563rd played so far
Genre: Action/Role Playing
Platform: Xbox 360
Year of Release: 2008
Developer: Lionhead Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
By the time you read this, Fable Fortune will have had its Kickstarter campaign, and so I can’t spoil much by saying I’ve worked a little bit on it. In fact, that was one of the reasons I played the first Fable game when I did (so I could play it before I started work on that) and this play through started in similar circumstances.
It isn’t my first stab at the game either. I abandoned a play through half a decade ago because… well, I didn’t really have time anymore. Now I get to go back to it and (sort of) play it properly.
Our Thoughts
On a game of this size, it’s hard to know where to start. There is a lot of story, using some twists that you don’t often see in other stories, but mostly still the story of a hero saving the world. It doesn’t need to be more – while there’s plenty of characterization in the game, the main point is that you go out and do things, no matter what. One of the Fable series central tenets is its alignment system, and that feels like it is enough of a reason to be a hero or a villain.
It’s part of the style that defines this too. The graphics are a bit cartoony, the dialogue often going for dry humour and there are several actions that are included, I’m sure, because they seemed funny. Most NPCs don’t have loads of interaction, but they comment on plenty of things, which is what you need.
The interface is definitely improved. Fights were more comfortable to handle and I didn’t fare as badly in towns. I have plenty more exploration to do (and some passages are quite well hidden), but that’s all fun. There are plenty of minigames, but that really makes sense for the type of game.
The real attraction is in the sidequests and minigames you do to build up funds and power, as with most RPGs. However, with the lower number of areas it all feels a lot denser. You do need to proceed through the main quest to get to place and unlock options, and it feels like there is a lot of focus on collectables. I wouldn’t call it a bad thing here – it’s different, but it works for the lizard parts of my brain.
Final Thoughts
I don’t think the Fable series will ever produce my favourite RPG. The story isn’t in depth enough and it’s a bit too whimsical for me to get that seriously into it. It’s a fun time to play though, with a good range of activities and options that will keep things more fun for me.