by Renae Acker

Created on: May 18, 2009   Last Updated: May 23, 2009

Fable is a thoroughly developed game by Lionhead with very interactive game-play and story-line. Every little decision made affects your alignment, your physical appearance, and how other characters in the game see you.
From the start of the game, you are a rather poor boy doing chores and jobs to make money to buy a present for your sister. You can choose to do good deeds, or bad ones, both making you the same amount of money.

Right off the bat these decisions affect how people think of you. If you are a trouble-maker, guards will tell you to watch yourself. On the other hand, if you commit good deeds, people will comment how you are a good kid and that you were raised well.

Afterwards, your village is raided by a band of bandits, killing your father. From there, you end up in the Hero's Guild, a place you will have to visit quite a bit. Here, you choose what quests you are trying to complete and gain experience to level up in each style: strength, skill, and will. Each decision you make, either in quests or socially, affects your life in this game. A perk in this game is that your alignment interacts with your appearance; if you are corrupt, you will grow horns and cracks in your skin; If you are good you will get blonde hair and have a halo appear. After time passes, your character also ages. It goes from all the way to the Hero's childhood to being an elderly man. What food you eat also affects your appearance. If you eat a lot of meat and drink a hefty amount of beer, you will get chunkier. Also, when your physique increases, your muscles get larger.

Fable also allows you to interact socially with various people throughout Albion, the land that the game takes place in. You can perform various expressions-from dancing to burping. You can even marry someone, man or woman, if you have a wedding ring and the person is fond of you. Of course you wouldn't want your spouse living on the streets, so the option to buy a house is available. Buying houses can also become an investment if you rent them out to other villagers. It is annoying to have to run back to each house to collect the rent money, but it all adds up. If you do become short on gold, there are many ways to make money. One of those ways is to buy low, sell high. Buy in bulk various trader items from free traders, then sell them to shops. Also, the higher your Guile, the more money you make from this method. Another way to make cash is completing quests. After you complete each quest, the majority of the time you will get a reward, a trophy, and renown. The quests can get a little clich, but overall the storyline is great.

The graphics of the game are a plus. The characters are a little cartoony, but the beautiful landscapes, colors, and detail in Fable is outstanding. The sun shines off various objects, making them glow. It is crazy how in-depth and detailed the game can get. There are several side-quests and events available, which can range from chicken kicking to shooting at the archery range. It never gets old to walk in the pub, gamble away a few coins, chug down a few beers, and have a few people clapping and cheering around you.
Overall, this game is easily one of the best RPG's out there. Even though the game is pretty short, the graphics and game play weigh everything else out. Definitely a game I would recommend for any kind of gamer.

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