Fable

Fable, initially developed under the working titles "WishWorld" and "Project Ego", is an action role-playing video game released for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows, and later as an Xbox Originals title for the Xbox 360. Developed by Big Blue Box, a satellite studio of Lionhead Studios, and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the game was first released for the Xbox on 14 September 2004.

An extended version, Fable: The Lost Chapters, was launched for Windows in September 2005 and for Xbox in October 2005. This version was ported to Mac OS X by Feral Interactive on 31 March 2008, though delays of over two years were caused by licensing complications. A remastered edition of The Lost Chapters, titled Fable Anniversary, was released for Xbox 360 in February 2014.

Set in the fictional nation of Albion, Fable places players in the role of an orphaned boy who aspires to become a Hero. Player choices throughout the game influence the world, characters' reactions, and the Hero's appearance, reflecting good or evil deeds. Beyond the main storyline, players can explore optional quests and activities, such as trading, romance, and theft.

Development of Fable involved a team of over 70 individuals. The game's soundtrack was composed by Russell Shaw, with the title theme created by Academy Award-winning composer Danny Elfman. Fable's release was highly anticipated, bolstered by the enthusiastic promotion of Lionhead Studios' founder, Peter Molyneux.

Critics praised Fable for its engaging gameplay and polished execution, though some criticized its omission of features heavily promoted by Molyneux. The game's success led to two sequels, Fable II (2008) and Fable III (2010), as well as several spin-offs, including Fable: The Journey and the unreleased Fable Legends.

Gameplay

Warning: Spoilers
This section or article may contain spoilers!

Fable is a third-person action role-playing game where players control the Hero, interacting with NPCs, objects, and enemies. The primary objective is to complete quests, which advance the storyline, though the game offers a variety of optional activities and non-linear gameplay.

Quests are accepted at the Heroes' Guild, with mandatory gold quests advancing the story, and optional silver and bronze quests offering additional rewards. Players can align with good or evil factions, affecting the narrative and gameplay. Quest completion grants gold and renown, influencing townspeople's perception of the Hero. Players can boast about quest accomplishments to increase rewards.

Combat includes melee weapons (swords, maces), ranged weapons (longbows, crossbows), and spells. Spells and attributes are upgraded using experience orbs, categorized into General, Strength, Skill, and Will. A combat multiplier enhances experience gained based on successive attacks without taking damage.

The game world features towns where players can trade, purchase items, and engage in social activities. Houses can be bought, furnished, and rented for profit. The Hero may also form relationships and marry, with the possibility of engaging in sex with partners.

Customization and Alignment

Player choices determine the Hero's alignment (good or evil), affecting their appearance and NPC reactions. Positive deeds lead to features such as halos and butterflies, while negative actions result in red glows, horns, and glowing eyes. Other factors, such as diet, drinking, and clothing choices, further influence the Hero's appearance. Customization options include hairstyles, facial hair, tattoos, and clothing, while attributes like strength, skill, and spell proficiency affect physical traits such as height and muscle tone.

Synopsis

Main article: Fable Storyline

Setting

The game is set in the land of Albion, a world heavily influenced by medieval England. Albion lacks a central monarchy or ruler, instead consisting of a loose network of settlements, villages, and towns. Heroes, trained by the Heroes Guild, roam the land, undertaking quests submitted by commoners, bandits, and other creatures for purposes of either good or ill.

The story follows the player character, a Hero who is a descendant of the Archons of the Old Kingdom and William Black, the first true Hero.

Development

Fable marked the debut project of Big Blue Box, a satellite studio under the umbrella of Peter Molyneux's Lionhead Studios. Founders Dene and Simon Carter sought to create a role-playing game that was both innovative and distinct, despite pressure to meet publisher expectations with a more conventional project. Under Molyneux's guidance, Big Blue Box received technical support from Lionhead Studios as part of a "satellite studio" arrangement, allowing the team to focus on game design. After facing challenges in securing a publisher, Big Blue Box signed a contract with Microsoft.

"We wanted to create a roleplaying game like no other. The world would be a breathtakingly beautiful place filled with waterfalls, mountains, dense forests, populated with compelling and convincing characters with real personality, people who actually reacted to what you did. We wanted to give the player control of a hero who would adapt to the way they played, who would age, become scarred in battle, who could get tattoos, wear dreadlocks and a dress if the player was so inclined. We wanted each and every person who played our game to have a unique experience, to have their own stories to tell. And we called it 'Thingy.'"

— Dene and Simon Carter^[1]

Project Ego

Main article: Project Ego

Audio

The music of Fable was primarily composed by Russell Shaw, who had worked on previous Molyneux titles such as Magic Carpet and Black & White. The title theme, however, was composed by Danny Elfman, a prominent Hollywood composer. Elfman remarked that many game developers preferred synthesized scores mimicking orchestras, but he insisted on using a small live orchestra for Fable. Shaw acknowledged that incorporating orchestral elements posed significant challenges compared to previous projects, particularly due to the game's complex interactivity requirements.

Fable: The Lost Chapters

Main article: Fable: The Lost Chapters

Released in September 2005 for Xbox and PC, Fable: The Lost Chapters expanded the original game with additional storyline content, new locations, and extra items. Minor adjustments were also made, such as deepening Jack of Blades' voice to enhance his menacing demeanor.

The expansion's narrative picks up a year after the original Fable's conclusion, with the Hero of Oakvale struggling to find purpose. The Hero is summoned back to the Heroes' Guild and tasked with stopping Jack of Blades, now threatening the Northern Wastes.

Reception and Legacy

Fable received critical acclaim upon release. The Xbox version holds an aggregate score of 85% on both Metacritic and Game Rankings. The game won over 50 awards.

While some reviewers noted flaws such as bland character designs, Marc Saltzman of USAToday.com commended the game for its depth, open-ended gameplay, and compelling story. Fable was widely praised for its implementation of player choice and the consequential impact on the Hero's journey.

Critics, however, highlighted the brevity of the main plot, though this was mitigated by the availability of extensive side quests. Additionally, the game was criticized for not delivering on features promised during its development, including the Hero's ability to have children. Peter Molyneux later issued a public apology on the Lionhead forums for any overpromises made during development.

The PC and Xbox versions of Fable: The Lost Chapters received similarly positive reviews, though with slightly lower aggregate scores than the original. Critics like Greg Kasavin of Gamespot praised the additional content for refreshing the gameplay, while others appreciated the expanded questlines.

Sequels

In 2005, Microsoft Game Studios confirmed plans for Fable to continue as a franchise on the next-generation Xbox 360. This led to the release of Fable II in 2008 and Fable III in 2010.

Spin-offs

A few spin-off games were created to go alongside the Fable franchise, such as Fable: Heroes and Fable Fortunes.

Notes

For a full list of voice actors, visit this link.
Fable was available as an Xbox Originals title on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for £6.75 ($9.99 USD), but was later delisted following the shutdown of the Xbox 360 Marketplace. Interestingly, promotional screenshots from the Xbox Games Store depicted early development stages (Project Ego), showcasing areas not present in the final game.

Trivia

During Fable's development, 3,577 Indian meals, 2,828 Chinese meals, and 1,915 pizzas were consumed.
The storyline of Fable was inspired by "The Luck Child" from Jim Henson's The Storyteller series.

Videos

Images

References

↑ Carter, Dene; Simon Carter (14 June 2002). "Developer Diary #1: Out of the Blue". Lionhead Studios.

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[1] Carter, Dene; Simon Carter (14 June 2002). "Developer Diary #1: Out of the Blue". Lionhead Studios.

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