Sable Reviews
From a visual standpoint, every line and every hue seems purposeful, in contrast to so many other games that heap color upon color and detail upon detail as if "more colors and visual effects equals better graphics."
Sable is a slow paced exploration game with some Zelda sprinkled on top. At times some of the “wandering around” you do will seem needless yet all the beautiful vistas and adequately designed quests will pull you back in.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Sable does so much well that it’s a shame that these issues consistently distract from its stunning world. This is the sort of game that may be easy to recommend in a few months after a few patches, but I can only rate the game as it is. There’s still a lot to like here if you’re willing to put up with some frustration along the way. Just know that if you purchase it now, you’ll be dealing with a less than smooth ride.
Sable has an intriguing concept and a unique creative direction, but the plethora of technical shortcomings make it more painful than enjoyable.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Take away the technical issues, and Sable is a pretty good game. It's not great, because some fundamental design issues do hold it back, but it would still be worth checking out. As it stands, however, the game is a mess technically speaking, with frame rate drops, pop ins, crashes, hard locks, and long loading times. If there is a good game in here, it's really hard to get to, and it might be best to wait till after some of the technical issues have been ironed out.
These issues are unfortunate because Sable is a remarkable game that would normally warrant a higher rating. But the problems, although minor for the most part, were encountered with such regularity that they can’t be overlooked. Hopefully, Raw Fury will fix these hiccups quickly because, without those flaws, Sable truly is a beautiful and minimalist journey through an open world that is a joy to explore.
Sable is a fascinating coming of age videogame with an incredible art direction inspired by the works of the late Jean Giraud.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sable features a wonderful open world presented in a gorgeous art style that gives you complete freedom in working out who you are.
In Sable, all parts intertwine in a perfect manner. Alone the technical deficiencies currently impair the experience.
Review in German | Read full review
I love the weird beauty of Sable and its coming-of-age adventure story, but there are a lot of small irritants that pile up and - perhaps worst of all - your bike just isn't fun to drive.
Though Sable may have a fantastic art style and a large open world, with a variety of environments, its lack of a strong narrative and underwhelming gameplay fail to impress. The game may seem intriguing at first, but ultimately, it will leave players disappointed.
As designed, Sable is a freeform journey across gorgeous landscapes in pursuit self-discovery. Agency is at a premium and the player can go as far as their initiative can take them. As executed on an Xbox One, Sable is a devastating technical calamity unfit for basic service. It was a cruelty to observe the heights Sable was capable of reaching and yet not be able to experience them for myself.
In his most inspired moments, Sable can remember Link's climbs, Sam Porter Bridges' deliveries and Wander's wandering on Agro. There are many suggestions that the Shedworks team has managed to incorporate into its ambitious project, which on more than one occasion will only leave the player breathless. Unfortunately, however, the obvious flaws of Sable eliminate the possibility of presenting all these ideas in a coherent and engaging adventure from beginning to end.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sable is a game with an artistic intent, it incites thought on the meaning of life through its enchanting journey. Unfortunately, for a game focused on quests, the title should offer information more clearly and in a more accessible fashion. Nonetheless, the experience is overall really rich and interesting, turning it into an easy recommendation for adventure games fans and those looking for artistic experiences. I hope that eventual patches will fix the game's main issues.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
And because the atmosphere encompasses so much of Sable’s appeal, the technical issues can be absolutely ruinous. When the bike disappears into the ground, when the menus break, or when Sable passes straight through an object that she should be able to land on, the illusion collapses and we’re left not with a vivid sense of place, but with a video game where the mechanics are all a bit of a chore. With its restrained approach toward collectibles and its rudimentary traversal, Sable attempts to depict exploration for the sake of exploration, but in doing so it only clarifies that such a concept is not necessarily as enticing as it sounds.
I think that whether you enjoy Sable will very much depend on your mood and expectations. Some gamers will appreciate it for the chill, Zen-like, conflict-and-combat-free, emotionally resonant story that it absolutely is. Other gamers may grow impatient with its lack of real incident, and weary of the pace and absence of challenge. I tend to land in the latter camp. Sable is a beautiful game, but it needs to rev up the dramatic engine or raise the stakes for the player to keep fidgety gamers like me engaged.
A stunning visual style can't hide the fact that Sable is not only uninterested in guiding its players but it doesn't really care about entertaining them either.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Sable and will definitely continue to play as well as recommend it to others. For me, there is definitely room for it to be replayed as the choices you make and missions you choose to embark on can reveal a different story each time. Also, the more (or less) that is explored will determine the mask at the end. It is the perfect indie game to relax, take a break, and simply get lost in an open world.
Sable is a relaxing adventure with a satisfying focus on exploration and player freedom.