Woove staff writer Emma Briscoe reviews the third video game from the Fable series. Hotness!

Fable III came out October 26, 2010, and the whimsical plot goes as such: Half a century has passed since your glorious triumph over the evil Lord Lucien on the shores of Bloodstone, and Albion is once again in dire need of your heroic assistance. This time, however, you appear as the child of Fable II’s hero. Your quest is politically motivated yet steeped in deeply personal matters; you must amass an army to defeat your tyrannical brother, Logan, and gain control of Albion before industrial revolution and harsh judgment calls rend the kingdom in two. Though Peter Molyneux of Lionhead Studios may have over-hyped numerous elements of this title, Fable III is a streamlined role-playing game with an action adventure approach that even the most inexperienced gamer can enjoy.

An upgraded extension of everything I loved about its predecessor, Fable III has made significantly better advancements, including the eloquently mischievous voice work of John Cleese. British humor and well played vulgarity are woven throughout the pleasantly rustic countryside, which is unarguably much more visually stimulating than the previous game. The action never stops, whether your character is in combat or simply accessing the menu system. Jasper, voiced by John Cleese, attends to your sanctuary, the streamlined overhaul applied to the menu system. Instead of accessing the classic overwhelming menu riddled with hundreds of options, your character now appears in a sanctuary divided into rooms appropriate to each menu option. You can also access the three-dimensional map from here, as well as a convenient and user-friendly setup compared to the map options in the previous title. Available quests and collectibles are displayed as the magnifying glass hovers over a selected area. Cinematic finishing moves and dramatic in-game combat bolster this continuous action approach and add to the action adventure aspect of the game. Your gifted character can finally speak an important component markedly absent in the first two Fables. These elements, combined with the convenient placement of the climax in the middle of the game rather than the end, make Fable III the polished, innovative game you expected it to be. Just as you defeat Logan and become seemingly unstoppable, you face entirely new challenges of running your kingdom as you see fit and defending the whole of Albion against certain peril, once again.

Streamlining and accessibility aside, there are certainly some components that missed the mark in Fable III. Designers at Lionhead Studios removed the health bar and leveling system present not only in the previous title, but also in most fantasy themed role-playing games. As health decreases due to injury, the screen now turns red around the edges rather than depleting in an on-screen meter. The leveling system has been contoured into what Lionhead deemed “The Road to Rule.” Your character levels up by amassing guild seals, an equivalent to experience, through interacting with locals, completing quests, and battling the occasional Hobbe or two. These guild seals are in turn used to unlock new abilities and items stored in treasure chests lining “The Road to Rule.” This limits the experience; what once felt like a massive web of options has been reduced to a series of boxes on the side of a misty road. The gaming community seems to have some qualms with the streamlined menu system as well. This can be viewed as a positive change, though the old school role player in me misses the list set up, however massive and overwhelming it could be. This set up infringes on the customization options that used to be available as well. There is a disappointing lack of costume and appearance options. The graphics of Fable III, while overall improved in comparison to its predecessors, approach the lackluster more often than not. Occasional voicing problems exist, like multiple conversations occurring simultaneously. It is certainly safe to say there is certainly ample room for improvement.   

Despite a considerable handful of setbacks, Fable III is an enormous step in the right direction for the series and one of Lionhead Studio’s prized works. Whether you are a long time fan of the Fable series, or this is your first foray into the fantastic world of Albion, it is certainly worth checking out. Achievement friendly and highly entertaining, this perfect release will strengthen a year of mediocre titles.