Product Description

Fable is a free-roaming role-playing game from the makers of Black & White. When your mother and sister are kidnapped, your first action is to travel across the magical land of Albion to find your father, the famed Hero. But soon you are plunged into a world of danger you couldn't possibly have imagined. A dark force is gathering. A power to bring evil to every town and village in Albion and to destroy the fairytale lives of the inhabitants. This evil force has turned the very Heroes into power-crazed, ruthless warriors. Only your father has resisted. That's why your family has been taken. And that's why the fate of your family is now in your hands. Oh, and the fate of the entire world.

As you embark on your adventure as a young, callow youth, you'll learn that something makes you different to all the others. You have a force of will. During your adventures, you'll grow up, grow stronger, grow more powerful and eventually grow old. But how you grow is down to you. Use your sword a great deal and your muscles will build. Use ruthless cunning and refuse to care about others and you'll become evil. Use your force of will and you'll become wizard-like and wise. Your character changes according to the way you play.

The mystical world of Albion is immense. There are hidden ruins, huge towns, caverns and mountains and hundreds of characters, all growing and interacting, all with their own artificial intelligence. Even the ones who aren't human. There is the option to ally with many of these characters, to learn what they know, to help or hinder them, to heal them or hack them to pulp.

You face tasks big and small, perilous and rewarding. And with every step, you decide where you'll go next, what you'll face, who you'll talk to and, of course, who will feel the force of your will or the edge of your sword. The game features innovative control and unparallel freedom. You don't have to sit through a word of storyline if you don't want and you are always free to travel wherever you choose. When and how you tackle the immense, detailed and gripping battle against the forces of evil is always down to you.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2732 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Microsoft
• Released on: 2004-10-08
• Rating: To Be Announced
• Platform: Xbox

Amazon.co.uk Review
The role-playing game seems to be in real danger of collapsing in upon itself with many new titles appearing almost indistinguishable from each other and increasing complexity making them extremely off-putting for all but existing fans of the genre. Fable, though, is something different. Created with input from famous games designer Peter Molyneux (designer of titles such as Populous and Black & White), it aims to be as accessible as it is open-ended, as the character you control gains experience, ages and chooses whether to follow the path of good or evil--or occupy a grey area between the two.

Fable is played entirely in real-time, so there are no random encounters or turn-based battles to endure; your character gains experience in four main areas--general, strength, skill and will--during all their actions from combat to talking to villagers. Specialising in a certain area allows your character to become an archetypal fighter, wizard or jack-of-all-trades.

The game's real flexibility though is in the way you interact with other characters in the game, with the option to charm, bribe, intimidate and flatter as appropriate. A character's attitude towards you is further influenced by your notoriety within the game world and even your sex appeal, allowing you to play the game exactly as you want. The only problem with Fable is that the combat is a little unconvincing and awkward, but with so much else going on this hardly seems to matter. --David Jenkins

Manufacturer's Description
Fable is a groundbreaking role-playing adventure game from Peter Molyneux, in which your every action determines your skills, appearance, and reputation. Create your life story from childhood to death. Grow from an inexperienced adolescent into the most powerful being in the world. Choose the path of righteousness or dedicate your life to evil. Muscles expand with each feat of strength; force of will increases with each work of wit. Obesity follows gluttony, skin tans with exposure to sunlight and bleaches bone-white by moonlight. Earn scars in battle and lines of experience with age. Each person you aid, each flower you crush, each creature you slay, will change this world forever.

Customer Reviews

Fable(d)
First of all, sorry for the long review, but there's just so much to tell about the game, and so much will remain untold...

I must say I was already waiting for the game for ages! It just seemed its release day wouldn't arrive!
But now it's finally here and I finally bought it. However, is it really all they were promising?... We'll get there in a minute.

I guess I won't be needing much time to tell you what happens in the game, as I'm sure you (like me before buying the game) must have already read the "product description" a few times. In a few words: As a good RPG, we are going in a quest, in this case to find out more about our missing relatives (where they are, what happened and why did it happen...).

Now to the game itself. We start as a little boy, training at the "Heroes Guild". I have to say that, at the beginning, the first few moments, I was slightly disappointed. I don't know, it just seemed the game wasn't all that good. I'm telling you this, in case the same happens to you. But believe me, that awkward feeling won't last long. You just get addicted to the story!

As a youth, you will learn the basics about the combat skills. In fact, it won't take long until reaching an older age (around an hour), what I actually think is a shame, since I believe there could have been much more in between. But, perhaps to compensate you for this "little mistake", the game just gets better as you play it.

At the Guild, you will constantly receive Quest Cards, and it will be up to you to decide when you feel like going on those Quests. But I must say that this is just the basics. I mean, there is so much more to explore.. Really... You can go to a barbershop, you can buy an immensity of items, participate in some fights to win some cash and recognition, try to conquer a woman's heart (but believe me, you will have to be patient, always buying presents, giving them attention, doing special haircuts so they like you even more... well, not so different from real life, right guys?... ;-).. Just kidding), buy a house... Really, as you explore the game's universe you will always find something new... And then there are also Quests apart from those in the Guild, meaning that the game will last longer if you really explore it well, otherwise, you will see the credits in something like 9 hours.
And then, it's up to you, if you want to end the game as an "angel" Hero or a real Devil. I must say this is just fun... For example, right at the beginning of the game, a young lad will ask you for help, when he's being bullied... How you solve the situation is up to you: You can help him, you can turn to the bully's side, or you can just have a blast punching them both... And this will happen all throughout the game.. You can go to a village and do whatever you please to the villagers... However, be carefull not to be seen by the guards...

As to the graphics department, well, they are great, but I think they could have been even better. Don't missunderstand me, the world of Albion is simply beautiful, full of colours, and it's rare to see such beautiful graphics joining an excelent gameplay in the last times, but I have the feeling there is still something missing!
The gameplay is great, although, I must say, in the fights with the Trolls I had some problems with the camera views... Nothing too serious though.
As for the sound, well, it gets 5 stars... And it just doesn't get more, because that's the maximum.. Really, this game has the best sound quality I have seen in a game for ages... The music score is excelent, the voices are EXCELLENT... And this in a normal TV... So, if you have one with Stereo or, better yet, a 5.1 System, ... Oh, lucky you...

As you must have seen, I rate this game with 4 stars... It's like this. If the game had been realeas an year ago, it would definitely get 5 stars, but, like I said, there is something missing. The hard drive from the Xbox should have been better used, because there are too many loadings (although not long), and this really wasn't necessary...
Nevertheless, Fable is a great game, and you really won't be sorry to pay up the £31,99... I would definitely advise you to buy it... Otherwise, you don't know what you'll be missing.

I hope this review helped... Sorry for my English mistakes!!

Fable
This was the first time I had played a game of this genre and have played it through to completion 3 times, each time in a different good/evil style. The characters encountered by the "Hero" are authentic and believable which all adds to the engrossing atmosphere of the game. The object of the game is to develop your "Hero" into a good or evil character to be proud of, through a series of heroic quests to enhance your good or evil side.By performing the quests you gain experience and gold to enhance your standing in society and you engage in other activities between quests to bolster your bank balence and upgrade your experience.(Trading/property ownership/and bandit/guard extermination.) I am surprised and disappointed by the 16+ rating for this game. The game has a very strong morality theme which perhaps is wasted on an older more cynical gamer.(If you keep doing bad things you turn into a red eyed horned beast who scares everyone, the opposite if you do good things).One thing is sure is that you will rarely play the same game as the same person twice.I eagerly look forward to Fable II.

Get believe the hype, witness it for yourself.
I bought this game two days ago. I started playing at 6pm...
...I stopped played at 4:30am the following morning.

I could stop there, but I won't. Now, a whole bunch of people are "dissappointed" at this title and to those people I say:

Get off your backside and make your own RPG, release it after four years see how we all like it! ...Credit where credit is most certainly due hey fella's?

This game is wonderful. In my opinion it mixes elements found in games such as:
- Darkstone
- Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver
- Way of the Samurai

...and many more but this game really is special. The customizable looks, natural wear and tear on your body and weapon augmentations are just a few things that make this game unique in the fact that it has collected some of the coolest features from much loved titles across all platforms and managed to find use for them in this one excellent adventure!

Take your time to enjoy the environment, if you don't feel like fighting then go fishing at your nearest watering hole, buy some property, trade goods for a while or simply get drunk down your local.

There are so many things to do in this game there is no sense in rushing it. Yes it can be completed in ten hours but where's the fun in only doing the bare minimum?

A splendid game in my opinion, worth the dosh to buy I say.
Brilliant voice talent, great graphics and brilliant features!!