August 27, 2004 - It's been in development longer than the Xbox has been on store shelves. It was once the ultimate game, an RPG so massive in scale and concept that it seemed impossible to be real. It's had three different names through the course of its development, finally settling on Fable. It's been a damn long wait, but finally one of the most-anticipated RPGs in the history of gaming has arrived.

There's been so many ideas about what Fable would bring to gaming that even for someone who's played through the game twice, it's difficult to sort some of the fact from fiction. If you are expecting Morrowind, you are going to be disappointed. Though Fable is indeed a game about freedom and choice, it is not nearly as wide-open as Bethesda's mammoth RPG -- and for that I am a little thankful. No, Fable is a lot more along the lines of an adventure game. It is easily on track to becoming Microsoft's personal Zelda franchise, should the big MS choose to sponsor a few sequels. It's an incredibly fun game, even though most of the genre-busting elements have been removed.

There are no more branching story paths, though you can veer towards good or evil as you choose, you can't take the clothing off your victims, children will not change their hairstyles to look like you, and your competition with other heroes in the world is much more of a story element than a true gameplay mechanic. Before you start crying over these lost features, you should know that I absolutely love Fable. Despite some faults and a lot of highly-touted ideas that have gone missing, it's one of the most enjoyable games you can find on Xbox. So please, put down knife, there's no need to commit Seppuku -- I think you're gonna dig Fable.

Video Review Available! Fable is easily one of the most anticipated games of this console generation, and one of the most hyped as well. Want to see what the hype is all about after you've read about it? We've got the full, nearly 15 minute long video review on IGN Insider. So check out our video review and see if this Fable is a tale worth the wait. Links :: Video Review::

If, somehow, you've never heard of Fable, never read a thing, then you'll actually be easily amazed by what developers Big Blue Box and Lionhead have accomplished. It's easy to get bogged down in the "oh, why isn't this in there anymore" syndrome, but looking at Fable with doe eyes, it does a hell of a lot of ingenious little things. For this review, I'm doing my best to adopt that attitude, one that looks at Fable not as it was supposed to be, but as it is. And with that done, it's one hell of a fine game.

A Tale of Fable
RPGs are typically defined by their stories. A great RPG needs a great and epic story -- just look at Knights of the Old Republic, Chrono Trigger, or Kingdom Hearts. Fable's story is serviceable, but not extraordinary, which is really what keeps it from the upper-echelon of role-playing games. A simple tale of revenge, you play the role of a young boy whose village is raided by bandits. Your mother and sister are taken captive, your father murdered -- the typical crap day for a young adventurer. Your mission, from that point on is to avenge your father's death and discover the whereabouts of ma and sis. And while there are a couple of relatively obvious twists along the way, the story unfolds pretty much as you would expect. Unlike Knights of the Old Republic, which has one of the greatest twists in RPG history, Fable isn't so much about the story, but your journey that takes you to its climactic conclusion.

Fable is an open-ended game, with specific story points that help guide you towards its conclusion. Once you've finished your training at the Heroes' Guild (which could last a few hours if you choose to take your time), the world is completely open to you. Right off the bat, you can wander to the majority of areas in Albion, a sizable medieval world packed with hundreds of NPCs who all eventually become focused on you and your journey from nobody to the greatest hero the world has ever known. Of course, the deeper you enter into Albion's wilderness, the more dangerous the path. So, while you could technically make your way to a lot of Albion the moment you enter manhood, you probably wouldn't survive long.

Welcome to Albion
Outside of towns, you will usually be confined to specific paths. Each area (which require a short 10-second load upon entry) often have several paths to choose from, preventing you from running along the hillsides, Sound of Music style. Though you are often enclosed, there are some areas that are a bit open. No matter where you go, though, the incredible details in the environments really make each area feel much more dense and open than they actually are. Whether you are traveling in the golden autumn fields of the Greatwood Forest or searching for an exit in a massive stone stronghold, I doubt you'll ever see more exquisite surroundings in any other Xbox game. Some of the areas simply floored me.