Fable

Easily one of the most quotable games ive ever played. Compared to the usual open-world RPG, it doesn't really take itself too seriously which is a nice change of pace - definitely a game you can chill out to whilst playing - yes, there's a fishing mini-game.

It's not what the makers promised it was going to be; the storyline doesn't reeeaaally change from the choices you make and there are the odd glitch and bug (e.g you can get the end-game weapons at the start by wall-clipping)

but the beauty can be found in the droll dialogue, the charming soundtrack and the characters - i found the side-quests and their often humerous npc's the most enjoyable parts of the game, along with mixing up the basic-yet-flexible combat system

If you're looking for an easy-going, short-ish RPG then look no further, farm-boy.

So, Fable.

Fable is a surprisingly innovative game in a genre that many have long said lacks innovation. But at the same time, Fable just isn't what it claims to be.

Graphically, Fable is pretty impressive. Certainly not the most polished graphics ever, but still visually very pleasing. Audioly, the music, sound effects, and voices are pretty good. I would imagine some people (like me) would get tired of the pseudo-cockney accent that the world seems to have. Fable is a very beautiful game and, with the right sound system, very pleasing to the ear as well.

It's the rest of the game that falls apart.

Combat, the biggest part of the game (arguably), is little more than mash-the-buttons. One button attacks, and you'll be pushing it constantly. One button dodges and blocks, and you'll use it every so often. That's pretty much it. Sure, there's magic spells as well, but magic can only do so much to curb the monotony of the button mashing.

Although the game has a much touted "evolution" system, there's really not much to it. Either your character gets buff...or he doesn't. There's definitely in-betweens, but who cares? Are you going to go for the semi-buff guy? Not likely. You're going to stay scrawny or go with massive muscles.

As for the replayability of the game, yes, I will admit there's some replayability. However, there are only two endings to the game, good and evil, and once you see both of those, your reason to play the game over again will rapidly evaporate.

There are many quests for your character to accomplish in the game, but with few exceptions, all the quests consist of either beating something down, or, well, beating something down. After a while you don't even care why you're beating something down, you just are.

There's also a definite lack of free will in the game. In every area of the game (and there are many), you are restricted to certain paths. No wandering off the path, no searching for treasure. It's all on your map, and that's all you get. Also, there's no chance to be evil in the quests you take, unless the quest is evil to begin with. For example, in one mission, you have to rescue a boy from the caves and get him back to his grandmother. Killing the boy or letting him die results in mission failure and you have to start over again. Why can't you kill the boy and deliver his head to the grandmother? It would certainly be an interesting and thoroughly evil thing to do.

Fable is a good game, don't get me wrong. I played through it three times in less than a week. However, the game is, at best, incomplete, and lacks the features that would raise it to the level it aspires to. This is definitely a game you should try before you buy.

Final score 6/10

First off, I have beat this game and have already tried different types of characters, and truthfully the game is not that good. First it is way too restricting ( as a great fan of Morrowind) this game is just way too limiting. Second the graphics are not that bad But I would have expected better, It is reminiscent of Sudeki. Third, the story isn't bad but very simplistic and childlike even though the game is made for older players. Finally, the game is too short and has very little replay value, I beat it and I really don't want to play it anymore! This is Not the great game i was expecting or that it was being packaged as , Four years of development for a slightly souped up version of the old style Linear RPG, platform game.

Fable is excellent.

The sheer number of choices in this game are incredible, hundreds of weapons, items of clothing and spells etc. not to mention Lionhead's much publicised 'morality' system. This morality system gives the gamer the choice to play out the game as a saint saving villages, giving beggars gold and generally being an all round good egg or being a downright scallywag! The game never runs out of nasty little sins you can commit, from beating up children and robbing shops, to kicking chickens all around the towns! This choices system, whilst a little black and white is fantastic, adding a real element of playagainability as you try and find out just a little more about Albion every time you play.

Albion itself is beautiful and while the graphics look a little outdated today, they still function well, with the design of the locations making up for their lack of detail.

However where this game really comes into it's own is in humour. There are hundreds of little easter eggs and fun things you can see and do around time. Sometimes you can just stand round the various settlements and await choice quotes from the townsfolk, I recommend youtube-ing fable one for some hilarious videos from the world of Albion.

So your asking yourself, why only 9 stars? Well, to be honest the story is a little generic and the fight scenes can become a little monotonous, but all in all Fable is, along with KOTOR and Halo, one of the flagships of the Xbox and should be settling in a place within everyones collection. Including yours!

Fable is one of the better RPG games out there (from someone who's been playing RPGs for 20 years). The storyline, though basic, does allow for a lot of wandering and exploring, as well as side adventures not related to the main quest though entertaining and worth taking. This is one of the first games I have seen that has the amount of interaction between the PC and NPCs. The creatures do become progressively more difficult, and you have to always be ready to try something new to defeat them, but learning and mastering the basic skills are what will keep you alive. If you are looking for a game that has a solid storyline, but gives you relative freedom to explore the world, this is a fun, enjoyable, entertaining game.