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"Creativity"

Fable: The Lost Chapters Review

Genre: Action RPG

Developer: Lionhead Studios

System I Played On: Xbox

Year: 2005

As a kid, one of my favorite games was Fable. It was really one of the first games I really played, like really played. I rarely ever beat a game, let alone do most of the things in that game, so Fable also was cool to me for that reason. And later Fable: The Lost Chapters came out, and it was basically Fable, but with what we call today DLC. It was just the same but with more quests, more weapons, more everything, plus the story continues after the events of the first Fable. And Fable got a lot of slack because Peter over at Lionhead was saying he was making the world’s greatest RPG. Then a lot of people played it, and it was different. But as a kid, who was alien to the gaming community, I obviously didn’t know that, and so today I don’t give a shit. But since I don’t have the original Fable, I’m going to cheat and review Fable: The Lost Chapters. And also, this is how I believe Fable should be played. So this is going by my experience. Fable, great game. Fable: The Lost Chapters, how it was meant to be. So if I bought this game for full price after playing Fable, I probably would be upset by not getting so much new stuff. The new stuff from after Fable, that’s not worth the full price, but this is how Fable should be played, and that’s why the review is so high, not to mention nostalgia for this version. Now, quick synopsis of Fable. You’re a kid, and your village is attacked by bandits. Your family is slaughtered, and you are taken to the Guild of Heroes. There you meet a rival, get a tutor, and you become a hero. And then trouble arises as the past comes back to meet the Hero dead in the face, and he has to go on his epic quest of battle. But a huge idea is choice. You are good or evil, that is one of this game’s biggest things. If you turn good, you can see yourself become a good person on the outside, and people will treat you like your personality. But if your this evil dick, people will hate you, and you’ll even develop horns like the devil himself. The story regardless of good or evil, will move forward. Along the way, you make big choices of good or evil. Besides that there are side quests and typical open world stuff. First, I do really like the story. It kind of feels like one of those insert your epic tale here stories, but I really never played anything like it before. It was a really cool idea, and the story went ways you wouldn’t expect. The choices however I thought were lacking, as their impact seem to hardly matter. But I do like the characters, in fact I love them. But here’s my problem with it. The characters even if really well thought out, in typical Fable fashion, don’t get enough time. These wonderful characters who just are dying to be delved into only have a handful of appearances, and it just is a little underwhelming. You still get their character, but they need more time, and I wish the cutscenes were better, it just felt like I was watching some cut out version of the story where the character’s expressions are always the same. But I love the concept. A guild of Heroes, one where you grow up, either to do great things or terrible things. It really had a cool concept, and although Fable II was a great game, I just felt it could have done better by keeping the guild, and not just Albion. But I will say I do love Albion. Each city is different, and it’s not one of those overly massive open world games. You can finish in under fifteen hours, so it’s a simple RPG, and I like that. Maybe it’s why I’m a fan of action RPGs, but I really sometimes want that epic story, but just not so long, and where I can choose to progress it and make it big if I please, like in Fable. Also it has places like the Arena, places that are just so fun during the mission. The world is a very cool place, and it really is probably the best thing about the entire series, as it’s the only thing that seems to stay the same. Well it changes physically, but you get the idea. Anyway, let’s cover combat. You have three types of fighting, as it is Fable. Strength, Skill, and Will. If you fight under strength, you raise how much experience you get for strength, so you’ll raise your toughness and sword. With Skill you’ll raise your speed and archery. With Will you have a thing called Will, and it’s basically magic. You can use spells, and all that good stuff. And each trait you follow with change how you look. With strength you’ll get big, with skill you’ll get taller, and with will blue lines will cover you skin. But since you’re probably going to max out everything you can, you’ll turn into a big tall guy with blue lines on him in the end. I do really like fighting in the game, and getting the experience is really fun. And at first it really does feel challenging. Unlike Fable III, it’s not incredibly easy, you definitely feel the pressure, but you can usually just escape last minute. But by the end if you’re stacking up extra lives and finding alternative ways to heal and get around, you’ll basically be indestructible. I would be fine with this as long as things were harder later on, like they were in the beginning. Not that it’s Fable III easy, but it’s a little underwhelming. But fighting is always fun, and will keep you on your toes. And the Will system, it’s easily up there for my favorite magic system, competing even Skyrim. Fable II had another good system, but I liked it most in this. (In Fable III of course it’s completely awful) In this you can do so many different things, and it’s not so limited. Go have fun with tons of different abilities, all of which can be easily accessed, and no restrictions, but it won’t make you undefeatable, which happens in Fable II and III. It really felt like you were free with the magic system, and it’s a lot of fun. But ultimately the story is great, the characters are great, the fighting is great, the world is great, and it’s all wrapped up in nostalgia. It has plenty of problems, and I wish I could easily say, "they’ll get it down in the sequel,” but I already know that didn’t happen. Anyway, it’s my favorite game in the series, and currently my favorite game on the Xbox. The Lost Chapters made the game how it is suppose to be, and this is the true Fable.

Fable: The Lost Chapters gets a 5/5

Spoilers: Okay, let’s roll through each decision. First deciding to kill Whisper. This of course, doesn’t make much of a difference. She leaves either way, why? Then with Lady Grey you can decide whether to become mayor yourself, or just marry her by ruining Thunder’s life some more. And the big decision at the end of the game. To kill your sister, or take the great sword of Albion? Well, since she’s alive in Fable II, it doesn’t matter! But the guild gets destroyed either way, so who gives a fuck!? Thanks later Fable games for ruining your potential. Anyway, the lost chapters choices are even better. Kill Thunder? Hell yes! Kill Briar or take the soul of your mother… damn that’s just… that’s a hard choice. But killing the Guildmaster, that’s a sad moment. If you do kill him, it’s a sad moment. He’ll never say the potions or food line again. And then Jack comes back as A DRAGON. A DRAGON! Jesus, Jack is a boss, just saying.