First Encounter

Hearing about some newfangled "reinvent the wheel" game set to blow the socks off the competition is starting to become old hat. The hype machine has been running overtime on undeserving games for years, but while the hamster is tired, it doesn't appear ready to stop any time soon. Getting excited about newly announced games becomes harder and harder as successive discs of over-hyped mediocrity don't live up to their own lofty standards.

That being said, occasionally there comes a title that can make me froth to know more. Fable® is one of these games. Not only does the theory and overall thrust of the game sound oh so tasty, but Fable is also being developed under the guidance of one of the gaming industry's few superstars: Peter Molyneux. Molyneux's track record more than speaks for itself, and it's his presence, along with a very talented and determined team, that lends concrete credibility to his now famous boast that Fable will be "the greatest roleplaying game of all time."

Step into the ultimate fantasy roleplaying world.

Fable is indeed a roleplaying game, and you could probably accurately add "fantasy" as an appropriate prefix to that. Does it have an epic story? Yes. Does it have sword fighting, wicked wizards, and damsels in distress? You'd better believe it. These are standards of the genre, but instead of using these elements as the focus of the game, Fable uses them as garnish and spice for its massively interactive world, a world that lives, breathes, watches, and—depending on your actions—holds a grudge.

At its heart, Fable is about living the path of heroics or notoriety. This game gives you the tools, the motivation, and the world to become a hero or villain of legend. Bards may sing with awe about your character in taverns across the land, or people may only speak of you in hushed tones as your name carries the weight of thunderous fear. It's up to you and the decisions that you make. It's this very freedom of decision, as well as the consequences (oh yes, there are repercussions for your actions) of those decisions, that make this game so utterly original. There is so much to experience and do in Fable, it would be impossible to try and quantify it all; here, though, are a few scenarios, features, and interactions you can expect to find in Fable. (Note: The names and places in the following example have been changed to protect the innocent.)

What will you be? A hero or a villain?

A Quest's Moral Dichotomy
Your hero—we'll call him Braticus the Bold—has heard tell of an insidious gang of bandits who have been steadily raiding a local diamond mine. This, understandably, has sparked the ire of the local diamond baron, who has been forced to start selling ruby and emerald engagement rings. This won't do at all, and so, the baron is pleading for help in disposing of the pesky bandits.

You, Braticus, have a choice. The first and obvious one is to puff out your chest in angry indignation, grab your sword (named Two Bit Punk Killah), and set off to teach those lawless bandit punks a lesson. Option two is to think, "Hey, I need to put some scratch together for a down payment on a house. Why not join the fun and raid the diamond mine too?" The choice is yours, but remember, evil (and even good) acts are not without consequences of some kind. Choose wisely.

Battle scars stay with you.

Interactions and Reactions
The world of Fable is set up to be as living a creation as any world in a videogame can be. This includes the environment itself, as well as the world's inhabitants. For example:

• If you get deeply slashed in battle, a scar will develop and stay with you for the duration of the game.
• Buy a shop in a town that worships your heroic deeds, and your profit margin will grow much larger than it will for a shop you own in a town that doesn't care for you.
• Compete with living, active heroes in the land who will attempt to thwart your quests and take actions to compromise your path to legendary status.
• Lay the beat down on some poor soul in a small hamlet. Come back later, and see if they don't hold a grudge against you.
• Marry some sweet lass, then watch to see if she doesn't nag you about being gone too long from home, or appreciate her warm reaction to a well-received gift.

It's the reactions of the world and its people, as well as your own character's reactions to your actions, that give life to Fable. There's infinitely more to talk about, and that, in part, is what makes this game so hard to wait for! You and I will have to wait to hear and see more. Check back as Fable nears its release for more details.

Article by Alex McLain