2008 Woodie Awards
Fable: with every choice a consequence
Addiction, the consequence of playing
Paul Davis
Issue date: 9/23/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
This Xbox title by Lionhead Studio's satellite developer, Big Blue Box, is absolutely incredible. I would say that it was over hyped during the five years it changed from Project: Ego to Fable, but all in all, it is more than anyone could have expected.
Peter Molyneux, the managing director of Lionhead and visionary behind Fable, has been coming out with new and incredible games for some time. Many will call his games strange, but they have been some of the most open ended games the industry has seen. One game many know is Black and White.
The game is as sweet as the pie table on Thanksgiving. The game records stats such as wives, drinks, times thrown up because of drinks, times divorced in combination with getting married and throwing up, and the like. There are titles that everyone will call out, starting with Chicken Chaser. New titles can be bought, at which point the hero will be called by that name.
Before the sweet, I will admit there is the sour. Beware the clumsy interface. It took me a good couple hours to finally feel comfortable looking through my items and weapons, let alone shop. The world, honestly, isn't as free roaming as I thought it would be. There are specific paths from one place to the next. The controls for combat can be clumsy. A few times I ended up shooting lightning instead of shooting arrows. The plot isn't the greatest as well.
Social interaction can also be as intensive as combat, as the right motion at the right time can make the crowds go wild, or it can make them cringe in disgust as you flip them the birdie. Battle is, in all honesty, fun. You roll around while slaughtering people, the undead, wasps, or other creatures.
There are decisions to be made in the game as well. If you are evil, prepare yourself for horns and flies buzzing around you. If you are a good boy, you'll be crowned with a halo and an entourage of light butterflies. Charging into battle will give you scars. Crawling around at night will leave you sickly pale, while running around in the day will leave you dark and handsome. At the end of the game you can look at your character and tell a bit about your past.
If you want a game that is enticing, this is the game for you. However, if you do not wish to be absorbed into an enchanting world of magic and swords, don't give Fable a second thought. If you want to get lost in what would be a beautiful era, pick up your controller, it's time to create an alter-ego and live out a Middle Age fantasy. In Fable you can be good, evil, or somewhere in between ...which one will you choose?
Peter Molyneux, the managing director of Lionhead and visionary behind Fable, has been coming out with new and incredible games for some time. Many will call his games strange, but they have been some of the most open ended games the industry has seen. One game many know is Black and White.
The game is as sweet as the pie table on Thanksgiving. The game records stats such as wives, drinks, times thrown up because of drinks, times divorced in combination with getting married and throwing up, and the like. There are titles that everyone will call out, starting with Chicken Chaser. New titles can be bought, at which point the hero will be called by that name.
Before the sweet, I will admit there is the sour. Beware the clumsy interface. It took me a good couple hours to finally feel comfortable looking through my items and weapons, let alone shop. The world, honestly, isn't as free roaming as I thought it would be. There are specific paths from one place to the next. The controls for combat can be clumsy. A few times I ended up shooting lightning instead of shooting arrows. The plot isn't the greatest as well.
Social interaction can also be as intensive as combat, as the right motion at the right time can make the crowds go wild, or it can make them cringe in disgust as you flip them the birdie. Battle is, in all honesty, fun. You roll around while slaughtering people, the undead, wasps, or other creatures.
There are decisions to be made in the game as well. If you are evil, prepare yourself for horns and flies buzzing around you. If you are a good boy, you'll be crowned with a halo and an entourage of light butterflies. Charging into battle will give you scars. Crawling around at night will leave you sickly pale, while running around in the day will leave you dark and handsome. At the end of the game you can look at your character and tell a bit about your past.
If you want a game that is enticing, this is the game for you. However, if you do not wish to be absorbed into an enchanting world of magic and swords, don't give Fable a second thought. If you want to get lost in what would be a beautiful era, pick up your controller, it's time to create an alter-ego and live out a Middle Age fantasy. In Fable you can be good, evil, or somewhere in between ...which one will you choose?