Fable has received some incredible reviews from various sites. Well, except from Alex Lucard, who took a stand and proclaimed the game lived nowhere NEAR the hype it was getting. Well, now he has two people at his side in order to receive a more well-rounded opinion of this game. How will it fair in…THE TRIBUNAL?!?!?
*The crowd gathers into the fabled Inside Pulse Tribunal Stadium*
Attention! Attention! All will come to order!
*The crowd refuses to quiet down.*
ORDER! ORDER, I SAY!
*Bangs gavel*
Must we go through this EVERY TIME? I must remind you that continued noise will result into your decent into the dark life.
*The crowd reluctantly goes silent.*
Very well. We meet in the fabled Tribunal hall to pass judgment on…(ahem)…Fable. Fable, you will wise and step forward.
*The games do so. (Have some imagination, people.)
Fable, the Tribunal has brought you forward today for one purpose: to prove yourself to our judges, and to the world. And in this instance, you have a lot to prove. For you see, you are what we call a “hyped” game. For when a game such as you is hyped, people come to expect great things from you. And you have received hyped for over a year. Naturally, you are expected to be a game of the HIGHEST order. Now we shall see if you “live up” to the hype.
Your judges today are Alex Lucard, Lee Baxley, and Geli. These three have played your adventure quite a bit in order to form fair and unbiased opinions on you. Now…
JUDGE #1: Alex Lucard
There’s a lot packed into Fable. Tons of mini quests, demon doors, things to wed, have sex with, kill, steal, etc. Nothing of them are amazing though. They’re merely time wasters. Yes, the fact your body can change with actions and stats, but the aging process is bizarre to say the least and the looks can change from one side of the spectrum to another in half an hour. It’s got a lot of great idea, but nothing is balanced. Nothing feels polished.
It’s shame because even though there was no way Fable could live up to the hype thanks to all the stuff that was cut before release, so much more could have been added to make the game rewarding and worth the money spent. But nope, the game and Microsoft relied on hype alone. And hype won. It sold the game and they’re making a mint. But years from now Fable will be scrutinized not hailed as a game of its age. And if they’re content with a cheap and quick buck over a game with a longstanding legacy that gamers will love even 2-3 console generations later, then that’s their call. I can’t fault them for it. I can feel bad for those people that paid full price for this though.
Fable is NOT a bad game. Not by a long shot. It’s just not a great game. It’s not even a good game. It’s a decent above average game that is worth a rental or waiting until it’s a Greatest Hits title. But no way can I endorse buying this game for a full fifty bucks. It’s not worth it. You should play it though to see how hype and PR for a game can truly over exaggerate not only it’s worth, but how good of a game it is. I’m still mystified by these people giving it 9’s and 10’s. It does nothing better than slightly over average. And in the end, I have to ignore the rose tinted glasses and give them game what is deserves, not what we’ve all been programmed to give it.
JUDGE #2: Lee Baxley
Fable was one of the games I had been looking forward to this year. In fact, it’s safe to say that it was THE game I was looking forward to. It is also safe to say that I primarily bought an Xbox for this game.
When I first played it, I thought it was fun. I really enjoyed it. After 3 hours, I was still enjoying it, but cracks were showing in my resolve. After 6, it was starting to get old. After 10 hours, I just wanted to end it.
The problem with this game is that the scope was too big, and when everything was toned down, it ended up being…generic. The graphics, the sound, the gameplay is all generic when it really boils down to it. The game went from being an epic into being a short 15 (if you do everything) romp through a very limited world. Hell, Peter Molyneax himself has since apologized for content missing from the game.
Simply put, this game was a very big disappointment for me in the long run. I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever let myself get as excited about a game ever, simply because of the let-down. I’d recommend waiting for this game to hit the bargain bin before buying.
JUDGE #3: Geli
Fable (n.) 1. a story about legendary persons and exploits. 2. a falsehood; a lie.
There is something to be said for the dictionary definition of things, but that pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter. It’s both definitions one and two. The game brought a lot of unique qualities to the table with the ability to change the appearance of your character and choose between being good and bad but that doesn’t make a complete game. I felt that characterization fell flat and when it came to solving puzzles the all too obvious hints from in-game characters made me feel like I was being led about by the hand. (ie: You couldn’t possibly find out my name from a person that couldn’t possibly be at the place I’m telling you not to visit.)
The ability to customize and selectively progress your character was a great thing though. I happened to lean more toward magic use. I aged quicker but I think that was worth being able to walk through hills. Oh wait, that’s right. That was a bug. There was some problem with the system processing textures and there would be big brown or gray “hills” I could walk through until the game “hiccupped” and then my character was transported back to Fable-land. That smacks to me of a rushed product. I felt more like playing a demo than a final copy. I think that too much was promised of Fable in too little time and the whole game dynamic suffered for it. Not to mention the suffering of eager beavers ready to get their paws on the game. I get disgusted when the game industry inflates a game only to have fans find out it really was a bunch of hot air.
Fable is fun to play if you can look past the bugs and shallow characterization. The graphics keep it interesting and the music is great at setting the mood. I just wouldn’t recommend spending $50 for a game that, to me, doesn’t feel like a finished product.
The Tribunal has spoken! And now, to the final judgment…
SCORE #2: 5.0
SCORE #3: 5.5
FINAL JUDGEMENT: 5.8
It is the decision of this Tribunal that Fable, when compared to the large amount of hype it received, is nothing more than average game; perhaps close to above-average. This is quite the disappointment, as the promised features thought to revolutionize the RPG world are lackluster at best. You were promised by your creator to be better than you are, and even HE retracted the words of greatness you have accumulated. So your judges dub you as average. You may now step down, and pray that those who thrive on the hype will look past your flaws for the decent game hidden underneath.
We now dismiss all the attendees to this gathering. But we shall require your presence again, once The Tribunal deems another to prove itself…