Fable: The Lost Chapters

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	Fable: The Lost Chapters	CG rating 86 /100
	Developer: Microsoft, Producer: Lionhead Studios System requirements: CPU 1.8 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 3D Video Card with 128 MB, DirectX 9.0c compatible Game: Fable: The Lost Chapters Genre: RPG

Pluses

- Well presented storyline
- Good / evil choices
- The world reacts to your actions
- The style and quality of the graphics
- The fun factor
- "Organic" character development system

Minuses

- Small world to explore
- You can feel the Xbox limitations
- Very short playtime
- So-and-so interface
- No multiplayer
- Checkpoint based save system

Posted by Bossman on 04-Oct-2005 08:05

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If we were to do a top 10 of the most hyped games for the Xbox, Fable would most certainly be ranked at #2, right behind Halo. Course, incredible hype is a common trait for all of Peter Molyneaux’s games (think about Black and White for instance). Initially called Project Ego, Fable was going to be the RPG to end all RPG’s… at least that’s what Peter Molyeaux said. However, the switch from a PC title to an Xbox exclusive meant that a good number of features had to be left out, which as you can imagine didn’t go too well with the fans who where eagerly waiting the game. Nevertheless, Fable managed to score some nice reviews and a commercial success to boot, enough to motivate Microsoft to do a PC port, called The Lost Chapters. To the designer’s credit, TLC is more than just a port: the graphics have been upped accordingly, new content, monsters and items were added, but the game is basically the same, which on many accounts is just a shame, since it never exploits the full potential of the PC as a gaming platform.

The main theme of Fable’s storyline is revenge: at the start of the game, the village in which you alter-ego lives in is attacked by bandits and he is among the few survivors of the massacre. With his family murdered, he is saved by Maze, a powerful mage, which decides to “enlist” him in the ranks of the Heroes Guild, so one day he may get the chance to become one of the most powerful heroes in Albion. It's not original and some of you might not dig the “boy grows up and goes after revenge” routing, but the storyline is well presented and has some nice little twists along the way to keep you interested until the end of the game.

The ability to choose whether you’re good or evil has become somewhat of a trademark for Peter Molyneaux’s games, and Fable doesn't break the rule. Every action you take in Albion will have repercussions and the people will react accordingly. Be a nice man, help those in need and old ladies to cross the street and you’ll get an angelic aura around you. Choose the dark side and you’ll grow horns and get blood red eyes, to reflect your “charming” personality. Although I would have liked the good / bad choices to be a little more blurry, like those in Knights of the Old Republic 2, I quickly came to realize that it would have never worked in Fable, since the world created by the designers is too lively and full of color, not like the dark and gritty one in say Gothic 2 or KoTOR 2. This impression was further strengthened by the artistic design, which makes Fable look and feel more like the stories our parents used to read us about knights in shining armor and terrible dragons. To be honest, the role playing part of the game isn’t the game’s strong point, but all the other cool little things that you can do to or with your character when you’re not chasing some quest: you can fish, dig for treasures, change your hair style, get married, buy a house, get fat and many more. And the wonderful thing is that the world reacts to these changes. You can walk around town wearing only your underwear, but don’t expect to be taken seriously by anyone.