As someone who has been around the industry for a long time, I have seen the hype of upcoming release titles. I can’t really blame game companies for hyping their games and to a point I add to it by writing previews and posting news which is all part of the job. When the Xbox was first announced, the one game that was getting a lot of attention was a game called Project Ego, an ambitious RPG fantasy game that sounded like it was going to be great. As time went on, the project seemed to suffer setbacks and delays. Then it was announced the game would be called Fable and would be a massive online game. This of course was after the launch of XBL. It’s not uncommon for any title to go through delays or even a name change. This one had a lot of attention thanks to the man behind the game, Peter Molyneux, creator of Black & White.

The game seemed to disappear off the radar and release lists only to reappear later. The game was finally released not as the epic online game, but as an offline adventure role playing game and was a hit. The game was cut down and lacked allot of what was promised when it was first announced, but it is a great game. It is one of the most unique adventures out there that allows you to make choices, see the character grow and become either a hero or a nasty villain. Fable was a hit and was enjoyed and praised by reviewers and gamers alike. While a bit short in the overall gameplay, the interesting twists and voice acting and other things made Fable one of the most original games ever released for the Xbox. Fable has been re-released in a sort of director’s cut version and at a budget price which features more quests, weapons and choices. The real question is even at the budget price is Fable The Lost Chapters worth playing again?

Gameplay

Many fans will enjoy replaying the game with the new side quests and added weapons and choices. It looks great, plays great and is longer than the first version. It is even priced at a budget price of $19.99. It’s true the game has about 5-6 hours of additional gameplay, but you will need to replay the whole game from the start. For those who may have passed on this one the first time, it’s a no- brainer and certainly worth the money. If you traded in the game or thought it was a bit too short or easy, this version has more going for it. Yes, they even managed to fill in a few gaps that were missing from the story of the first version. They, however, did not fix a few of the game’s quirks that made it a bit easy to beat. Magic spells are still way too powerful and those who learn the right spells will find it easy to just rely on these powers to get past the tougher parts.

The story is good and interesting but still lacks total freedom some fans may want. In this one choices and actions have an effect on the main character as well as the other characters in the game. Your physical appearance will change during the game in real time. If you decide to choose a path of evil, your character will begin to look evil and the effect is well done. If you choose the hero or the good side, your character will take on that appearance as well and this is the one thing that makes the game so enjoyable. Fable has some great traps or storylines that will always pop up and force you to make a choice between good or evil. You may be asked to rescue someone for a handsome reward then be taken aside by someone and told you will get a larger reward if you bring that person to them. Your choices not only affect you, but they affect the whole game and are part of the charm of the world of Fable.

The Lost Chapters is good and you will have plenty to see and do but the game could have been deeper. The moral system is great and adds a new twist but it can also be used to quickly change the game to your advantage and at times is a bit unbalanced. If you just play the game and take it for what it has to offer, it’s a good story and allot of action. You just need to adjust and allow the game to entertain and not over-think the things or events that happen, after all, this is fantasy not reality.

From magic to weapons and even marriage it has everything thrown in and more. The world of Fable may not be the deepest out there but draws you in and keeps you interested. The new additional material will add a few hours of gameplay and add to the overall story. It also has some events that will have you laughing one minute and surprised the next. The release of the new version also shows that they want players to see exactly what they missed as well as be up to date for the next 360 version coming out next year.

Control / Playability

The controls are laid out well and are easy to learn. It takes about 30 minutes to learn the basics. There are a few advance control features but you will be shown these as you progress throughout the game. The map can be made larger to look for places you need to go and then switch back to the smaller view. Fighting and spells are easy to pull off and perhaps a little too easy after you become more powerful. Overall, the controls are great and there is no delay in any action. The analog sticks make it easy to move and look around and there are no issues with the games’ camera.

Xbox Live

The only feature is that the game is Live Aware and allows you the choice to stay visible for invites or to check your friends list. An online mode would have been great and certainly would make this one even more interesting.

Graphics / Presentation

The world of Fable comes to life and has plenty to see. The graphics are especially well done on the player you control and the way he changes based on how you play the game. The other characters are brought to life and don’t seem thrown. Each has a unique look and purpose. The amount of details added really helps players get into the world they are in. Each building and new area of the maps change so you won’t see the same graphics over and over. A few contest areas really help the game shine and showed how hard the developers wanted to create this world and make it seem real. At night the graphics are a bit dark in certain areas but really help add to the feel of the game.

Audio

The music score and the voices are well done and fit perfectly at times. You may get tired of villagers praising you if you’re a good guy and also tired of the insults if you’re evil. The voice actors help add to the story and all sound convincing for the most part. The musical score at times will cue you when there is something about to happen and sound well done. The sound effects of the spells being cast and weapons clashing all sound realistic and different depending on what weapon you are using. They really spent a lot of time in the audio department and the overall result is a great sounding game that helps draw the player deeper into the world of fantasy.

Replay Value

Having the choice of playing the game as a hero or as an evil bad-ass is great and the story changes depending on your actions and choices. With the additional weapons and side missions, players will probably want to play the game as each one. True RPG fans will probably get the most out of Fable The Lost Chapters. It is certainly worth the $19.99. Most gamers will probably play as one side then take a break and play it the other way later.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.2/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

The game will make any fan of this genre happy; any game that can show your character growing up and show you how your choices affect your player is pretty impressive. I enjoyed playing the game again and seeing things that were not available the first time around. They made the right choice by adding in the missing storylines and the new side missions. Most fans won’t mind paying the price to play a more complete version and first time players will really get their money’s worth with the added content. The game shows the vision of what they were trying to do before the delays and changes and might even get fans ready for the upcoming sequel. It’s a solid title and has plenty to do and see. It is not just a reissue at a cheaper price and it certainly offers enough to warrant a purchase.

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