The very first Fable is a game that I enjoyed far more than I was supposed to. after the game was released containing far fewer features than Peter Molyneux promised (Where’s my Oak tree grown from an acorn, dammit!). Still, when it was released on PC, including the “Lost Chapters” it was a highly enjoyable, easy-to-play light RPG. It’s been nearly ten years, and the game is back to grace your Xbox 360 in an HD “Anniversary” edition. Is it worth revisiting Albion?
Many of today’s gamers were only introduced to the series with Fable 2, which was one of the Xbox 360’s better exclusives, so there’s reason for them to see where it all began. Is it still worth playing ten years on? Here’s what critics have to say.
Destructoid – 7.5/10 :
Fable Anniversary may not blow you away, but it’s still a good action game that everyone should experience at some point or another, and I’d consider it vastly superior to Fable 2 and 3. If you’ve never played a Fable game before this is a great place to start, but at full price, it’s hard to wholly recommend over picking up the original Xbox Lost Chapters edition on the cheap.
IGN – 8/10:
Fable Anniversary’s personality has proved truly ageless, even if some of its mechanics haven’t. Inevitably, its doesn’t feel as fresh today as they did in 2004, but the strange and beautiful world of Albion, with all its weird idiosyncrasies and wildly varied accents, is as absorbing and lovably, peculiarly British as it ever was.
OXM – 7/10:
Get past the faintly patronising tutorial, and resist the slightly disappointing final battle, and stay in the brilliant, rich middle. This is an adventure that rewards the curious and the explorers.
EGM – 6/10:
Fable still has some charming elements that have stood the test of time and survive in Fable Anniversary. But most of the game shows its age, so if you played Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters the first time around, there’s little here to bring you back for more.
Videogamer – 7/10:
Fable now stands alongside Halo as an Anniversary re-release, and the latter stands as the pinnacle of its respective series, while Fable’s sequels surpassed it in almost every way. This may make the trip perhaps less impressive than you may have hoped, and it’s tricky to justify the expensive price tag despite the pretty presentation.
The Escapist – 3/5:
While a solid job of remastering the original has been done, the game itself could have used a lot more of an upgrade. It’s aged pretty damn badly, and no amount of visual polish can mask that.
If you really, really love Fable, it might be worth giving the anniversary Edition a look, but for the rest of you, it seems that the game hasn’t aged gracefully and very much feels like a ten-year-old game. Fable anniversary is hitting you Xbox 360 on February 7th.
Last Updated: February 3, 2014
RinceThis2014
February 3, 2014 at 14:33
Oh boy, OVG is going to go on about the voice cast for 3 in a second 😛
Rock789
February 3, 2014 at 16:12
Actually, he’s been suspiciously absent today… Perhaps still playing Fable 3 right now? 🙂
RinceThis2014
February 3, 2014 at 16:14
Haha! Good point. I think I need me some Witcher 2 tonight 😉
Rock789
February 3, 2014 at 16:22
Nice! I seriously need to play that game again to see the 2nd path and ending. But tonight, I’ll probably do some Tomb Raiding… Absolutely loving that game!
RinceThis2014
February 3, 2014 at 16:25
Did you ever buy borderlands 2?
Rock789
February 3, 2014 at 16:28
Yup, I got it. I’m about 24 hours in. Awesome game!
RinceThis2014
February 3, 2014 at 16:29
Jason and I were thinking of starting again. Loads of fun.
Rock789
February 3, 2014 at 16:30
Oooo… I’d be game, if ya need a third member of the awesome party! 🙂
Weanerdog
February 3, 2014 at 14:37
Looks like one for the intern to review.
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 3, 2014 at 14:39
We’d end up with 11 out of 10 for the greatest game ever released.
VampyricSquirrel Monk
February 3, 2014 at 14:42
Would rather give it to Zoe or Darryn to review… VEEEEEEKtor shouldn’t touch it.
TiMsTeR1033
February 3, 2014 at 14:46
First one was rather good actually.
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 3, 2014 at 14:51
I liked it, 3 was a snooze-fest though.
TiMsTeR1033
February 3, 2014 at 14:53
your mother was a…. oh yeah it was a tad dull here and there.. ;P
VampyricSquirrel Monk
February 3, 2014 at 14:56
Agreed
RinceThis2014
February 3, 2014 at 14:59
Careful! Least OVG hear!
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 3, 2014 at 15:00
Please, he’s too busy tracking down all the single women in Fable 3 to marry 😛
RinceThis2014
February 3, 2014 at 15:02
Haha. True that.
VampyricSquirrel Monk
February 3, 2014 at 14:56
Yeah it was
Alex Hicks
February 3, 2014 at 14:51
Sorry Videogamer … “Fable’s sequels surpassed it in almost every way”??? Only the bad ways. Fable’s sequels were rubbish.
Umar Hyakutaro [S]
February 3, 2014 at 14:51
I really enjoyed Fable 1
TiMsTeR1033
February 3, 2014 at 14:55
So did I man, was really fun back in the day, still wish they allowed you to become truly evil.. like a monster.
Umar Hyakutaro [S]
February 3, 2014 at 14:56
You could kick chickens…that was pretty evil
TiMsTeR1033
February 3, 2014 at 15:01
I wanted to kill them chickens and eat them and feed them to the other chickens!!! MWHWHAHAHAHA *takes happy pills*
VampyricSquirrel Monk
February 3, 2014 at 15:12
I used to see how far I could kick them… they could go pretty far when kicked off a cliff…….
Ryanza
February 3, 2014 at 15:02
I had Fable 1 on Xbox 1. I really liked it. Music was good. Swords, bows and armour were cool.
Longest distance kicking a chicken. Fun kicking those chickens.
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 3, 2014 at 15:04
I crashed the game to desktop by kicking a chicken over the city wall. Funniest crash ever.
TiMsTeR1033
February 3, 2014 at 15:09
You were too elite man, your pc could not compute your skills
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 3, 2014 at 15:11
I know. My CPU is only a quad-core, which is nothing compared to my brain.
TiMsTeR1033
February 3, 2014 at 15:13
Technically speaking we would need a mother effing hectic pc to come even close to what our brains can do..
VampyricSquirrel Monk
February 3, 2014 at 15:14
Well some people’s brains… some people can’t even compete with a 286.
TiMsTeR1033
February 3, 2014 at 15:16
like zuma.. hahaha (if i end up in jail you know why)
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 3, 2014 at 15:14
That is true. If I remember correctly the closest they’ve come to anything like it is simulating a mouse brain for a couple of seconds.
VampyricSquirrel Monk
February 3, 2014 at 15:13
LOL! Epic!
I never tried that one… I used to just kick them off cliffs.
Alien Emperor Trevor
February 3, 2014 at 15:17
I was running up from the harbour to the city gate & just before I got there a chicken wandered into my way so I went *kick*. Wheeeeeeeeee goes the chicken sailing over the city wall & into the distance, next thing.. Boom. Out of bounds error. ……. O_O ….. bwhahahahaha.
VampyricSquirrel Monk
February 3, 2014 at 15:20
It’s outta here!!!!
Game’s response, “I do not know what to do with this chicken anymore, it’s not supposed to be there, oh well, I guess I’ll have to post an error”
Rock789
February 3, 2014 at 16:14
Most epic drop-goal in the history of NFL!!! 🙂
Xcalibersa
February 3, 2014 at 15:44
EGM review was good