With Sony delaying many of its first-party releases, Microsoft seemingly has this holiday season in the bag. The Kinect and its onslaught of motion-sensitive games will keep buyers happy; Halo: Reach will no doubt find plenty of buyers between the fans downloading the new maps and the newcomers eager to see where the story began; and the third-party titles, including Rock Band 3 and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, hold plenty of promise. In the midst of all this multi-console stuff, Fable III is hitting store shelves only on the Xbox 360, a worthwhile follow-up to Lionhead Studios’ previous Fable game. It impresses just as much as that game, with a whopping amount of customization, side quests and other goods to keep you venturing through Albion well into the new year. The game’s events follow 50 years after Fable II’s, with the king’s son overtaking the thrown and usurping power into his evil grasp. He swears to build a better Albion not for the people, but for himself, and vows to crush anyone in his way – even family. As his younger brother (or sister – Lionhead is fair to the sexes), it’s your job to escape the castle, work with your loyal servant and man-at-arms, and slowly build up a revolution to overthrow him.
What’s cool about this game is that once you do reach this task, the game doesn’t end, as you’ll need to handle the king’s duties and help those who came to your aid. Of course, this is a Fable universe, so you can be as much of a hero – or jackass – as you please. Fable III’s level of customization is extraordinary. At any time during your adventure, you can visit a small hub containing a world map (previously used by your father), along with a dressing room, a weapons room and more. You can pick your tools of the trade, select from a fine array of outfits and accessories, and set off on your next quest. If you feel like dressing up like a boy carrying a long sword, have at it. Perhaps a chicken suit is what you’re after, along with a well-packed pistol. Talk about revenge on Colonel Sanders. As you proceed through the troubled world of Albion, you’ll need to make new alliances in order to build trust in your revolution. You’ll need to do the bidding of would-be leaders, gain new allies by fighting them and completing their duties, and take on all sorts of side quests to earn trust in the townsfolk. All of these tasks are interesting, though some fare better than others. Pie making, for instance, is a matter of hitting the right buttons over and over again, and it tends to get a little old. Chasing chickens, however, has its moments.
Thankfully along the way, you can also build a family, marrying into an honored bloodline, raising a couple of kids, and treating everyone like garbage if you see fit. But be warned. No matter which choices you make – good, bad – there are consequences you’ll have to face down the road. Screw up too much and you’ll see what it was like to be in your brother’s shoes. Be too kind and it’s a cinch for others to take advantage of your generosity. Sometimes you just can’t win. Freedom of choice aside, Fable III is a remarkable adventure, one worth going through many times. The gameplay in itself provides lots of questing and action, between swordplay, gunfire and spell casting. You never really level up per se, but you do gain access to new skills, abilities and such going through a virtual Road To Rule, unlocking treasure chests and checking in with your allies. This is definitely better than sitting through a dull, text-filled interface, leveling up stats and barely seeing where they affect your character in game. We’ll definitely take interactivity any day we can get it. Combat is a lot of fun, as you’ll face numerous opponents and mix up your attacks to bring them down. You can also activate special spells, such as time slowing, to tilt the battle more in your favor.
This feature review continues on the next page, please click below to see our final say on the epic Fable 3.
