer Games Magazine. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  18. ^ Grodt, Jill (September 22, 2021). "Sable Review – Captivating Gameplay Behind A Beautiful Mask". Game Informer. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  19. ^ "Sable review: "Downright beautiful in its execution and storytelling" | Aces high". GamesRadar. September 22, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  20. ^ Northup, Travis (September 22, 2021). "Sable Review". IGN. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  21. ^ Clayton, Natalie (September 22, 2021). "Sable review". PC Gamer. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  22. ^ Harris, Ian (September 22, 2021). "Sable review – equal parts Zelda, Moebius, and itself". PCGamesN. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  23. ^ Erskine, Donovan (September 22, 2021). "Sable review: The journey beyond". Shacknews. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  24. ^ Wise, Josh (September 22, 2021). "Sable review". www.videogamer.com. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  25. ^ Peltz, Jonathan (September 22, 2021). "On 'Sable': "You'll See Other Quests in the Game That Are a Bit Silly"". Wired. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  26. ^ a b Bell, Alice (September 22, 2021). "Sable review: a beautiful adventure beset by troubling bugs". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  27. ^ Franzese, Tomas (September 28, 2021). "'Sable' is the most relaxing game since 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons'". Inverse. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  28. ^ "Review | 'Sable': An art game for people who like adventure games, and vice versa". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  29. ^ "Sable review – go build yourself a future, girl". the Guardian. November 6, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  30. ^ Ankers, Adele (November 16, 2021). "The Game Awards Nominations Announced". ign.com. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  31. ^ Ben Tyrer (October 19, 2021). "Golden Joystick Awards 2021: see the full list of nominees and how to vote today". gamesradar. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  32. ^ Bankhurst, Adam (February 25, 2022). "DICE Awards 2022 Winners: The Full List". IGN. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  33. ^ PC Gamer (December 27, 2021). "Best Narrative 2021: Sable". PC Gamer. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  34. ^ Otterson, Joe (October 11, 2021). "Raw Fury Sets First-Look Deal With dj2 Entertainment for Film, Television Projects (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  35. ^ a b c d Yu, Zhenzhen (September 23, 2021). "Japanese Breakfast: Sable (Original Video Game Soundtrack)". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  36. ^ a b c d e Collar, Matt. "Sable – Japanese Breakfast". AllMusic. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  37. ^ "Sable (Original Video Game Soundtrack) CD". Rough Trade US. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  38. ^ "Sable (Original Video Game Soundtrack) LP". Rough Trade US. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  39. ^ Minsker, Evan (August 27, 2021). "Japanese Breakfast Details New Sable Soundtrack, Releases "Glider": Listen". Pitchfork.
  40. ^ a b c Gordon, Lewis. "Japanese Breakfast on Writing the 'Sable' Soundtrack". Wired. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  41. ^ Frank, Allegra (September 26, 2021). "Japanese Breakfast Thinks This Is the Best Song She's Ever Written". Slate Magazine. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  42. ^ "Japanese Breakfast Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  43. ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 May 2022.

Further reading

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