Fable (Xbox, 2004)

Developed by Peter Molyneux's studio Big Blue Box, the world anticipated what was touted as the most ingenious and compelling title to reach the XBOX to date. Molyneux promised an immersive world, a seamless battle mechanic and game-play which works fluidly and without any outward "number crunching".

Fable's premise deals with the Heroes of Albion. You play as a young child who had his home ransacked by pillagers. After being rescued, you strive to become the greatest Hero of all the lands. In the game, you are able to train and take on Quests which periodically become available to you. These quests vary from fetching an item to slaying a number of monsters. The, quests although look to allow the player a certain amount of autonomy, are in reality quite the opposite. Very few quests actually deviate from the main storyline, and thus work to achieve a very linear and short storyline, which has become a point of grievance for many.

The graphics of the game are awesome and showed some of the most varied settings ever seen on the XBOX. Similar to Diablo II, Fable's characters are unique and change in appearance depending on what armor set they are wearing and what weapons they are wielding. Little gradual changes like skin complexion, tattoos, and ageing are all handled very well by the game. However, despite the impressive attentiveness to the graphics, the majority of the little notorieties are simply gimmicky and lack any real value to the game. For example, the hero can marry and live in various homes with his wive(s), hang trophies on the walls of his home, punt chickens around, and even can go about the mischievous path of theft and robbery. The game does a good deal of stat keeping and at any time, the player can review his longest chicken punt, if need be.

The sound is good, but not excellent. All weapons, bows, magic sound as they should and can only be truly appreciated in the presence of a Dolby Digital surround sound home theatre system. The music is striking, but not nearly as varied as one would like it to be.

The overall game play seems fragmented. While there is a plethora of little things for you to do, the main storyline and the real meat of the game is done at a subpar level. For example the change from youth to adulthood is handled poorly with the hero simply stepping into a portal. In-game cut scenes help to flesh out a lackluster storyline, and although Molyneux allows the player to continue running about the world of Albion after they finish the main story, the game provides little actual incentive to do so. In fact, besides going through the game as a "bad" and a "good" character, there is no other incentive to re-play the game.

Finally, the RPG elements of the game are done very well. By collecting money from the various quests and monsters you slay, the Hero is able to spend these points to increase his proficiency in the various attributes and overall gradually strengthen himself.

Overall, Fable is an ambitious game which falls a bit short of expectations. Nevertheless, it shows some flashes of that ingenuity. Here's hope that Fable 2 brings about the greatness that we all expected from Fable.

Some heroes are made when they rise to the occasion. Others build their reputations over time. This latter case is the subject of Fable, a game in which you get to vicariously experience the life of an archetypal fantasy hero, and, in some respects, decide what eventually becomes of him. Fable is one of the most highly anticipated games since the Xbox's debut, and the latest title overseen by visionary game designer Peter Molyneux since he worked on 2001's innovative Black & White. Like that game, Fable invites you to solve problems either by being good or by being evil, and to watch as the effects of your decisions gradually take a noticeable toll on your persona. Fable also features a number of novel elements, such as how your hero's appearance gradually changes with age, and how villagers will respond differently to him depending on his reputation, looks, and other factors. These elements serve to significantly differentiate a game that's actually pretty straightforward in terms of how it plays. Beneath the surface, Fable is a well-put-together but standard action adventure, primarily consisting of lots of basic combat and running from point to point. Mind you, this is a decidedly great game, all in all. Its most interesting, riskiest features may lie at the fringes rather than at the core--but they're there.

fable is a really fun game.you start as a little kid and grow up at a magic guild after some things happen to force you there.there are alot of weapons armor and level ups for your character,the land is pretty big too.your characters appearance changes when doing good or evil(i decided to go the good way)and people react to you depending on which way you go.i would recommend getting the 2nd edition call the lost chapters,its about a 25 hour game if you take your time explore and enjoy the game.there are alot of sides qwests and other cool stuff you will just have to see for yourself.graphics 4/5,gameplay 5/5 ,replay value if you wait a while to play again its about 4/5,sound 4/5.if you want to get every magic level up in the game and everything else it will be maybe a 40 hour game,i am almost at the end and im not really close to gettin all of the magic or other level ups.this game takes you to anouther world and draws you in to it,you feel like your amost there and thats why i like it.get married own shops and houses,rent them out or use them and plenty more stuff.at the price you can get it at you cant go wrong,its worth more than what you can find it for guaranteed.have fun and be careful.

This game is an in depth adventure of a young boy whose village is burned and he is rescued by the heroes guild. It is there that the adventure starts, and here that the basis for the game is laid out before you. The options are endless with several directions that you can go. The behavior options in this game are also wide ranging. All spectrums can be covered from demonic to angelic. The adventures/quests test your skill and develop the player as time goes by. The more difficult coming later in the game.
This game is wonderful for the RPG fan because of the first person aspect and the choices set out before the player. The world is wide and vast with options upon options to choose from. The game play time is indefinite due to the number of quests that are before the player, also the game has a definite GTA aspect where you can play without ever really doing anything. You can cause fights, snoop in houses or just talk with different characters.
The only down sides, if they can even be considered downsides, are 1) the time that will be spent playing is long. This game can easily consume 100 hundred hours of game playing time without scratching the surface, and 2) with the world "Albion" being so vast you will spend a great deal of time just trying to get from one point/quest to another.
The overall reason this game was purchased is that it is an escape from the daily grind. It can be put in and played and a new adventure is always available. The player can do one quest at a time and save from there. The player can choose to play for an entire day, or just an hour an evening. The options and ease with which you can lose yourself into this world is fantastic. This is without a doubt an excellent game for any person who likes the first person RPG game where one character is under your complete control and imagination.

Fable for xbox is one of the best games for xbox in my mind. To make things even better it is a Action/RPG. In Fable you can do almost anything from killing traders to kicking traders. You can also get married and buy a house to live in. In Fable you also can turn from good to bad and bad to good. What do I mean, I mean that your character changes, by having new abilities and his appearance. The game also has a huge variety of weapons from that includes magic ,melee and ranged weapons. In the story line of Fable you are a child that is separated from his family and story you become a hero and you find your family. Also, in the story there is small quests that can be very fun. And, if you beat the game or you get tired of it just go to a cheat website and find secret passages and weapons. So if you don't have this game buy it.