Fable III [3] (X360/PC) Review

Full Discolsure: From the very beginning I have been very excited about the Fable games. I remember staying up very late at a friend’s cabin to play the first one and many sleepless nights working my way through the second one. I cannot say I was as hyped about the third Fable as I was the second, but after some research it garnered some attention. I’ve really enjoyed the past Fables for their good/evil choices and the freedom to do what you want.

Audio Review:

Story: Fable 3 begins with the child of the last king and hero of Albion rising out of bed. It then proceeds through the story of how this child must bring the kingdom together in order to overthrow the current ruler and ultimately a greater evil. Due to the current king’s unfavorable reign the child’s, your character, quest is made much easier. The player is tasked with different quests to gain followers. These followers needed to obtain the allegiance of the different regions of Albion. Although not a strong point of the game, the story is able to keep the player wanting to figure out what is going to happen next.

The ending of the game was something I did not enjoy. An ill prepared player could find themselves in a world of nothing. No shop keepers, no family, no people. Although it is wise to save money, the game did not stress the enormous amount of money that was needed at the end, especially if the player was making “good” choices.

Graphics: The landscapes and details put into Fable 3 were truly outstanding. However, when the game would cut to a close shot of a character, there would be many glitches and bugs, especially with the faces. Digging into the dog or not being able to jump over a three inch hill was still present, but those problems are to be expected in an open world game like Fable 3.

Gameplay: Lionhead did change many things about Fable 3 to make it a more fluid experience. The menu system received a complete overhaul. Instead of the tradition start menus, the player is now able to immerse themselves into an area called the sanctuary. Left by the character father, it allows them to change their clothes, set spells, see a personal treasury, and much more in a complete hands on experience. I felt this would slow down the game and make for many more loading screen. To my surprise, it flowed well with the game and I actually prefer this system over the traditional menu screen. Another addition added the game was “The Road to Rule”. This was where the player chose what spells they wanted, activities you could perform in the game, and other tradition attributes such as: melee, ranged, and magic. Although this new attribute system also transitioned nicely when the player first arrives, it becomes very time consuming to go back and unlock new abilities. Lionhead set out to get rid of the onscreen interface completely and they did a good job of it. Unfortunately, this was not a good thing. I never knew how close my character was to death so I was constantly using health potions and food were I most likely did not need to.

Sound: The voice acting within Fable 3 had me very impressed. When I found out that stars like John Cleese, Ben Kingsley, Stephen Fry, Simon Pegg where filling the various roles within the game, I understood why I liked the commentary so much. Many of the sounds that have been carried throughout the fable series have made their way back into the third installment. This created a nostalgic vibe for me, something that Fable fans will enjoy.

Replayability: The Fable series have always been about being able to go back and replay the story. This did not change with Fable 3. Aside from the good or evil choices, there are tons of hidden objects and side quests that allow for endless hours of play time. Also the improvement of the cooperative systems has made all the Fable fun available for two players instead of just one. The screen is still shared, which I do not enjoy, but you are able to do many other things with your online or local friends, including get married and have children with them.

Pros:

• Great cast of actors.
• New menu system flowed well.
• Improved cooperative gameplay.
• Included many positive elements from previous Fables.
• Large amount of replayability.
• Good/Evil choices.
• Very good balance of comedic and formal dialogue.
• Large amount of customization for the character.

Cons:

• Glitchy textures and character faces.
• Bad ending to the game. 

Editor: William Dewey

9/10 Amazing

Value: Full Price (60$)