Review of the video game Fable for XBox
Finally, the game that everyone has been talking about has hit the shelves. Fable for XBox has gone through many name changes, but it originally started out as Project Ego; which is appropriate considering how vain the character is. Fable is a model game worthy of being a prototype for the games of the future. Granted, the developers did not achieve all the goals that they had set for themselves at the beginning, but they were not afraid to reach for the stars. One of the features they were looking for in Fable, but couldn’t achieve, was direct competition between other heroes for both infamy and quests. This would have pushed the player to take on and complete quests faster than they would otherwise so the other heroes wouldn’t get to them first. While this additional competition would have been interesting, the fact that they couldn’t implement it doesn’t negatively affect the game in any way. Fable is a fairly straightforward action game with plenty of extras to grab your attention and hold on to.
You start the game as a little boy in a town called Oakvale. Your father offers you some money for all the good deeds you do. Throughout the city there will be people who will need your help and will help you earn some of that money. It’s also your sister’s birthday, so you need to use that money to buy her a present. Once you give your sister her gift, the story begins. Your city is attacked and your father is killed. The bandits then seize your mother and sister. You are left alone in a city that is on fire. Then a man appears and offers to help you. He takes you to a place called the Heroes Guild where you will learn how to become a hero.
In the Heroes Guild you will meet a young girl who is also training. Her character was meant to be one of the heroes that you would have been in direct competition with if they had been able to implement that aspect of the game. However, there is still a bit of competition between the two, but that doesn’t alter the story line. She will be your training partner. You will also work with the Guild Master, he will train you in all combat techniques. Your character will start aging at this point and will continue to age as the story progresses.
Once you have finished all the training, you will be able to perform missions. These missions will increase your renown, experience and your pocket. You will have the option to take missions for the good side or for the bad side and depending on that choice, your character will become good or bad. Your appearance will change depending on the type of person you choose to be. If you are good, a white light will cover you and butterflies will fly around you. If you choose evil, your eyes will glow red and red smoke will appear around your character.
The story itself leads you to avenge the death and capture of your family. You’ll discover snippets of what happened that night in Oakvale and why it happened.
Everyone has a certain fighting style that they like to use in games. Some prefer magic and others like to tear enemies apart with sharp weapons. In this game, your preferred fighting style will have an impact on the appearance and abilities of the character. If magic is your choice, the character will age much faster and physical combat will become difficult. If using weapons like a sword or club is more your style, then the character will get stronger and probably end up with more scars. Whatever the choice, your character will change accordingly. You will also gain experience points on the type of fighting style you use when killing your enemies. These points will boost your skill in that fighting category allowing you to kill your enemies with more skill and ease.
You can buy titles that you want your character to go through. The title you choose will determine what people will call you; you can change the title at any time by simply purchasing a new one. There are more appropriate titles for bad characters and titles for good characters. If your character is a good hero, the townspeople will approach you more often and women will want to marry you (men too). If your character is evil, people will run away from you more often and it will be more difficult to find a wife. Either way, your name will be known throughout the world.
The fighting in this game is really simple. You will be given the option to use a weapon like a bow and arrow which requires more skill or use a sword which requires more brute force. The bow is mainly used when you don’t want to be detected by your enemies or when your enemies are too far away. The bow is the most difficult weapon to use. The use of sharp weapons or blunt objects is very easy to master, but that also depends on the size, shape, etc. the weapon is You need to get a weapon that fits the strength and skill of your character. Magic is also very easy to master and is the best part of the fight once you’ve upgraded your power levels.
Missions are not the only thing this game offers. There are hidden objects all over the place. Be sure to buy a shovel and a fishing rod because they will come in handy for uncovering important hidden items. There’s also a status screen that will keep track of all the things your character has done (including how many times they’ve had sex). You can marry multiple people, be widowed, divorced, buy property and the list goes on.
The graphics are outstanding, the details of the setting have been meticulously thought out and used to perfection. The world of Albion is huge and every part of the world is unique, so one place looks completely different from another. The characters are also very unique with a wide variety of them to find. Even with all these details, the game rarely slows down. The sound of the game has nothing to object; the acting is well done and the soundtrack sets the perfect tone. Almost everything about this game was perfectly orchestrated.
This game has great replay value. You can continue to work on your stats by marrying more and more people or you can buy all the properties. There is no limit to how long you can play this game; although it gets a bit monotonous.
There shouldn’t be anything stopping you from running out and renting this game right now; I guarantee you will enjoy it. Watching the story unfold is nail-biting suspense; you can’t wait to find out what happens next.
