I can say with no condescension that the original Fable did not appear, even after days playing, to be the beast it was hyped to be. After major revisions in game features (making the hero male, scaling back the ambition of the reputation system, etc.), I was still ready to give Fable the benefit of the doubt. But the story just didn\'t have the
umph I\'ve come to expect from Lionhead Studios: The game was engaging enough, compelling me to see the world of Albion, encounter more people...and maybe kill a few of them. But it was a quick experience, and people couldn\'t forget about the promises that had been made. In spite of all that, Fable was fun, and although it may not have lived up to the hype, it was different enough.
Enter 2005 and Fable: The Lost Chapters (
released earlier this Fall for PC) and we have a new reason to spend a little more than a few days in front of the television. What the original lacked in length, The Lost Chapters makes up for by adding lots of new extras. And at a budget price, it may be worth buying the game again to have this better, more refined version. For gamers who have never picked up the original, there\'s no better time to give it a try than now.
For those not familiar, let me sum up the story of Fable in one sentence: You\'re a nameless child, nearly killed when your village was burned down by bandits, but you\'ve grown into a mighty warrior, and now you\'re out to find out why the bandits burned the village down and why they killed your family. The story, literally, doesn\'t get much deeper than that, and The Lost Chapters does not add to the existing plotline (though it does tweak it at times). Fable: TLC features new areas, weapons, spells and beards. (Oh, the beards!) For all you virtual fashionistas, Fable: The Lost Chapters has you covered: There are new clothes, weapons, and armor to help you, though I found it much more rewarding to do most of the quests naked anyway.
There\'s a new bordello in Darkwood that is worth mentioning not because of any practical purpose, but because it seems added for humor--veterans of Fable will recognize the change immediately. But other than that, most of the new texture of Fable: The Lost Chapters becomes apparent after the game is over and you are free to live peacefully (or dominate) all of Albion. There\'s a new area, a new boss fight, several nifty costumes to find. And then there are the new spells \"Infernal Wrath\" and \"Divine Fury\" which can be classified as the most powerful dark and light spells respectively. Also, for those who thought that being good didn\'t reap any rewards, Divine Fury might change your mind.
I found Fable: The Lost chapters to be better than the original, but perhaps not good enough if you\'ve already gone through the first game. I personally don\'t think there are enough spells as it is. And there aren\'t enough outcomes for each situation. But these issues are going to have to wait until the next Fable on Xbox 360 before finding any resolution. As it is, Fable: The Lost Chapters has enough extra stuff and enough polish to stand among the best action-RPGs. It\'s unfortunate that this extra content wasn\'t available for the first release because it adds at least 5 to 15 hours of side-quests (depending your strategies). If you always meant to re-play Fable, The Lost Chapters is definitely the way to do it. And if you haven\'t played Fable yet, then you really should.
Either way, Fable: The Lost Chapters is a great buy at $20. It could even be a great stocking stuffer this holiday. The graphics are still awesome, the sound is top notch (voice acting and all), and the game is still fun to play.