Review: Fable: Lost Chapters - Xbox

A great way to tie up Fable's loose ends

Sunday, November 20, 2005

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Good: Gameplay, side quests, graphics

Bad: Lack of relevant new material

Best New Expression: The Crotch Grab

Before its release last fall, Fable was hyped as the greatest Role Playing game ever created. Peter Molyneux promised an experience that would change with every action, in essence, a game that would be different for everyone. When it was released, many were disappointed by the final product. Ultimately, even though it was very good, the hype proved to be greater than the game itself.

Fable: The Lost Chapters is a step closer to what Molyneux promised gamers. The story is much more fleshed out than the original. The plot in Fable seemed somewhat disjointed at times, with events occurring with little to no explanation or back story, but thankfully, TLC does a great job of delivering a more cohesive tale. There are subplots and side quests, but the main quest involves a boy whose family was split apart. The boy is taken in by the Guild of Heroes to facilitate the process of revenge.

As with the original Fable, there are countless ways to play TLC. Use experience points to become an incredibly powerful mage or the brawniest fighter Albion has ever seen. Find blue mushrooms to save a little boy and increase your alignment for good or kill guards for gold and continue on a path of evil. The hack and slash element is present in TLC, but there is so much more available as well. The main quest will be comparable for most gamers, but the side quests and free-roaming nature are what really makes TLC shine. Doors and paths that led to nowhere now have a purpose. Your character has new expressions and can don ridiculous clothing and accessories left out of the original.

Much like Grand Theft Auto, the ability to do so much can often distract from the overall quest. With so many Demon Doors to unlock, so many silver keys to find and a chance to marry in almost every town; revenge can quickly be put on the backburner. The fact that almost all of the new material is not directly related to the main quest only increases this risk. This is also where the game draws all of its replay value. The main quest doesn’t change drastically with your decisions throughout the game. Things might be slightly different if you have horns instead of a halo, or can call upon dead souls as opposed to killing criminals with one blow, but ultimately the side quests and the world of Albion as a whole are where your decisions are noticeable and relevant. If you’ve got a chicken head hat, people will laugh at you, but if you just helped a bandit raid, they will cower or run away.

The graphics, basically unchanged since the original, are still slick after a year. Upper level magic and attack spells are still impressive, although the next generation is upon us. Animation is fluid even when attacked by ten different enemies. The world of Albion is incredibly detailed, from the headless statues in the Chapel of Skorm, to the glowing stones in Lady Grey’s mansion.

The music is perfect for the game. Grand sweeping melodies surround you during heroic feats, and fast, tense music plays during battle. The voice acting is impressive as well. People from all over have things to say, which is amazing when taking into consideration the scale of the land and all of its inhabitants.

Overall, the game isn’t incredibly different than the original. Gamers who didn’t play Fable, or those who only played it once through should pick up TLC. It’s definitely worth the 20 bucks for some of the new expressions and the Darkwood Bordello alone. I can’t wait to see what Fable 2 will look like.

Graphics: A-

Sound: A

First Play: B+

Last Play: B-

Gameplay: B

Overall: 87% B

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Review: Fable: Lost Chapters - Xbox

A great way to tie up Fable's loose ends

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