Previews

Mark says The F Word. A lot.

FACT I: Fable II was "rushed, messy and had big design flaws". That's according to the game's own lead designer; Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux.

FACT II: Despite its chief creator's recent critique, Fable II was actually one of 2008's best games; "a welcoming, colourful, tongue-in-cheek fairytale for everyone to enjoy," which "for such an ambitious undertaking, [was] a huge success." That's according to us. And the vast majority of the gaming press, too, if an average Metacritic rating of 89 is anything to go by.

The gift of the gab

FACT III: Fable III takes the template laid down by its forebear and runs with it; and, based on my play of the first three hours, Fable III it's a better game in every single way, shape and form.

The first way in which Fable III ups the ante is a rather simple one; it gives the main character a voice. Where Fable II's speechless protagonist was something of a cipher for the player to imprint their personality upon, Fable III's Prince or Princess (I went for the Prince) – the youngest child of Fable II's hero – is able to convey a richer emotional range merely by opening their mouth to relate their concerns.

At Fable III's outset, that means talking to your Butler, Jasper (voiced by none other than John Cleese!), your childhood sweetheart Elise (or a male alternate if you play as a female lead) and the Palace's head guard, Sir Walter, about the increasingly dark machinations of Albion's King – your elder brother, Logan.

It's here that you'll get to sample Fable III's deeper, murkier and more impactful moral compass – not that your first choice alludes to it too much. With Albion's underprivileged underclass demonstrating loudly, but peacefully inside the castle grounds, you're asked whether or not to sign a petition to help improve their living conditions, to relatively little consequence either way.

Cause-and-effect

Mere minutes later, however, you're being forced by Logan to pick between killing the rowdy rabble's ringleaders, or letting Elise die. It's a world away from the relatively transparent black/white cause-and-effect of Fable II; there really is no right or wrong – though we were assured it's a choice which will have lasting repercussions later in the game.

After that brisk, eventful opening the big success of the next hour or so is the way in which Fable III teaches you the many facets of gameplay whilst at the same time setting out the wider quest which lies before you.

For starters, you'll need to unlock your hero powers, which means a trip to the, err, trippy Road To Rule (hello again, Theresa!), where you unlock chests that give you spells and various stat bonuses. Then you'll need to acquire a weapon, which you do from perhaps gaming's most elaborate pause screen – an entire chamber named the Sanctuary, with different rooms for equipment, clothing, the newly-enhanced map and co-op (more on that later).

These weapons can actually grow WITH you, reflecting your actions and changing to look holier-than-thou or decidedly evil along with your character, depending on your actions throughout the game. The map, meanwhile, lets you fast-travel to different areas and see which properties you own without jumping between menu screens.

Do the funky chicken

Next up, you'll need to start gaining the following of Albion's inhabitants in order to overthrow Logan. So, off you go to the Dweller camp, where Walter throws you some gold and implores you to buy some Dweller clothes. Newly suited up in activist-baiting animal furs, you get to meet the Dweller Leader Sabine, who gives you three tasks to accomplish before he'll even think about trusting you; and so off you go into the merry town of Brightfall where you will, amongst other things, take a job making pies, and dress up as a giant chicken on one of the funniest Fable quests ever.

Doing all of that gives you enough cash to purchase some mercenary gear and infiltrate their camp to do battle with their leader. Once he's defeated, things all go a bit BioShock, giving you the choice of slaying or sparing him. There will be a knock-on effect either way; you can be sure of that.

That's about as far as I made it into Fable III, and it left me eager to play more. What I didn't get to see was the game's Big Hook, actually getting to become the king-ruler of Albion – which if my chats with various Lionhead staffers are to be believed, will happen half way through the game, between seven and ten hours in – the entire length of Fable II's story arc.

So yes, Fable III is bigger than Fable II. It's also more emotive, more compelling and more structured, in a similar way to how Assassin's Creed II improved on its original; fusing its many features much more tightly to the narrative, making for an altogether more enjoyable game.

Masterpiece

That refinement even extends to online co-op which has been overhauled considerably for Fable III, allowing players to wander vast areas independently (complete with their own dog), share gold, and even split their wares 50-50 by getting married, replete with an elaborate lakeside ceremony and Xbox Achievement.

In short, every criticism of Fable II has been addressed with Fable III; and as I mentioned at the outset, that was no bad game either. With Halo: Reach, Kinect and Molyneux's masterpiece all on the way, the last four month's of 2010 are going to be a bumper period for Xbox owners. And that, my friends, is a FACT.

Preview by: Mark 'Saved the Girl' Scott
Preview Published: 18.08.10