Fable Anniversary Review

Your Health is Still Low.

As a diehard Fable fanboy I was delighted when Lionhead Studios announced their next instalment of the series, Fable Legends. A prequel to the series that takes a look at Albion when Heroes were abundant and Albion was less industrial and filled with magic, brilliant. It’s no surprise then that Lionhead revealing an anniversary addition on the original Fable made me more than a little giddy.

This HD remake contains the full Fable story along with the additional content of Fable: The Lost Chapters. Released on PC and Xbox 360, it is essentially what Fable would have been had it been released on the 360. It therefore has the same content, storyline and character voices as the original, but in shiny new graphics and with an achievement list for players to conquer.

The achievements are typically Fable in their content and humour, such as “I did for a cheevo” which required players to get a headshot on an enemy whilst wearing a wig, a beard and a dressed as a woman. Like the demon doors scattered across Albion, some achievements also offer players a couple of options in how to achieve them. For example “Arthur or Robin” Requires players to either pull the sword from the stone or win the archery competition, whereas “Definitely off the rails” gives players the choice of either exploring every region in the game or becoming so obese that you are “as round as the world”.

Lionhead has been extremely passionate with the Anniversary edition and has tried to keep the game as pure as possible to the original. What they have done however has made a couple of alterations to aspects of the original that stopped the game dead in its tracks. The most noticeable change is that of the combat system which now stems from the improved one button system introduced in Fable 2. Although a smoother system in general, there are issues. When the new one button system was introduced in Fable 2, all combat was changed to accommodate it, with environmental aspects, different striking techniques and finishing moves. In Anniversary however it is only the button system which has changed, meaning combat has become slightly clunky, with noticeable delays between pressing a command and action taking place (flourishes are the main offenders).

The most important change made to the game however is the save system. Lionhead has ditched its god awful way of saving where players could not save progress during a quest, they could only “world save” meaning they would keep any experience earned, but would have to restart the quest when they resumed. This has been rectified in Anniversary, as Lionhead decided it was probably better to use the standard save system that is popular with every game ever! 

Any Fable veterans who have played the original game may play through it thinking that the updated graphics look as though the textures have been poorly laid over the top of the old ones, as if Lionhead were slapping a coat of paint over a crack in the wall. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not putting lipstick on a pig. It’s was never how the game looked that made Fable a great game, it was its content. Although the visuals do come across as shaky at times, it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of playing, if anything it makes the game look and feel more like Fable, its part of the game’s charm.

And this is exactly what players who have never played a Fable game will need to keep in mind when playing in order to enjoy it. It’s sad to say but players used to the hyper graphics of Ryse and the adrenaline pumping FPS games currently being pumped onto the shelves will know they are playing a ten year old game, and will understandably be unimpressed by Fable Anniversary’s face value. However, knuckle under through the fairly slow opening and reach the rich heart of the game, and it’ll be hard for any gamer to not be wooed by Fable’s appeal.

Any fable fans who have not had the pleasure of experiencing the game where it all began should definitely play Fable anniversary. If not for the backstory, then to simply see where the series began and where its roots lie.

Fable Anniversary retains all the charisma, character and very British humour of the original game all wrapped up in shiny new graphics. Like a shot for shot remake (a good one though, not like Psycho). The HD update and achievements make it feel fresh, whilst the original cut scenes and voiceover actors bring an air of nostalgia to players of the original.

At the end of the day Fable Anniversary is a game for Fable fans. It is a game that knows what it is and sets out to accomplish what it is meant to, the best playable version of the game that made the series ground breaking. A rediscovery of what makes Fable great.

 

Verdict: 8/10 Fable Aniversary is a Glorious look back for fans of the series, but shows its age to modern gamers when compared with recent titles.