Difficulty:

Very Easy

Time Spent:

40 to 100 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Been there, done that"

Lionhead Studios' Fable was released on September 14th, 2004 and revised/rereleased as Fable: The Lost Chapters on September 20th, 2005. This was the high point of the Fable Saga, and still remains to be the best of the three.

Fable III, released October 26th, 2010, proved to be somewhat more action oriented than Fable II. With an intricate and beautiful world to explore, Fable III has blinded a majority of it's fans from what the title Fable stood for. Fable II and Fable III evolved primarily into a relationship and monopoly simulation. Buy this property, screw em' on the rent, flirt and marry this guy/girl, and oh yeah I GUESS you could go on an adventure. The humor is cheeky and warm-spirited, but still doesn't compare to the success of the first.

In Fable III your character is the Prince of Albion. Sounds cool at first, until you realize your character is a classic 'royalty that acts like every other average joe' cliche'. You're in a struggle with your brother, whom doesn't play that big of a role in the game by the end of things, for a throne that nobody should be forced to sit in. You're off to change the face of Albion and win the love of all it's subjects. This means you must trudge to every corner of the kingdom and visit every major province and perform a service to them. During this journey you discover a secret about your brother, whom had been quietly attempting to silence a force of nature out that is sure to destroy Albion.

The plot and it's writing is excellent, same can be said for it's characters. However, this game is merely another magic masher. Once again blessed with an unlimited supply of mana, you can hurl fire and summon electrical fury to decimate the bad guys. The only relative challenge one could get in the whole game would be closer to the end of the story where you're pitted against enemies who use that magic AND slap you around. Fable III was mechanically unchallenging, but a magnificent and unarguably excellent piece of campaign work. A wide range of weapons can be used, but with a twist.

Weapons evolve in power once the player completes certain milestones, but once leveled up, reflect the nature of the player. Weapons can take on a reddish/orange tint or a white/blue tint depending on if you're good or bad.

Character customization has also evolved in this installment of Fable, allowing you easier access to clothing dye, hair dye and styles. You can also save your preferred outfits if you fancy a quick change. This game requires time and patience, but is no means a burden on the game if they've played Fable and Fable II. Fable III remains to be a medieval sim with good-natured U.K. humor. However, no matter how much it lacked in hardcore action, it made up for it in it's frightening and tender cutscenes/plot twists.

Fable III features a dual hero cooperative, no longer forcing your pal to be some chump thug. You'll see each other in your hero forms, using your unique weapons, performing whatever actions you may please.

Buy this game, and keep it as a good memory.