Fable

"One of the biggest letdowns is also one of the most special and unique games ever."

It's hard to separate Fable from all the hype that surrounded its development. And it's a shame, because Fable is a special gaming experience, but will always be associated with the bold statements and promised features during it's lengthy development time. But the shame isn't entirely due to the reviewers and people who play the game, as the Fable experience has certainly been colored by Peter Molyneux's bold statements and promised features. Still, for all the problems that Fable's hype has brought, the game itself isn't one to be missed.

There are some negatives to the game which we'll get out of the way first.

It's too short. Fable takes 10-15 hours without any need for a guide, and using a guide to find all the little secrets the game has doesn't really add much more play time at all. Some features, such as character aging, seem to be sped up to meet the length of the game, which means in a long afternoon of gaming your character can hit the age cap, which doesn't feel right at all.

The story is lame. I felt the story starts off just fine, and for a while it actually does a good job advancing the plot and giving the NPCs and the world of Albion some good development. Halfway through the game, however, the story nosedives and becomes a boring mess that doesn't really draw you into the game very well.

The specific characters are only mediocre - you don't really tend to care about anyone in the game one way or the other. And because your main hero is a voiceless lunk killing all things bad (and good if you like), there's an aspect of top shelf RPGs that is missing. This comes across as being slightly more realistic, but I'd rather care a bit more about the people in the game than I do.

It's too easy. For the most part, what is in the game feels well tuned and reasonable. However, there simply isn't enough in the way of challenge, especially in the final stretches of the game. Fable is supposed to be about letting the player make decisions, so there should be the option to take on more difficult quests.


The game feels like it was geared for a casual crowd, and it is indeed more accessible than other action oriented RPGs. A long quest and a world full of side quests and stuff to do would be more welcome than being forgiving to non-gamers. That's a good bit of negativity for game rated 9/10, so let's get on with the good stuff...

Fable is easy and fun to play. You are introduced to most of the controls quickly and effectively. The control scheme itself is pretty good for moving, using the camera, expressions, and of course actions with the lettered buttons. Being able to toggle normal actions and magic is a blessing, as you can brandish your favorite sword one second, and access 3 different spells you've laid out the next. The magic toggle button also attracts experience orbs from felled enemies, which is a convenient way to pick them up if you don't feel like running over every one.

Your hero is responsive and is easy to pilot around. There's an auto-aim system that isn't perfect, but it's easy to work with. When using the bow and arrow, you can switch to a manual aim mode and draw back full for maximum damage. It's very satisfying to have a headshot lined up from a good distance away and let the arrow fly.

After the introduction to the world as a kid, you are whisked away to the Heroes Guild for training. This fairly brief way of showing you the ropes helps you figure out what works and what doesn't, as well as giving you a taste for the three disciplines in Fable: melee, ranged, and magic.

Fable allows you to choose how you want to play. If you want a magic based character, you can use magic as a dominant attack. Experience drops in one of four colors, each representing a type of attack (and a green one for general experience). As you collect these orbs, you can allocate experience towards skills or character enhancements. If you use magic, you will gain magic experience (and likewise for melee and ranged/archery). So by using a type of attack, your character will be able to advance in that discipline, allowing the player to define the type of character he wants to play in combat. But that's not all...

Your hero in Fable will change appearance throughout the game. If you play a melee attacker and build up his strength, he will become bulky and strong, a magic user will have glowing tattoos, etc. Also, the decisions you make in the game will affect your looks. An evil character will grow horns and have red glowing eyes, a good character will eventually have a halo, and so on. That's right, it's not just how you do it, it's what you do that also plays a big role in Fable. They did a great job with the character morphs in the game.

Not only do moral choices you make in the game change your looks, but you can actively change your hair, facial hair, and tattoos. Even armor can affect the way people consider your hero.

The decisions you make will affect your game. Not to the extent that I think people had been promised, but you will notice changes in the game depending on your actions. You can become married in the game, you can be feared or revered, you can kill certain NPCs with later consequences, and your morality is affected (and thus your looks) by it all. While the story doesn't seem to care how evil or good you are, being able to be evil or good (or neither) is a terrific quality for an RPG and does allow the player to play the game in different ways. I was able to play through multiple times without the game feeling boring or stale because I had chosen different attack styles and morality paths each time.

Your individual hero changes and grows, but it doesn't mean anything if the world around him isn't worthwhile. I found Albion to be one of the more unique and special places in all of gaming. The styles used and attention to little details set the stage. The layouts and designs really make each location stand out. What really makes the land come alive are the inhabitants, and while some character designs are a bit repetitive, the people living in Albion have a quirky sense of humor and spirit. There's really no other game like it.

Not only to the graphics look pretty good, the music is top notch and among the best soundtracks ever, with perfectly developed tunes for every area and situation. This is the type of soundtrack that you'll remember for years, even though you'll only hear it for a dozen (or two) hours, you'll remember the songs and where you were when you heard them. All bundled up, the game has amazing atmosphere. Again, it's a unique and special experience.

There's a bit more to do than simply plowing through the main storyline. There are plenty of optional sidequests and items to find, as well as the Demon Doors. Demon Doors each present a puzzle of sorts, and solving them allows the hero to enter and get whatever riches are inside. As as I mentioned before, Fable easily warrants a second playthrough, and maybe even a third.

Fable is easy to play and an enjoyable experience. It sadly doesn't match the hype it was given, but it's still an incredible game in many ways that are unmatched in the world of video games. There are definitely some issues with the game, mostly because it is lacking in scope and depth of character/story, but there's plenty to see and enjoy in the world of Albion that the game is easily worth buying and playing through.

9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/20/08

Game Release: Fable (US, 09/14/04)