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For as long as I've had an Xbox I've been waiting for Fable. The game has been years in development, and Peter Molyneux and his team at Lionhead have changed the name of the project three times, before finally settling on Fable. For those of you who don't know, Fable is an epic role-playing adventure game that follows the story of your character from an early age until he is old enough, in game terms, to qualify to receive a state pension.
In Fable your actions in the game will effect the way other characters in the adventure view you, also it will effect your appearance and morality. As with many of Peter Molyneux's projects over the years, in Fable you can become good or evil, or even a combination of the two. Choose the path of righteousness or dedicate your life to evil, and depending on the life you choose, your character will transform into a reflection of your actions. There are many different ways to affect your appearance in Fable, become scarred in battle, get you hair cut in the local barbers, or use magic too much and your character will become bald. The look of your character will also be determined by how you perform in combat, take a bow and arrow and use a more stealthy approach to fighting and you will become more lithe and nimble. Fight hand-to-hand combat and your character will soon become broad shouldered with a more muscular physique. There are even hundreds of possible outfits in the game and the way you dress will also effect the way people deal with you in the many towns and villages.
The first thing we noticed upon playing Fable is the look of the game. The much talked about bloom lighting technique is absolutely stunning, and it gives the game a fairy-tail look, but without being overly cute. Fable is a more adult version of any fairy-tale we've ever come across and the humour in the game is something of akin to an episode of Blackadder. When you first start out in the adventure as a boy and complete you first quest the story takes a dark twist, and you are saved by a hardened adventurer who takes you to the Heroes Guild where you become trained to survive in the world. Here you will be trained in the use of ranged and melee weapons, and before long you will be ready to set out into the land looking for adventure.
Magic in Fable is also an important feature and your character starts out with a simple lightning attack, but as you gain experience you can use your points to gain new spells and improve the ones that you have. The world of Fable is full of monsters and enemies to vanquish, from Bandits to strange werewolf looking creatures, to the undead rising beneath your feet - all need dispatching. There are many quests and secrets in the game world to find, from hidden keys and chests, to strange talking doors. If you want you can marry and have children, buy property, have edited sex, burp, fart and flirt - even if you're married.
With beautiful graphics, a truly stunning score by composer Danny Elfman, and a living, breathing world in which you have control over your actions, Fable is looking like something really special. Unfortunately the European release is not until October 8th, a few weeks after its release in North America. But from what we saw today, it will be defiantly worth the wait.
John Grothier
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