Fable 3 lands a Busy Gamer 4

First Glance:
The third installment to the popular Fable series. More choices for a new Hero and a kingdom to rebuild.

The Short Story:
Peter Molyneaux sends us back to Albion once again but this time as the direct offspring of the Hero from Fable 2. The choices you make throughout the game, as in the first two of the series, determine how people react to you and the outcome of the story. You’re putting together a revolution this time around and you have to make some tough choices along the way as you make your alliances and try to get the population of Albion behind you.

The Score:
Fable 3 has taken everything that was done right in the first two games and produced an absolutely fabulous outing into the world of Albion. Combat has been dumbed down (almost too much in some cases) and the story will leave you wanting more. The pros of this game, however, outweigh the cons and deliver on aspects that will leave even the busiest gamer wanting more. While you may want to play more than thirty minutes to an hour at a time, this game can be devoured in short sessions with very little problem and may almost be too short in regards to the storyline. Fable 3 pulls down a Busy Gamer 4.

Body of review:
Those of you who remember what we had to say about Fable 2 (http://www.busygamer.com/blog1/?p=1008) may be surprised that we’ve rated it’s sequel so highly but there’s a reason to all of it that may surprise you if you haven’t had the chance to sample Peter Molyneaux’s latest offering. To begin, there’s the story. Without spoiling it for you, the hero you create is thrown into the fray very quickly with your first moral choice coming shortly after creating your character. Forced to choose between two evils, you quickly begin to understand just how difficult some of the choices you have to make truly are.

That's your brother. Any guesses as to where his moral compass points?

I mentioned after playing the game over Halloween weekend that one could beat the storyline in Fable 3 rather quickly. This is the truth. It’s my estimation that if you were to focus solely on the story and avoided the side quests, you could conceivably wrap up the game in under 4-5 hours. You’re going to miss out on a lot of the game by doing this but if you were really pressed for time and wanted to just breeze through the story, it’s possible. And if you were to do so, you could still continue to do quests and power up your character as the side quests are all available regardless of what point you are in the story.

The combat system has been overhauled in Fable 3 and while I initially disapproved of the changes, they grew on me. To begin, all of your combat abilities as well as your non-combat skills are purchased using Guild Seals. Guild Seals are gained by killing enemies, completing quests, and by making friends (or enemies) with the local villagers. To improve skills, your Hero has to teleport to the Road of Rule, a shadowy realm reflecting your travels and adventures through the game, where chests line the Road that can only be unlocked by spending your hard earned Seals. This allows you to power up abilities without actually having to use them, a problem in the two earlier versions of Fable where one combat skills could quickly outpace your other two skills making it difficult later in the game to improve said skills against the harder opponents.

With the change to the combat skill system comes another addition to the combat. Each skill is accessed by pressing one button on the controller. In other words, pressing the Y button always utilizes your gun (the only ranged weapon category this time out) while X and B activate your melee and magic skills respectively. At first this might seem like an oversimplification but timing your attacks can produce some truly spectacular results. For instance, pressing X just as an enemy attacks results in a slow motion counter attack that typically results in a one shot kill. The game isn’t specific about the timing and the only means to practice the counter attack is to figure it out as you go. The counter attack can be done with all of your weapons and spells and once mastered can significantly increase your potency in combat. Flourishes still play a part in your fights and can be used to negate an opponent’s defense. (more…)

Fable III for Xbox 360 and PC appears to be quite generous on the prostitutes that will be roaming the towns, male and female, as depicted here in 2 pages of the new Fable III artbook.

The Art of Fable III book will contain images of uniforms, posters, characters and enviroments featured in the game. And maybe a few coin purses here and there. Yep we said it. I was wondering how much ‘play-style’ from Fable II would be incorperated in the third installment of the series, and judging by the pics I’d say that you will still be prompted to use ‘protection’ upon every endeavor.

And we always need that in our fantasy life too right? Of course. And need a bigger pic for your desktop – click away pervo.

(Gamespot) – Lionhead Studios launched the Villager Maker, a Web-based tool aimed at encouraging gamers to preorder Fable III by allowing them to create a character and have him or her imported into the full game.

The Villager Maker tool launched today on Xbox.com in the United States and United Kingdom. The Web-based Silverlight application lets excited Fable gamers create a character and design not only his or her physical attributes, but also the person’s backstory and decision-making thought process.

The tool is free and available to anyone, but those who wish to have their character imported into Fable III need to preorder the game. For those who reserve it, the created character will appear in the title as a quest-giving character who will deliver a task as well as 1,000 gold (Fable III’s in-game currency). Those looking only to tinker around with the software can share their creations on social media hubs Twitter and Facebook and can also download an image of their character for use as a desktop background.

Fable III is the third chapter in the Fable franchise. Developed by Lionhead Studios, the game is due out on the Xbox 360 October 26. Unlike its predecessors, it will cast players as the king or queen of Albion, tasking them with commanding their realm, keeping peace, waging war, and enjoying the game’s 47 hours of dialogue.

'See The Future' hits XBL May 12

(Press Release) – Enter Lionhead Studios’ world of whimsy to catch a glimpse of the new adventures that await the heroes of “Fable II??? in the much anticipated second Game Add-on, “See the Future,??? which will be available May 12 on Xbox LIVE. In this latest behind-the-scenes diary episode, the team chats about the continued storyline, wacky characters and design choices for “See the Future,??? including the creation of 250 fun Achievement points and a trip down memory lane to the original “Fable.???

“See the Future??? returns to the beloved world of Albion, where a set of cursed items from Murgo the Trader unleashes new challenges for players to overcome, including encounters with kooky ghost hobbes, bloodcurdling necromancers, a cursed knight and the Coliseum, where only the greatest heroes will emerge victorious to claim the ultimate prize. Of course, what would travel be without a trusty companion? The “Fable II??? dog returns with three alter egos to guide players on their quests to see the future, in the form of a Dalmatian, Bloodhound or Husky.

In addition to fantastical new quests, creatures, characters, events and legendary artifacts, “See the Future??? also offers free unique items to all, including a unique soldier helmet, braided ponytail hairstyle, psycho Jester make-up, a new hero expression, the back flip trick for canine companions, and a collectible Murgo the Trader gold statue.

As an added bonus, all Xbox LIVE Silver account members are invited to join in on the adventurous LIVE co-op festivities during the Multiplayer Unlocked Weekend for free! Created specifically for “Fable II??? fans, this Multiplayer Unlocked Weekend will be accessible in all LIVE-enabled regions where “Fable II??? is available, starting May 8 at 12:01 p.m. EST, and concluding on May 11 at 11:59 a.m. EST.

Even a new expression, like maybe STFU? Ha.

(Lionhead Press Release) -The future of Albion awaits discovery. In the latest game add-on for “Fable II,??? the award-winning role-playing game that has sold more than 2.6 million copies worldwide, players will encounter challenges unlike anything a hero has faced before. Available in May exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Microsoft and Lionhead Studios keep the “Fable II??? adventures going in “See the Future,??? an action-packed journey that requires players to lift the curses placed on three mysterious items that have come into the possession of Murgo the Trader.

In “See the Future,??? players will be given the chance to heed the call for a hero to restore color and balance to the world, or let Albion fall to the wayside. Those who emerge victorious will receive the ultimate reward: a quest that provides a vision of Albion’s future and what lies ahead for those born into the heroic bloodline. The fantastical new quests in “See the Future??? will bring players face-to-face with new characters, creatures, events and legendary artifacts, including:

Murgo: Having first met him during the childhood sequence of “Fable II,??? Murgo returns to Bowerstone Market to bring an amazing array of new wares, including potions that can transform canine companions into new breeds.

The Ghosts of the Snowglobe Quest: Holding a disturbing secret, the small model village inside it was once a real town in Albion. The people who once inhabited it are now ghosts condemned to endless torment until the shadowy threat that cursed them is defeated.

The Cursed Knight Quest: Forever banished to a land beyond the dead, the Cursed Knight awaits a hero who has the strength and will to dress up in convincing costumes, even imitating a hobbe or balverine, to save him from his fate.

The Colosseum: The Colosseum puts even the Crucible to shame. Only the greatest heroes have triumphed here. Players’ abilities will be put to the test to prove themselves in combat once and for all, to win the ultimate in prizes.

In addition, “See the Future??? offers free unique items* to all, including Welley’s soldier helmet and other clothing, a braided ponytail and other hairstyles, psycho Jester make-up, a new hero expression, the back flip trick for canine companions, and a collectible Murgo the Trader gold statue.

The “Fable II??? “See the Future??? game add-on will be available for download exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in May for 560 MS Points for the premium content package. “Fable II??? is available exclusively on Xbox 360 and is rated “M??? for Mature by the ESRB and PEGI 16 +.