The game begins by taking control of either the son or daughter of the hero from Fable 2 , the prince or princess of the fantasy kingdom of Albion. Choosing to be the prince means the character’s father was the hero, while choosing the princess means it was the character’s mother. The game takes place 50 years after the events of Fable 2. The industrial revolution has swept across the land, and things in Albion have changed drastically. The protagonist’s brother is currently the king, but he’s ruling more like a tyrant. From there, destiny requires leaving the safety of the castle (with a faithful dog of course), becoming a hero, garnering the support of the people, overthrowing the oppressive brother/king and becoming the ruler of Albion. How this is gone about is up to the player to dec

Without a doubt, Fable II is one of the most anticipated games of the year. Still, in the weeks leading up to its release, the feeling of dread was palpable. Many gamers remember the hype surrounding the original title, only to be disappointed when they received an experience that was great but not the classic they had felt they were promised.

Fable was always a game that felt like you were actually building a character how you wanted. At least in terms of shaping your path and justifying moral choices. But you were kind of tied down to the armour available in the game’s world. And while that in itself was okay, I think I’d like to have the choice to visit a blacksmith and customize my armour and weapons’ appeara

Fable Anniversary is a port of ten year old game released on eight year old hardware after we’ve witnessed the power of next-gen. Yet even with so much stacked against it, it manages to impress. There’s not much of a “wow-factor” because of its ill-timed release, but with the exception of completely rebuilding the game for Xbox One, there simply isn’t much else that could be done that isn’t accomplished here. Sound, functionality and graphics are all substantially improved and breath new life into a game that has aged remarkably well. Even after two sequels and console generations, Fable has the uncanny ability to suck you into its Adventure games updates through the world of Albion. Anniversary is more of a preservation if anything, ensuring that the entire franchise can now be played in the same manner on the same console. As a museum piece, it’s a wonderful effort that ensures the game will remain relevant for a new generation of players. As a game, it’s the definitive edition of a superb title that has a lot to offer even in 2014.

Another big improvement is that of the interfaces. The previous ones were rough even in 2004, seeming basic enough to be more at home with PS1-era games. Thankfully, they’ve been completely overhauled for this release, matching up better with the subsequent Fable games. Navigation-wise, they’re a bit too clumsy. The triggers, shoulders buttons and analog sticks all come into play when scrolling around, resulting in a learning curve that shouldn’t exist for menus. Still, there’s only so much that can be done and at least the old interface wasn’t simply re-skinned.

While every game has rideable horses, Fable ‘s bestiary is diverse enough to include some exciting options for rideable animals. Wolves have always had a prominent place in Fable ‘s world, not to mention bears, deer, and other traditionally British fauna. With the letter entries pushing further into the future, it’s not unthinkable we wouldn’t see cars or other vehicles make an appeara

But it is also not unheard of for Microsoft to pull a real surprise out of nowhere during their press conference (they did so last year with the new Xbox 360 redesign ), so don’t be shocked if it happens once again. While we have taken a few stabs at what that big surprise might be, we’ll know for sure on June

Fable 3 is without question one of the biggest and most anticipated releases of the year. After spending a week with the game I can say with certainty that it’s worth the price of admission, but it’s not perfect. Developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studio, Fable 3 takes the franchise in a more accessible direction, opening up the world of RPG games to anyone who cares to pick up a control

The star of the show is clearly the world of Albion. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, you can see how easy it is to be drawn in. Slightly cartoony visuals make the world so charming you will want to explore every area for fear of missing the smallest detail. It is easy to take the most menial task and turn it into hours of exploration and enjoyment, which also adds to the feeling that your options are limitless. Need to find an item? Why not take some time and search that forest for hidden treasure first. Need some side money? Well, Albion offers plenty of options to make it, from taking a real 9-5 job, becoming a store owner or slum lord, or even looting houses. Depending on your character type and play style, you can find something to do at any time without even delving into a single quest.