Fable

by UndercoverIdiot

"For every choice, a consequence." This is because Fable is essentially an RPG that allows you to play through as you wish, doing whatever you want and (in some way or another) benefiting from it. In most RPGs, you'll usually have to save the world from some sort of villain as a hero, and you can do that in Fable. But just the same, you can become a villain yourself, joining together with bandits and committing acts of evil, such as stealing valuables and killing innocents. Fable's tagline is in many ways true, and this concept alone is what helps to make Fable into a fun, original and truly exceptional RPG.

The game opens up in the small village of Oakvale. The main character is a young boy. Today is your sister's birthday, but unfortunately, you haven't got the money to buy her a birthday present. So, you've got to somehow earn three pieces of gold to buy her a box of chocolates, thus beginning the first of many of the game's quests. This first quest gives the player a taste of how the game works, as you can score the three pieces of gold by doing good deeds or bad ones. For instance, early on in this quest, you'll see a child being bullied. The obvious reaction would be to sock the bully a couple of times to shoo him away, earning yourself a reward. But, if you want, you can join up with the bully and sock the child, getting the same reward, but for a different cause.

Not too long into the game, something bad happens (to avoid spoilers) that leaves your little main character all alone. He, however, is soon rescued by a shady man named Maze, who sees much potential in the little tyke and decides to take him to the Heroes' Guild, where he will be trained to be a Hero, and is introduced to the Guildmaster (his instructor) and Whisper (his roommate, who will become his rival later on). After a fairly lengthy training session that teaches you how to use physical combat, ranged combat, and magic, your character graduates from the Guild and becomes a full-fledged Hero. It is at this point that your true adventure has begun.

The star aspect of the game is the main character. Every player will start out the game with the same little boy in Oakvale. By the time they've finished Fable, their characters will all be unique and individual, both in appearance and character. The ability to literally build your own character based on your actions is the high point of the game, because you could play through Fable a million times and have a different experience each time, outside of the first hour, which is always the same (this is before you seriously get into the character-building options). Furthermore, you'll become attached to your character, meaning that you'll actually care about how your character looks and how people respond to him.

How your character is built up revolves around several different things. First of all, there's the obviousness of the choice between good and evil, which ultimately determines many of the paths you’ll take throughout Fable. Second, there's your character's physical appearance, which is partially (but certainly not completely) determined by your alignment to good/evil. And the last big characteristic of the game's hero (or anti-hero) is which type of combat he specializes in, whether it be strength, skill, or will, all three of which I’ll get to in a little bit.

Have you played last year's fantastic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic? If you have, then you'll probably be somewhat familiar with the good/evil alignment system in the game. In Knights, you received Light Points for doing good deeds, and Dark Points for doing the opposite. Fable has a similar system, but it's far more relevant and a major aspect of the gameplay. Works the same: By doing generally good things, such as saving people and ridding the land of evil, your alignment will tilt toward the path of light, while committing acts of evil, like stealing and murdering, will earn you a place on the dark side. I already gave you an example of exactly how these decisions work, and when you've got a certain side of the alignment in mind they’re really not hard to make.

One of the few things that really annoyed me in Fable was that there were a few little problems with the light/dark point distribution. Let’s say, for a moment, that you’re leaning towards the side of evil. When walking along a path, you’ll frequently be attacked by enemies, which are usually bandits, wasps, or the goblin-like Hobbes. Upon defeating nearly any enemy, you’re rewarded with light points. Why? I understand that these enemies are evil and that I’m generally doing a good thing by destroying them, but they attacked me. What was I supposed to do, run away? The giving of dark points is slightly more fair, but still imperfect. How is it considered evil to smash barrels at a bandit camp?

One of the things that makes Fable such a unique and enjoyable experience is not only the choice of good or evil, but the effect it has on the world around you. By defeating enemies and completing quests, you’ll earn renown, which is basically fame and determines how well-known you are among the common folk. Never before have NPCs been so involved in a game. If you’re a well-known hero who has saved countless innocents and defeated evil, people will clap and cheer as you pass by. Likewise, if you’re generally known for being evil, people will boo and cower in your presence. What’s more, you can buy your own title, which is what people call you from that point on. Whether you want to be known as Liberator the great or Arseface the unstoppable murderer, the choice is yours.

Now, the central point of the game is completing quests that are received back at the Heroes’ Guild. Each quest offers a certain amount of gold and renown for completing it. You can choose to simply complete the quest as is, if that’s what you want. However, one of the more subtle feature of Fable is the “boasting” system, which has thankfully remained intact ever since it was announced so long ago. Boasting allows you to earn extra gold and renown by completing quests under certain circumstances. For instance, at the beginning of the quest, you could claim to complete the mission without using any weapons or aggressive magic. Other such boasts include completing the quest in your underwear or finishing the quest without taking any damage. Completing the mission as such will grant you extra rewards. However, if you complete the mission but fail to fulfil your boast, you’ll lower your reputation.

Let’s get down to combat. There are three different types of combat to use in the game: Strength (which is physical combat), skill (ranged combat with a bow) and will (Fable’s version of magic). Unless you somehow remain perfectly balanced throughout the course of the game, you’ll likely grow strong in one of these three categories. Combat is simple: When an enemy appears, you can take out your physical or ranged weapons with the white and black buttons respectively and lock on to the nearest enemy with the left trigger in a Zelda-like fashion. At that point, you can then either attack with the weapon you have out, block with the Y button, or cast magic.

“Strength,” which is basically melee combat, is the simplest and easiest of the three combat types and is probably the right choice for any beginner. When fighting, the X button is used to attack using automated combos. Upon landing several hits in a row without taking any yourself, you can then use the B button to “flourish,” creating a stronger, unblockable attack. “Skill” combat (ranged combat with use of a bow and arrow) is a little trickier, causing players to shoot with the X button and hold the button down to make the shots more powerful. Ranged combat is slower than physical combat, but you’ve got the obvious advantage of picking off enemies from afar.

Magic, or will, is a different story altogether. In combat, by holding down the right trigger, you’ll switch to magic mode. At this point, you can scroll through your various spells with the Y button and cast them with the A, B, and X buttons. Casting magic takes some time to get used to but can really give you an advantage in combat. There are two difference kinds of spells in Fable: Those that directly attack or affect the enemies around you or those that improve your own status. If you’re working on becoming an adept wizard, you’ve really got to focus only on levelling up your own magic spells as opposed to improving other traits. The various spells each have their own unique effects and are very fun to experiment with, especially since some actually help to improve the other two types of combat.

The experience system works well and really helps the player to tilt their character in the direction of combat in which they’re leaning towards. After killing an enemy, they’ll leave behind little “gems” that must be collected in order for you to score the appropriate amount of experience. However, when using one of the three different types of combat, you’ll receive special experience for that area. When you’ve collected plenty of experience, you can then go to the Guild and use it to level up. General experience can be used for anything, but special experience can only be used for its specific area. “Strength” allows you to increase your power, toughness, and health. “Skill” lets you bring up your speed, accuracy and guile. And finally, “will” gives you the ability to upgrade your magic spells and your manna meter.

The combat system in Fable is overall very good, and, as I said before, feels a bit like the one you’ll see inZelda. The enemies themselves are good opponents, and can realistically block or dodge given the appropriate situation. My only problem with combat lies within the targeting system. There are many times in Fable when you’ve got to win a battle alongside a few allies. It’s way too easy to accidentally lock on to (and then hit) your ally. Here’s an example. In one mission, I had to fight off an entire bandit tribe with a few police officers helping out. At one point in the battle, I accidentally lock on to an officer and hit him with an attack. Not only did I receive dark points for this, but the officers instantly turned against me, causing me to actually restart the mission. This kind of thing should not happen.

Now, not only does your choice in combat greatly determine how your battles in Fable will be won, it also physically affects your character. If you wield an enormous, powerful sword, your character will become strong and bulky, while sporting a light bow and arrow makes your character thin of Legolas proportions. Running around a lot (by holding down the B button) will cause your character to lose weight. Casting magic makes your character age must faster than he normally would. Fighting in a lot of physical combat will result in scars across your pretty ol’ face.

Come to think of it, just about every action you make has an effect on your physical appearance. If you’re a genuine, good-natured hero, your hair will turn blond, you’ll attract butterflies, and a faint little halo will appear over your head. On the other hand, if you’re pure evil, your eyes will glow red, a rancid stench will protrude from your hide, and you’ll grow little horns on your head that make you look quite sinister. There are a wide variety of armours to choose from, and each have their own attractiveness and scariness ratings. And any time in the Fable, you can go to the nearest barbershop and get yourself a new haircut, moustache, and beard. You can also find a travelling stylist (I’m not kidding) and turn your character’s body into a walking freak show of tattoos. The options are nearly limitless.

More importantly, though, you’ll actually grow such an attachment to your main character that you’ll care how he looks. You’ll actually find yourself wanting him to look good, since he’s basically a representation of your actions. You can get your hair cut into some really ridiculous styles such as the “mohawk” and “pudding basin,” but you won’t want to simply because you want your character to look good. I continuously had the option to equip my character with a helmet throughout the game, but I never did, simply because I wanted to see his face. It’s really that effective. I told you before that your renown plays a role in how NPCs treat you as you pass them by. So does your appearance. If you’ve got horns and red eyes and are sporting dark, freaky-looking armour, people will become nervous around you. Likewise, having a good haircut and attractive clothing will make women flush.

Interacting with the NPCs is part of what I enjoyed about Fable. As you progress through the game, you’ll receive many different expressions, depending on your renown and alignment. These expressions can be used to interact with NPCs around you, which will always result in a response. Giggle in front of a cheerful person, and they’ll giggle back. Fart or belch in front of a grown adult, and they’ll tell you how revolting you are. You can flirt with women, cuss at people that never did anything, or even steal items. The reactions from the NPCs are what make this system so priceless. Flirt with a man and he’ll usually say something like, “You know I’m not a woman, don’t you?” Sneer evilly at children and they’ll run away frightened. Do a pelvic thrust in front of an uninterested lady and she’ll happily tell you what a jerk you are.

From what you’ve read so far, Fable probably sounds like RPG paradise, doesn’t it? I couldn’t agree more. From beginning to end, you can really see traces of Peter Molyneux’s ambition within one of his most prized games. The concept of an RPG that allows you to do whatever you want is truly wonderful, and Fable comes dangerously close to being one of the greatest RPGs of all time. But, unfortunately, there are problems.

I haven’t really talked much about Fable’s story yet, and with good reason. I understand that it would be very tough to create a terrific story when there’s no set main character, but the story is one of the most critical aspects of most RPGs and Fable’s just doesn’t even come close to what other RPGs have done in the past. Basically, the story of Fable is filled with all sorts of predictable twists and clichés. What’s worse is that many of the game’s required quests have absolutely nothing to do with the story at all, which takes the focus away from the plot. Although it could have been much worse, Fable’s story just isn’t really as good as one might hope and is certainly not the high point of the game.

But Fable’s biggest weakness is by far its length. You’d think that, with all the time the developer spent on the game, the adventure would go on for a very worthwhile amount of time. Sadly, after about ten or fifteen hours (just when things are starting to heat up) the game comes to a very anti-climactic finale. There aren’t even many optional quests to complete – I’d be surprised if there were more than twenty or thirty actual quests on the game’s surface. The ending only makes things worse, with a few of the aforementioned predictable twists and a very disappointing final boss. Worst of all, if you save your game right before fighting the final boss (which you will do), you’ll be permanently trapped in the game’s final area, which detracts from Fable’s open, free nature.

Still, the world of Fable is very large and open to exploration. Albion itself has a very large history, and it can be fun to simply explore this by reading books and gathering information. There are plenty of secret items and areas, some of which many gamers will never get to. All throughout Albion are “Demon Doors” which only open under certain circumstances. These alone will give players many reasons to come back and keep playing. The game also has a wide variety of mini-games and “minor” quests to complete. Fable really is an enormous game, but only if you’re willing to delve deep into it.

From a technical standpoint, Fable is one of the best-looking and best-sounding games you’re going to play this generation. The graphics are superb. The character models all looks fantastic and the animation is very smooth and natural. The lighting effects are brilliant as well, with shadows shifting as days pass and characters giving off a glow when near a fire or bright lamp. The sound design is among the best on Xbox. There are seemingly hundreds (if not thousands) of various voiceovers coming from the NPCs, and all are worth listening to. Best of all is Danny Elfman’s original soundtrack, which contains a central theme that you’ll find yourself whistling and humming as days go by. Fantastic effort all around.

Pros

• It is, conceptually, an RPG that lets you do what you want.
• Incredibly ambitious from beginning to end.
• Your main character grows and changes in magnificent ways.
• Every action you make has an effect on yourself and the world around you.
• Distinct hero/villain feels require at least two play-throughs.
• Quests are well-designed, and “boasting” adds freshness.
• Combat is simple but intuitive, with three different combat types.
• Plenty of ways to change how your character looks.
• The expressions are fun to toy around with.
• NPC voiceovers are absolutely priceless.
• A huge world with plenty to do and explore.
• Great graphics.
  

Cons

• The story is incredibly weak and consists of many predictable clichés.
• The main adventure is way too short.
• The ending is a huge disappointment and is too restrictive.
• Faulty targeting system.
• The light/dark point distribution system needs work.
• Stuttering framerate.
• Some voiceovers get a tad repetitive.
• Not enough quests.
• Doesn’t quite live up to the hype.
  

Overall: 9/10

In the end, whether or not you’ll enjoy Fable is all just a matter of tolerance. If you can deal with the fact that the game isn’t quite as good as what the developer made it out to be and that many of its originally planned features were canned, you’ll have a blast with Fable. On the other hand, if you’re expecting a revolution the way you play RPGs, don’t. Fable truly is a an ambitious game that presents many ideas never before seen in the world of games, but it also has some shortcomings, especially as far as length goes. Still, I loved Fable and I think you will too. It’s a fantastic game that almost gives Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic a run for its money, and stands as one of the best RPGs on Xbox.