Fable III for the Xbox 360 is the next sequel in the Fable series. If you haven’t played Fable before, it is quite an unusual game. Along with the standard storyline quests and the necessary destruction of enemies, Fable has an additional morality system. This means that you can be the good guy or the bad guy depending on the choices that you make.
The storyline for Fable III happens approximately fifty years after Fable II. Choose between becoming a Prince or Princess. Either way, your evil sibling is in control of the kingdom and bent on keeping it all for themselves. It is your classic story of repression. As the Hero, you have to lead the revolution to reclaim the throne.
You have three weapons at your disposal – magic, a melee weapon, and a long range weapon. Each weapon is controlled by a different button on the controller. The first quest is basically used to learn how the weapons work and how to control which enemy you want to destroy. Along the way are treasure chests to open and spots to dig up as signaled by your faithful companion.
The additional challenge to this game is the social interaction. Fable III allows its Heroes to marry, produce children, buy houses and shops, and rent out houses to produce income. You can make villagers hate you or love you depending on your mood. It is this particular aspect that rounds out the experience of the game.
While the basic game is good, there are still a few details in it that tend to bring it down a little. First, the graphics tend to make the characters appear bigger than an average hero, and you can actually get fat in this game despite all of the combat action. The moral to eat your vegetables is a turn-off.
It takes awhile to learn how to direct your magic, and upgrades are earned through chests rather than experience points. The weapons themselves also develop on their own and have no real customization options. This does detract from the combat system since you are limited by what you can do.
But my biggest complaint is that there is no easy access to the inventory. You have to keep popping back into your guild room to get the necessary items and to change clothes.
The biggest advantage of this game is the travel system. It is based on a map and portals. This makes it super easy to travel between spots and find your quest targets.
Overall, if you like combat with a socialization factor, than you will like Fable III. While it isn’t the best of the series, it still has plenty to offer. Pick this game up as used or rent it.
