Fable - Australian Review (Reviews)

Stuart Clarke, GamePro Australia

07/12/2004 10:23:07

Xbox owners have been hearing about Fable (initially known as Project Ego) for so long that it has almost acquired mythical status. Finally, after over four years in the making, Lionhead Studios has released its ambitious RPG, and while the long development time is clearly shown in the depth of the fantasy world of Albion, the core game is surprisingly short and most reasonable players will make it through to the end in under 15 hours.

For an RPG that is a disappointingly brief experience, and there isn't much replay value owing to the much publicized good/evil decisions not having much impact on the main story. The ability to make good or evil decisions and then deal with the consequences is Fable's main "hook", and your choices certainly will influence your social interaction, abilities and appearance.

Fable gives players a Sims-like communication system, with iconic expressions (laugh, fart, flirt, sneer, etc.) that will elicit physical and verbal reactions. Rather than just fighting monsters, you are encouraged to join in the fabric of social interactions that make up the game world. As time passes your character will age, scar, gain reknown, marry, buy a home and become obviously good or evil in appearance depending on decisions made. If you feel like killing an entire family, buying their empty house and then renting it out, you can. You are the nameless hero, and you create the story.

While the main story deals with the search for your scattered family and revenge for their fate, there are many side quests, as well as the option to wander freely around the land. If you want your Fable experience to last more than 15 hours you will do lots of wandering and side quests early on, as the core quests eventually become compulsory and the end is quite linear. Before each quest, you're given the opportunity to make boasts (complete quest without weapons, or unscathed etc) that will earn you extra gold and renown. At the end of major quests, you receive a trophy which can held aloft for more renown, and even mounted on a plaque to increase your home's value.

You can choose to quaff ale and play drinking games, woo maidens (or longshoremen) of virtue true, become a merchant or landlord, steal and kill for fun- the choice is yours but your decisions are not without their repercussions. Unfortunately, after a while most of the villagers start to feel one-dimensional and your interactions formulaic. For example, getting random townsfolk drunk and watching them stumble around is funny, but becomes an end unto itself rather than a clever way to, say, extract information or steal a wallet. Still, Fable provides entertaining anecdotal situations that people will enjoy telling each other about as they explore Albion's towns and wilds.

There's a steep learning curve for the many complex controls, but the beginning stages of the game provide tutorials and opportunities for character back story. Though the renown system is the game's main innovation, combat definitely holds up its half of the sky. Melee and ranged attacks are available, along with a diverse offering of spells and weapon augmentations. Visually, Fable is a brilliant work of artistry that is perfectly accompanied by magical orchestrations (some by Danny Elfman) of joy and wonder. The only technical problems are in the controls, with occasional lags in responsiveness. Targeting spells and ranged weapons can also be problematic, but are on the money most of the time.

Console RPGs are finally getting a healthy dose of actual role-playing. Fable champions the cause by creating a game in which building renown and developing your character's personality are paramount to combat and spell slinging.

Score = 8.5/10

Graphics: 4.0

Sound: 3.5

Control: 4.0

Fun Factor:

Scoring scale: 1-5

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Publisher: Microsoft / Release date: 12/12/2003 / Genre: RPG / OFLC Rating: Not Yet Classified

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