Fable (Xbox)

Reviewed by JON MINIFIE

(Herald rating: * * * *)

In 2001, Peter Molyneux announced his company Lionhead Studios was developing a role-playing game exclusively for the Xbox. Molyneux's list of credits includes Populous, Black and White and Dungeon Keeper, so when he said he was planning to make the greatest RPG, the gaming world listened.

In many ways, Fable is a down-to-earth action RPG. There is no drawn-out character creation process. Players enter a name and the opening film introduces your character as a boy, no more than 9 or 10 years old.

Fable's early gameplay walks you through basic rules while you're a young boy in tiny Oakvale. The forest of Albion feels alive, with its lush countryside, giant trees and cosy cottages: eye-popping detail makes each area seem bigger than it actually is.

The boy's world is suddenly shattered when bandits invade his village, murdering his father and making off with his sister and mother. He is whisked away to the Heroes Guild to be trained for combat (with swords and bows) and magic.

After graduating from the guild, the story is really up to you. From this point players may develop their hero into a messiah, a tyrant, or anything in between.

Fable is an open-ended adventure, with several ways of approaching the story. Casual gamers can run through this RPG, completing the quests and side quests after about 15-20 hours of gameplay.

But exploring the game in greater detail could take as long as 100 hours and there are plenty of distractions if you prefer to take your time: players can get married, own and rent property, collect and sell merchandise: you can even get drunk or have (censored) sex.

Shaping your character over a lifetime is made even more intriguing by the fact that almost everything you do in the game affects your physical appearance. If players regularly employ brute force to defeat enemies, their characters will become big, beefy Conan types.

On the other hand, if your character uses magic, he or she will be physically weaker, ageing rapidly to appear more wizard-like. A day cycles every 48 minutes in Fable and you will eventually grow old anyway. Along the way you'll get tattoos, style your hair, tan, gain and lose weight: old scars will fade and new ones will appear.

Unlike the more story-driven RPGs, Fable feels as if it was designed to be played over and over. While some of the most ambitious ideas have fallen by the wayside, the many features that Molyneux's team were able to pull off are impressive. Fable isn't the greatest role-playing adventure ever, but the final product is an extraordinarily beautiful and engaging action RPG that any Xbox owner will be pleased to have in their collection.

Price: $99.95

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