Fable

Overview

Fable is an action role-playing game and the first in the Fable series. It was developed by Big Blue Box Studios, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and published by Microsoft. It shipped for the Xbox in September 2004. An extended version, Fable: The Lost Chapters, came out for Xbox and Windows in September 2005.

You control an unnamed hero in the fantasy land of Albion. After losing his family in a bandit raid on his hometown, he joins the Heroes' Guild. Later you decide whether he lives up to his name or follows a darker path. Quests come from the Guild, and you can bet part of the reward on boasts such as taking no damage.

Combat has melee, ranged and magic, and the experience you earn goes to Strength, Skill or Will depending on what you used. Your actions change the hero's look. Good deeds bring a halo and butterflies, evil brings horns and flies, and food, clothes, tattoos and hairstyles all play a part. Towns have houses to buy, trade goods to sell and people to marry.

It began as Project Ego, with other early names including Wishworld, and was first in development for the Dreamcast before moving to the Xbox. More than 150 people worked on it over the years. Russell Shaw wrote most of the music and Danny Elfman wrote the opening theme. Peter Molyneux hyped it heavily, and some promised features, such as the hero having children, did not make it in. He later apologised in public for that.

It was the best-selling game of September 2004, with 375,000 copies in the first week and 600,000 in the first month. It has sold around three million copies worldwide.

It holds an 85 on Metacritic and won more than fifty awards. Reviewers praised the combat, the free will and the very British sense of humour, and criticised how short the main story is.

The Lost Chapters adds nine new areas and sixteen quests, a continuation of the story in the Northern Wastes and fixes such as the dig glitch. Fable Anniversary, a high-definition remaster of The Lost Chapters, came out for Xbox 360 and Windows in 2014.

Official trailer

Fable Xbox Trailer - E3 2004 Trailer, IGN. Watch on YouTube

Gameplay

Fable (Original not TLC) | Xbox | 1440p60 | Longplay Full Game Walkthrough No Commentary, Ermacgerd. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Action role-playing

Developer

Big Blue Box Studios

Publisher

Microsoft Game Studios

Series

Fable

Composers

Russell Shaw, Danny Elfman (intro theme)

Designers

Peter Molyneux, Dene Carter, Ben Huskins, Mark Webley

Writers

James Leach

Producers

Louise Copley, Rick Martinez

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Release dates

Editions

Buy this game

Achievements

AchievementsNo trophy list

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single-player, and it plays offline from the disc.

Online

Online servers runningPartly

Plays offlineYes

Fable supported the Live Aware feature through Xbox Live. The original Xbox Live service ended in 2010, and the game is supported again on the Insignia revival servers.

Services

Service	Status	Shutdown date
Xbox Live (original service)	closed	2010-04-15
Insignia (community revival servers)	running

Reception

Aggregates

Outlet	Platform	Score	Scale
Metacritic	Xbox	85	100
GameRankings	Xbox	85	100

Critics

Outlet	Score	Scale
IGN	9.3	10
GameSpot	8.6	10
GameSpy	4	5
GamePro	4.5	5

Staff and cast

Staff

Role	Name
Developer	Big Blue Box Studios
Publisher	Microsoft Game Studios
Producers	Louise Copley, Rick Martinez
Designers	Peter Molyneux, Dene Carter, Ben Huskins, Mark Webley
Programmers	Simon Carter, Ben Board
Artists	Ian Yarwood-Lovett, Dean Finnigan
Writer	James Leach
Composers	Russell Shaw, Danny Elfman (intro theme)

Notes for collectors

• Early names for the game included Project Ego and Wishworld.
• It was first in development for the Dreamcast, then moved to Xbox after the Dreamcast was discontinued.
• Danny Elfman wrote the opening theme and insisted on a small live orchestra.
• The hero cannot have children in this game, although Peter Molyneux had talked about it. Fable II and III added it.
• The Lost Chapters fixed the dig glitch, where using the shovel pushed the hero backward through solid objects and sometimes trapped him.
• The Lost Chapters makes the voice of Jack of Blades deeper and harsher and adds a murder mystery about Lady Grey's sister.
• There are four different endings in the original game, depending on your alignment and whether you keep the Sword of Aeons.

Credits

Publisher

Microsoft Game Studios

Developer

Big Blue Box Studios

Released

2004-09-14

Age rating

M (Mature)

Region

US

Time to beat

about 12.5 hours

Copies in the shop

• Fable (XBOX) CA$14.99