Fable: The Lost Chapters (PC, 2005)

Gameplay: The controls are the typical WASD keys and mouse commands found in most single-player RPGs. The game is fairly easy to learn and navigate. The story traces the hero from childhood through adulthood, when he'll have to, you know, save the world. There are no character classes per se, but you can roughly play as a warrior, magic-user, or stealth/archer character, or some mixture of these. Much of the story centers around a main quest line, but there are a number of side quests available. Unlike most RPGs, quests are assigned by quest cards that you pick up at the Heroes Guild. It's a rather artificial-feeling system, but it's functional. Progression in the game is quite linear. In most instances, you will not be able to even leave the beaten path, since fences, rocks, and invisible barriers won't allow it. Compared to more open-ended RPGs like the Elder Scrolls series, Fable seems restrictive and light weight in this regard. Overall, it's a decent story, but it is rather force-fed to you. The game includes several interesting touches. People react to you based upon whether you've performed good or bad deeds. If you roleplay like a saint, you'll eventually have a halo and butterflies floating around. Ladies (and guys) will worship you, and you do have the option to buy a home and marry (multiple times if you'd like). If you play as an evil character, you'll eventually grow horns and fall out of favor with polite company. Although you can only play the game as the same guy, you can customize him with tattoos, facial hair, haircuts, and a (small) assortment of armor. You can control how your character's skills develop. There are other small things that you can do, such as fish, play games of chance, and treasure hunt. Overall, this game takes about 20-25 hours to do everything it has to offer, so it is rather short for an RPG. The game is certainly designed to appeal to the adolescent crowd, with hotkeys for burping, farting, and so forth. The various tattoo styles and haircuts further highlight this point. There is nothing really offensive in the game; it just feels a bit immature in places. Also, the save system is based mostly on the checkpoint model. Graphics: The game looks quite good. Character models are convincing and the natural environment is screenshot beautiful in some places. Sounds: Voice acting is pretty good, with the usual British accents that invariably seem to accompany such games. The music is particularly well done and appropriate for the various atmospheres. Ambiant sounds are also decent. Replayability: The game is probably worth playing twice: once as a good guy and once as a bad guy. It will play similarly either way, but there are different ways to perform certain quests depending on your moral disposition. If you like RPG games and can get this one cheap, go for it. It's a well-polished, though simple, rump through a fairly well rendered world. However, Fable: The Lost Chapters is good for several hours of entertainment.

Fable...I don't even know where to begin. This is a game I've played for years and still get kicks playing it to this day. The story was great, the graphics were very polished (if you have the PC for them of course), and the fighting system was addictive by it's own right.

Fable's story starts off simple. You play as a young boy exploring your town doing a few simple things to get enough pocket change to buy your sister a present. Then things go horribly wrong. Your family is presumed dead and all of Oakvale is on fire. As you're about to be killed, a mage named Maze saves you, and tells you that you have the potential for great things. Seeing as how there's nothing else you can do, you follow him and start your life in a Guild, where you are taught the ways of the sword, bow, and will. After that, you're off on your own, completing objectives and doing quests at your own pace.

One of the best things about Fable was it's Good/Evil system. You could be a Hero to everyone around the world or you could be a famous thief or villain. Depending on your actions even your own appearance can change, from a high and mighty shining knight to a demon with horns coming out of his head.

The battle system is also great fun. You can select from a different array of swords, axes, bows, and spells to defeat your foes...or torture villagers with. Either way there's alot to do. The more experience you earn using those tools the better you can become with them. You can increase your physique or stealth depending on what kind of hero you want to be.

There were a few gripes I had with it though. For one you couldn't take some of the best looking weapons in the game (of course with the PC version there are mods that let you), the game is very very linear, and when you attack guards in a town they never seem to ever disappear. I've spent a whole half an hour doing nothing but killing guards before. You'd think they would run out or be scared after a while.

Even so, Fable is a great PRG, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. You don't need the best computer to play it either, but it looks very good if you have a Dual-Core or something with at least 2.6Ghz of processing speed.

You can also get it for very cheap now, so there's no reason why you shouldn't pick this up and give it a try. Trust me there's much worse you could do for $5.

Fable was your average fantasy story with a good guy who gets led down the dark side for a while. You get the chance to be either good or evil, and the story can be put off to play around, but you'll find the world awfully limited until you continue the story and unlock new areas.

In Fable, you play as a boy, then, grow up, play as a young man, and throughout the game, as you get stronger, get older. This might sound great, but it isn't really as big a deal as you might think. Your age does not affect the story at all, and your abilities really boil down to whether or not you can do something.

Unlike the Elder Scrolls games, Fable does not allow you to gradually train and improve skills by exercising those skills. Instead, you collect orbs and upgrade your character with them. This system is insanely simplistic and really takes you out of the immersion of the world. Trust me, it's boring and unrealistic.

That doesn't mean Fable has no good qualities. The art in the game is gorgeous. Clothing looks awesome, the enemies are very stylish, and the music and sound effects are beautifully done.

The characters are pretty terrible looking when they try to talk, though. The graphics, at maxed out settings, look decent but show their age. It's hard to ignore the bad lip animations, and the framerate can get somewhat low on older PCs.

If you've played Oblivion and Morrowind already, Fable will seem like a downgrade, but if you need something with easy gameplay and memorable music, Fable is a good choice. I recommend Fable as a casual role-playing experience.

FANTASTIC game. It has all the thrills of an RPG where you can choose your own path on your destiny for greatness...Evil or Good. You can choose to be a hero or a bringer of death to those who cross your path. Also, included is a vast world where you can explore various missions to add money to your purse and experience to your abilities...magical, physical, weaponry, agility, and toughness. The game is easy to follow and learn even for the new comer to RPG's. You also have opportunities to experience life...Wed, consummate your marriage, buy property, and make a family...even indulge in a few beers or so. Take as long as you want and explore the detailed world around you. This is a game that can be played over and over again and has new adventures with each different decision. Play it one time as the gallant, righteous hero, then see the difference the second time if you choose to play the nightmare warrior wreaking havoc on the world. I recommend this game to everyone (within the MATURE rating) who enjoys epic stories and plights of destiny in their gaming experience! 2 thumbs and 2 big toes WAY UP!!!

Fable is truly a one of a kind playing experience. Follow a young boys tragic journey to adulthood and watch as each action determines your ultimate destiny. Will you be a righteous hero of light, a villain bent on destruction, or someone in between? Will you favor weapons or magic? Perhaps you prefer a mix of both and become an unstoppable force for good or evil. You decide.
Enter a beautiful world in need of a hero. Will you rise to the challenge? Or will you become the nightmare even the monsters fear...

While the storyline may be cliche, the playing experience (i assure you) is NOT. This is truly a unique playing experience. Love the combat system, you feel as though you are the one using the weapon! Gorgeous special effects, and gameplay that's easy to master. Not as long as I would have liked, but an awesome experience nonetheless.