Sable Reviews
Sable's plethora of technical faults compels me to warn everyone about its current state on PS5, but I still sincerely hope you'll embark on The Gliding someday.
I had a great time playing Sable and thoroughly enjoyed the game. The narrative and how it was told was delivered very well and helped me connect with Sable and the world. The story delivered from exploring and completing quests was both engaging and satisfying. I enjoyed the puzzle solving and travelling across Midden even if the hoverbike was a tad bumpy. I respected the cel-shaded design and Sable looked beautiful. However, textures and the environment looked low in detail and sometimes with parts of the landscape appearing through solid walls. The soundtrack and score of Sable were a big part of why I was so immersed in the game. Music coming from Japenese Breakfast especially at key scenes set the tone. Alongside environmental sounds and sometimes Sable herself, the game felt more engaging. With many hours of content and 57 trophies to win, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy. I am pleased to give Sable the Thumb Culture Gold Award. I’m excited to see what the Shedworks brings us next after their debut game! I hope you enjoyed my Sable review as much as I enjoyed playing it. If so I also reviewed Broken Pieces which you can check out right here.
Shedworks has created a gorgeous throwback of an adventure game that settles the player in for a leisurely, minimalist voyage of self-discovery.
Sadly, some of the joy of exploration is dampened by the stuttering framerate which frequently gets a bit choppy, especially when wandering through busier areas. You’re also likely to encounter bugs with things like merchants not having any stock for sale or your hoverbike disappearing. Reloading the game does seem to fix many issues, but these little niggles do begin to get irritating over time. It’s a shame as, apart from these issues, exploring Sable’s strange and mysterious land is an absolute delight.
Sable’s ability to make the player feel so involved in such a hands-off approach to its open world is one that should be celebrated. The gameplay is a little one-note and the framerate can buckle under pressure, but it’s a game full of intrigue and wonderment that captivates you immensely. Not to mention exceptional cel shaded visuals and a zen like soundtrack that makes Sable enrapturing to explore.
Sable cannot be recommended at launch and requires numerous updates to help it run well on this system. Any potential Sable's lore and art design had is ruined by graphical issues.
Sable is a difficult game to rate: if you think only of the quality of the work from an aesthetic and narrative point of view, the number at the bottom of the review should skyrocket. Exploration is everything here: the game really comes into its own when you take the liberty of setting your own course. Unfortunately, analyzing the work of Shedworks as a whole, one cannot help but notice how the technical limits weigh on a gameplay that is not particularly inspired, even going so far as to undermine the user's involvement during the game session.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Between the bold and ever-contrasting color palette, the ambient music by indie rock band Japanese Breakfast, and the pure joy of climbing cliffs, ruins and dunes to your heart's content, Sable offers an immersive dive into the lives and traditions of its small, nomadic world. Beyond its artistic merits, the game is supremely fun to play. It's a title that adventure gamers and art lovers alike will happily explore for hours on end, and despite the occasional bug, it's a very well-made game. Sable is well worth adding to any adventure gamer's library, and I eagerly await Shedworks' next big title.
Stamina in games is something that I could complain about for days, but overall, it doesn’t completely detract from the game. It’s still a masterpiece of art and video game design. With a few less bugs and a couple of tweaks, this game could be absolutely perfect. I loved my playthrough and would suggest it to just about anyone who digs a chill game with a relaxing atmosphere.
Devoid of the stress and grind that has become staples of most modern games, Sable reimagines what a fun, open world game can be and delivers with an original take.
You play a girl on the cusp of adulthood, trying out different vocations, in this exquisitely rendered 'open world' journey
It’s your very own desert coming-of-age story! In the world of Sable, traverse a unique and enchanting world, climb the highest peaks, solve puzzles and make ancient discoveries, assist other travelers or even map out the continent – it’s all up to you!
Sable is an open-world game with a bold, atypical and successful art direction. In its best moments, Sable is a small bubble of relaxation that makes room for exploration. Unfortunately, these moments of grace are constantly marred by a cheap technical part and a too archaic structure that spoils the initial promise of the game.
Review in French | Read full review
Sable is a beautiful game, both in its artistic and sound section, where we accompany our little protagonist on a journey of personal discovery. With some flaws that unfortunately disfigure the whole, we can not but recommend the title of Shedworks, since in one way or another, it ends up connecting with the user.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Sable is a game about the journey. In the end, there is a destination, but when you boot the game up after finishing it, you’ll be put back before you make the decision of what mask to wear.
The game reminded me that perfection isn’t a prerequisite for a work of art to be meaningful, or for a young person to be valued and supported. Sable, bugs and all, is the perfect example of that.
Sable plays like a young person's diary, full of hope and apologies, staying grounded while reaching for stars. It trades in its combat for climbing puzzles instead, and isn't afraid to let you bunny hop across a mustard-yellow desert or stand perfectly still-with the encouraging words of people recounting their own wonder years.
Sable’s non-linear structure is liberating and lets you explore at your own pace and in whatever direction your whim takes you. But its many technical issues–including poor performance and game-breaking bugs–contrive to stymie your journey to the extent that your Gliding may never leave the launch pad.
While there are a few flaws that prevent the journey for being an otherwise excellent experience, it is still an undoubtedly memorable pilgrimage. If you’re looking for a game that doesn’t hold your hand and free from any kind of pressure, then Sable may just be what you’re looking for.
While the game attracts you well musically and visually to provide a relaxing structure, numerous technical problems, along with the inappropriate design of some riddles and missions, have made it impossible for the user to communicate with Sable as it should.
Review in Persian | Read full review