Tech News on G4

back to -|- Tech News index -|- Donna Whitney column archive -|- Send Us Your Feedback

This is a difficult review. Trying to be objective about a series that I have enjoyed so much in the past has proven difficult. I could easily shy away from its weaknesses or I could hold it up to an unrealistic standard and compare the third instalment to my rose-coloured perspective of the amazing 'Fable 2'. Naturally, the only means to mitigate these extremes was to play the game in its entirety before starting the review. Upon playing 'Fable 3', I was not immediately impressed. In fact, I didn't like the game during my first day. A short time later, I was so glad to find out that it was only an introductory phase that I had to get through. I'm pleased to say, it did get better. Much better. The storyline unfolds seamlessly from the end of the last game. You are now a descendant of the Hero of Albion. The plot really makes you feel like you're the main character in a classic bit of English folklore as 'Fable 3' generates a really authentic atmosphere. From start to finish, you are faced with making a number of "either/or" decisions, forcing you to choose between upholding the clearly good or the obviously evil. You are required to go through a sequence of events that draw you into making some specific decisions, whether gracious or cruel. Once again, you shape your character's alignment by the choices you make. The story starts slowly and is surprisingly short. Although I intentionally moved gradually through the plot, I completed the main storyline in about a week's worth of moderate gaming time. That was it. I was victorious. Sure, there were still some side quests to complete but with the main storyline finished, why bother? It's as if the developers expect me to remain in the game simply because their world is pretty cool rather than because of a heartfelt commitment to seeing a storyline unfold, or achieving a prime objective. Some aspects of the game are carried over from prior 'Fable' adventures. The demon doors and evil gnomes (which take the place of gargoyles) are always a fun distraction. The game writers added a few new side quests: finding specific flowers and lost books. Those are marginally interesting but nothing quite tickles my fancy like finding and destroying a trash-talking sinister little gnome. You can earn money by taking-on odd jobs and develop your expertise in a specific field. It's a nice way to earn cash quickly and you have the ability to invest money in real estate too. These are great ways to earn cash outside of the trades of blacksmith, pie-maker, or musician. I soon found myself rich beyond my wildest dreams! There is no doubt that 'Fable 3' changes the RPG playbook. For example, it eliminates the use of sub-menus in the traditional sense. Instead of scrolling through a laundry list of equipment, potions and outfits, you are instantly transported to another world called "the sanctuary" where your butler, Geeves (voiced by John Cleese) greets you. There, you are able to fully customize your armaments, your look, and examine your treasures. It's very interactive, and non-menu based. You can approach a rack of your clothes and try them on. You see the item rather than just the item's name. This shifts the game away from menu-based armour and weapon designs, and back to the main purpose of the game: the engaging story. I used the same sword, hammer, rifle and gun throughout the entire game and they were enhanced according to my usage and choices. I didn't worry about finding and purchasing new weapons and armour but rather I got to focus on the storyline and the quests. Granted, weapon and armour customization is part of what I love about classic RPG's... but I didn't really miss it too much. Another creative adaptation is the absence of a health and mana bar. Rather than rely on overt visual indications for health status, you have a number of subtle cues to show that you may be in trouble. The quick-access options presented to you on the bottom of the screen will be outlined in red. When you begin to hear a quick heart-beat and your controller starts to palpitate, trouble's a-brewing. A final bit of ingenuity is found in the way you level up. As you fight and interact with townsfolk, you earn "Guild Seals". These seals are spent in another sub-menu world called the Road to Rule. This contains a number of treasure chests that require a specific number of guild seals to open. These chests contain expression packages, artisan skills, and advanced fighting abilities. As you earn more guild seals, you can return to the Road to Rule and acquire more skills. The guild seal idea was creative, but it could stand a bit more development in order to be truly engrossing. There are still a few areas that could be improved. I spent a great deal of time waiting for new scenes to load. As you moved from one area to the next, the load screen would display the same cycled posters with the same hints, this happened in the other editions, too. I was also surprised by my inability to move as freely as I would have liked. I found myself wanting to jump over some small obstacles only to be stymied by even the smallest thing. I'm a hero! Why can't I jump over such objects? The graphics were strong, but not amazing. To the graphical strength, you could see the wind blow, facial expressions, and much clothing detail. Perhaps I'm spoiled, but I really like when my avatar jumps in the water and the clothes get wet... and stay wet for a period of time after she emerges - like in 'Assassin's Creed 2'. In this day and age of gaming technology, we should expect more? Between the open-concept worlds of 'Fable', 'Mass Effect' and 'Assassin's Creed', you'd think that a company could take all the good aspects from each and continue to perfect the RPG gaming experience. All in all, 'Fable 3' delivered the action-packed fighting, dry wit (great job!), and engaging entertainment that I have come to expect from the series. It's a play-again, add-to-the-collection, use-as-a-measuring-stick kind of game that will benchmark the RPG's that come after it... just like 'Fable 2' before it.   'Fable 3' Format: Xbox 360 Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Developer: Lionhead Studios ESRB Rating: M for Mature Official Site: http://lionhead.com/fable/fableiii/ Rating: 9 / 10

 

Related Articles

· Get G4
· G4 Press Release Index
· Interact
· Advertising Information

About G4 in Canada
G4 Canada (formerly TechTV Canada) launched in September 2001. G4 is the one and only television station that is plugged into every dimension of games, gear, gadgets and gigabytes. Owned Rogers Media Inc., the channel airs more than 24 original series. G4 is available on digital cable and satellite. For more information, see www.g4tv.ca.