After the Storm
So, I'm like the luckiest cub reporter at Xbox.com. Why? I've played through Fable® … a few times. It's all part of the job, of course—the best part actually. Does the game hold up to repeat play? Of course! What roleplaying game (RPG) in this day and age wouldn't? But, does Fable hold up to endless—dare I say life-long—play? Let's just say you won't be disappointed …
The main story is just the beginning of Fable.
As in Grand Theft Auto 3, your game can continue far beyond the primary story line and the scroll of credits. The world of Albion goes on in every location, all the time. The living island world even repopulates if, say, someone (and I'm not naming names) goes on a murderous rampage through the center of Knothole Glade, picks up a few fines, and beats feet to the teleporter to beam out to friendlier climes.
Post-story, the world of Fable becomes something unique. Gone are the quests and never-ending nagging of that well-intended Guildmaster. But, there is a world out there that's still going on, and you can continue to be as good or evil as you like. Go nuts with your scores. Bet you haven't kicked a chicken lately, so get to it! Get married, divorced, and widowed. Buy property. Slaughter scores of undead and lose your horns as you get the highest combat multiplier you've ever seen.
Here's a fun goal: Get every tattoo!
In a no doubt disturbing look into this reporter's roleplaying psyche—that is, I'm kind of dull, now that I look at it—let's look at the "quests" I created for myself.
Get Married
In the process of getting married, you'll come across some Rated M sequences—the proverbial cutaway to the shot of the fireplace, complete with sound effects. Each of my wives (it seems you can have at least one in every town where there's a marital home for sale) has proved special in her own way.
Get Horned
Have you been evil the entire game? Go slay some bandits, zombies, or Hobbes to shed those spikes and get your hairline back. It's like Rogaine and Viagra in one long combat sequence. You can find an endless stream of undead on the Cliffside Path area. (That's the area from later in the game, not the Clifftop Path that leads from the beach at Oakvale). If you play long enough, you can even use a half-hour zombie fight (the combat is that good, folks) to redeem yourself and change your looks quickly.
Get De-Horned
Alternatively, you might choose to go from good to evil, which is much more liberating. Going nuts in a town will lead to lots of buildings going instantly on the market. As long as you've been frugal over the course of the game so far, it's time for you to move on to the next pseudo-quest.
Already played the good guy? Get evil!
Albion-opoly
With all those buildings on the market, now's the time to plunge headlong into property ownership. You've gotten a taste of that owning a marital home, but if you've been keeping a wife in each town, it's time to consider renting some of those homes out. If you're already evil, well, you know what to do. (And, widows are in high demand by the ladies and gents of Albion …)
If you're good, just flirt a lot with other prospects and generally ignore the wife. Eventually, things will crumble just like in real life. However you do it, now that you have a marital home with no wife in it, you can rent it out. If you're willing to slaughter a lot of people, other buildings will become available, too. To keep your burgeoning real estate empire afloat, keep one marital home—wife optional.
Bowerstone South is the best. It's a cheap place that doesn't make as much in rent as some homes. Here's where you abuse the game a little and rest several times. Do it while you're checking e-mail or making a sandwich. As time passes, you'll collect rent, making more and more money. Keep buying more buildings, and in the end, you'll own the world.
Own the World
With enough time—assuming you made enough progress on certain goals before you finished the story mode—you can track down every special object, goal, and treasure in the game. Finish the Fist Fighter's tournaments and re-fight your greatest match-ups whenever you need more cash. Break the all-time consecutive record for pie-eating, chicken-kicking, or criminal fines. Get 20 Silver Keys and open every last silver chest. Go fishing. Wear a dress. Slay zombies. Drink beer to excess and go back to the Fist Fighters for the weirdest fighting in any game, RPG, or 3-D-kickfest. Go fishing some more …
Kill or marry to get the tavern.
You could theoretically play this RPG until you really are 65 (your maximum age in the game—get used to it, old-timer). This Fable never has to end "ever after" … and you won't want it to.
Article by Danny Chihdo
