The big selling point of this game is that your actions determine the storyline and how the world reacts to you. That's not really true.
Fable casts you as a kid who gets to watch his family die, and then grows up to be a hero. In the developer's eyes a hero is good or bad.
The visuals are mediocre, after all, this is an X-Box title. Areas and characters look alright, but nothing really stands out as interesting or different. Its all actually very bland. One of the most hyped visual is that of your character as he becomes more evil or more good. Unfortunately, the affect doesn't live up to the hype. The differences between good and evil are literally things like halos or horns, flies or butterflies around your character, a slight glow or a red aura. That's about it.
One thing that hurts the visuals is the terrible camera control. You'll find yourself trying to adjust it throughout the game and you'll never get a great shot of yourself or your surroundings unless you position yourself just right.
The sound is there. Nothing special, nothing bad. One effect reminded me of a Godzilla monster though...
The story is a great concept, but poorly executed. Think Conan with a touch of Excalibur, kinda. However, the developers don't really spend a lot of time fleshing the details out. Its more like a very blunt telling of a story without any specifics. Books are in the game to fill you in on details, but they're hardly encouraged and only mentioned once. Plus, they don't really fill in the details. Each book is only a small paragraph long (1-2 sentences).
The gameplay itself is standard hack and slash, think Diablo from a behind the character perspective. Casting spells is kind of cool and the effects are nice, but the controls are really stupid. Spells, items, and expressions are done with combinations of triggers, buttons, and control sticks. Each having more than one function and it works decently, but in a fast paced game, its just too much to focus on. I found that lightning was really the only spell I ever needed. I don't know why anyone would play through the game as a character heavy on the magic unless you were bored or anal about mages.
Back to the much hyped evil/good stuff being affected by your actions. Doing things like punching people, destroying property, killing guards/civilians, stealing, etc. will give you evil points which help you grow horns. Helping people, killing bad guys, etc. will help you get a halo. No matter your actions, people still do business with you and you're allowed everywhere. They'll just be ruder or nicer. It doesn't even affect the overall game. The final moment of the game, you get to decide how to end it, so you can see the bad or good ending, no matter how you played the game.
Other things in the game are property buying, marriage, tons of mini-games in bars and little mini things the developers put in like trying to impress as many people as possible with trophies in a certain amount of time, etc. NONE of this has any affect on the game, but it can be fun.
Oh, and I should mention the game isn't tough and there is healing EVERYWHERE. Nor is the game long as I beat it within a week. Nor is the game non-linear. Sure you can go off the beaten path, but the world is really small and you can't go far.
This is not worth a purchase, but it is worth the rental. You won't find a lot to do after its over, but Fable is entertaining while it lasts, it just doesn't live up to its hype.
5 out of 10.
Fable - X-Box
I should add that conspiracy people think the opening developer's "movies" show that the developers knew they failed in making the game. If you search the web, you can find more on this subject. I happened across it while researching a puzzle in the game, because I couldn't believe the reward I received could be true.
Edited By Leisher on 1096835358
Edited By Leisher on 1096835358
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
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Japhy Ryder
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The length of the game I didn't talk about in the review, but yeah, it was way too short. I beat in within a few days.
As for the graphics, I wasn't impressed. It looked ok, but I had just finished DOOM III and next to that Fable looked like a C64 game.
As for the graphics, I wasn't impressed. It looked ok, but I had just finished DOOM III and next to that Fable looked like a C64 game.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
Yeah, I always hear that bullshit arguement about how the consoles can only do what the TV they're plugged into can do.
While, that is true, the fact that the consoles use graphics chips about 5-6 generations behind what PCs use might have a little something to do with it too.
Also, how many console games have you seen that are stored on more than one disc? Even reading from a disc and not from an installed file affected performance.
I love my consoles, but these flaws can't be overcome and thus, they will always look worse than their PC counterparts.
That's why I typically won't knock how a console game looks unless it becomes an issue.
In the case of Fable, the game didn't look all that great. It wasn't just graphics on screen, but also how the characters and areas were designed.
While, that is true, the fact that the consoles use graphics chips about 5-6 generations behind what PCs use might have a little something to do with it too.
Also, how many console games have you seen that are stored on more than one disc? Even reading from a disc and not from an installed file affected performance.
I love my consoles, but these flaws can't be overcome and thus, they will always look worse than their PC counterparts.
That's why I typically won't knock how a console game looks unless it becomes an issue.
In the case of Fable, the game didn't look all that great. It wasn't just graphics on screen, but also how the characters and areas were designed.
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
Aren't consoles all DVD based now? Which is like almost 7 CDs. So, I don't think the disks are holding them back. And, the TV is generally limited to 640x480. Which sucks on a PC. Maybe the consoles need to dump the PC video card thing (assuming that's what they use) and run with something that can render an actual NTSC or PAL signal. Thus giving TV broadcast quality stuff. Maybe.
--Cakedaddy wrote:Aren't consoles all DVD based now? Which is like almost 7 CDs. So, I don't think the disks are holding them back. And, the TV is generally limited to 640x480. Which sucks on a PC. Maybe the consoles need to dump the PC video card thing (assuming that's what they use) and run with something that can render an actual NTSC or PAL signal. Thus giving TV broadcast quality stuff. Maybe.
1) DVDs, yes.
2) Analog TVs are 525 horizontal lines; but interlaced. Effective resolution is about 512x400
3) What they need is a raw digital signal, with a digital TV.
Edited By TheCatt on 1232235955
It's not me, it's someone else.
The PC version wasn't that good.TheCatt wrote:I played this game for PC today.
It sucks. I quit it.
The Xbox version is on the list of best games I have ever played. I just bought it again a few days ago with the extra content I didn't get the first time around and will go through it for my 4th time.
I distinctly remember playing Fable, maxing out all my stats/attributes/skills/spells/whatever in one particular area prior to even starting anything except the required quests. I made a save point there. After that, I felt I could finally start playing for real. & then there just wasn't that much content. The actual game itself was waaaaaaaaaaaaay too short.
As for the mini-games ...
I could only play the "pour the perfect pint" game for so long. But that one amused the fuck out of me for about five minutes.
As for the mini-games ...
I could only play the "pour the perfect pint" game for so long. But that one amused the fuck out of me for about five minutes.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Looking forward to Fable 3 some day...
You know they're already running ads for it, right?
“Every record been destroyed or falsified, books rewritten, pictures repainted, statues, street building renamed, every date altered. The process is continuing day by day. History stops. Nothing exists except endless present in which the Party is right.”
I think I'm chalking the Fable series up to "screw it." I'm giving up on Peter Molyneux and any hope that he might recapture the greatness of his "Dungeon Keeper" days. His takes on morality tend to piss me off.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
Fable 3... "let's just make the game a conveyor belt, you climb on, and 20 hours later you win"
It had some interesting points, but overall just felt lacking. It's like they tried to remove the things that make an RPG an RPG to focus on the plot. But that just made it feel empty.
5/10
It had some interesting points, but overall just felt lacking. It's like they tried to remove the things that make an RPG an RPG to focus on the plot. But that just made it feel empty.
5/10
It's not me, it's someone else.