Preview Fable gazings at Boomtown

[Saint_Proverbius]

Tags: Fable: The Lost Chapters

There's a <A href="http://pc.boomtown.net/en_uk/articles/art.view.php?id=9200">preview</a> of <A href="http://www.microsoft.com/games/fable/">Fable: the Lost Chapters</a> over at <A href="http://pc.boomtown.net/">Boomtown</a>. It's rather long, which is nice, and there's a few screenshots of the game. Here's a clip of the fun:
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<blockquote>Even with the new content, the game can still be completed around the 15-hour mark, and some may even be able to do it a couple of hours quicker than that, if they choose to ignore all non-relevant quests, and simply visit towns in order to buy equipment. But there is more to do in Albion. You can go out drinking, get married (both with men and women) and go hunting for hidden treasure with your loyal spade – when has a little grave digging ever hurt anyone? You can say that this is a game that challenges you to explore it, and if you don’t, you only get half of the fun.</blockquote>
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15 hours isn't bad if there's a lot of choices to make in each 15 hour session. The question is, are there enough choices to warrent playing it more than a few times?
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.bluesnews.com">Blue's News</A>

 

[caveyboy]

your location scared me for a while...
Location: Behind you,i agree with you i have been mad about expensive games for 50 bucks and it only lasts like about a total of about 2hours and 30 minutes!!!
(longest sentence ever!!)im going to make a poll on this..

 

[Spazmo]

I've heard stories about longer sentences, but... no. No. Just stories.

 

[dipdipdip]

Yeah, caveyboy, I think you're wrong. I think I've seen longer sentences somewhere before.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

The Preamble to the US Constitution is a big, long ass sentence.

 

[Micmu]

Not long ago, I've finally seen teh damn "RP" game.
To me, it looked like a totally dumb (console dumb!) hack & slash with enemies with GLOWING auras, glowing weapons, glowing moron indicators, glowing interface, sparks, stars, labels, glowing and flashing pretty much everything.
Pure hack & slash action game (apparently, with RPG elements) and not to good at it, too.
I'll rather play Joan of Arc for a quick session of hacking.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Were there glowing HATS???!!? :shock:

 

[caveyboy]

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: yeah..i think that was the longest sentence ive seen from that one guy after me..was the ground glowing? :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

 

[Kamaz]

Actually been playing Fable and, must admit, I like it very much. Considering the fact, that I was pretty much negative/sceptical about this game before trying it, the game must be pretty good.

That's, of course, bearing in mind that Fable is no RPG.At least not the classic style slasher or fallouter - its more like a mix of adventure and RPG. But I dont care - game is made fine, with style and humour, voice-acting is really great as well as overall game design imo. Usually voicecovers wouldnt mean anything to me, but in Fable they all speak so funny English, its simply pleasure to listen.

Anyways, dunno about choices, but you definetly can do good things and BAAAAD things. Like there is quest - Bandit raid on some farm. You can take quest - protect farm from bandits or lead the bandits. Nice touch, really. And there are other choices throughout the game. And side-quests, sheesh, there are plenty of them and this far they are not repetitive, but different... That getting merried thing also is nice feature because you can ignore that but at any time, meeting some chick, you can try to flirt with her and build "relationships" if you like. Thats pretty much freedom even if superficial.

ANd this game - in comparison to many others - didnt bore me with fights, fights and fights all the time. You can wander around world, flirting with chicks, digging treasure, reading grave titles (like in Fallouts), exploring places, guessing puzzles, fishing, gathering stuff and so on. I mean, combat is not dominant, though, there is definetly plenty of it. Sneaking is option, but it works somehow bad... oh well. Besides, even combat quests (escort traders through woods..) are interesting because there are different types of problems facing you while escorting - not simply mobs all the time.

And lastly, this is unique game where I havent yet died and reloaded game. And it creates really good atmoshpere - saving is really strange and hard to understand thing, so, I end up getting some evil points and arrested but wont reload. And it feels much cooler this way. I, personally, started to walk slowlier in un-explored area trying to spot any possible traps or foes not, as usually, running in, dying and reloading knowing exact places already.

To sump up, Fable is wast adventure game with tons of things to do, options to solve quests and act good/evil (this gets mainstream these days..) and freedom. Plus, some RPG elements. I think I enjoy it very much. Good game.(at least this far)

 

[caveyboy]

:SHOCK:

 

[Naked_Lunch]

A disciple of Volourn?

Anyway, I've noticed the people who enjoy Fable are usually the ones who have no idea what is was supposed to be. I guess ignorance is bliss.

 

[aboyd]

I've noticed the people who enjoy Fable are usually the ones who have no idea what is was supposed to be. I guess ignorance is bliss.

I'm sure you aren't indirectly calling Kamaz ignorant because of his glowing review. Right?

-Tony

 

[Kamaz]

are usually the ones who have no idea what is was supposed to be.

...and I dont care. I like the game as it is and thats the point. That would be ultimately stupid to hate game because a) they promised it better! (even though I didnt hear any hype about Fable..) b) Codex folks say it sucks. I played the game myself, played some time and have my own impressions and opinion about that.

It's no RPG, at least not comparable to Fallout and so, but it's still good game. Better than most out there.

Allways the final product is what metters. I don't care how they pulled it off, but I like it, so, why bother? Of course, someone should learn to advertise and hype his games properly, but that's another story.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

Notice I put a "usually" in there.

Yeah, it's no RPG and such, but I enjoyed it. I just had this nagging thought in the back of my head going "Oh man, this could've been so much more."

 

[Chefe]

hello world

 

[AZ]

I agree whit Kamaz, but the game has flaws.

- It's a consol game.. easy, very small maps, short distances, if you aim at anything it gets nice glowing. XP points are glowing balls, you have to collect after killing.
- Ageing sounds fun, but doesn't work well. You age very quick, and others not. It's increasing by gaining new levels, not by passing time. I got older by 12 years in 3 game days! :shock:
- No shields

What I liked is

- It has style.
- Combat is well made, not only clicking one button (a la Morrowind).
- NPCs have lives, like in Gothic.
- Charter development is very well done. You can make interesting cross class charters.
- Has nice humor.

So it worth’s a try.

 

[Chefe]

hello world

 

[Roger P]

Wow. For a site that constantly harps on the dumbing down of games (especially console games), Fable sure seems to be getting some kind of pass. Where you guys completely shit-faced when you played it? Sleep deprivation?

 

[Sol Invictus]

Bribes, actually.

 

[Chefe]

hello world

 

[Roger P]

Well, I don't think the fact that Fable isn't a clone or sequel excludes it from being dumbed down. My problem with the game is that all of the "role-playing" and customization is VERY shallow. You can change your alignment completely by just switching clothes, tattos, and haircuts. The interactivity with NPCs is reduced to farting, cursing, screaming, giggling, and flirting. Not to mention the incredibly annoying "There's a quest-card at the Guild for you" voice-over every 2 minutes. I just found the game to be insultingly hollow. It felt like the developers were making an rpg for people who normally can't stand rpgs (mostly idiots.) I guess, though, that it could be considered a guilty pleasure.

 

[Chefe]

hello world

 

[Roger P]

Obviously you don't think a new IP is capable of being dumbed down. Okay, it's dumbed up. Would you care to elaborate on your "It's not shallow, it's different" comment? Sure it's different for it's genre (if you ignore Zelda, KOTOR, and Harvest Moon.) The game is a set of rpg features dropped in an unimaginative, extremely cliched (yet pretty) fantasy setting. And the story is laughably bad.

I could see changing NPCs reactions to the PC by changing wardrobe, but not your alignment. If you can't see how shallow that is, I don't really know what to say. And I"m sure Arcanum handled it better. (I mean haircuts affecting alignment? Fucking rediculous.)

And the expression system sounds nice and different, however it severly limits actual interaction. It's actually just NPC reaction. At least dialogue tress and GASP Wiki dialogue lets you engage NPCs. Fable's system is for eliciting reponses without any real interaction. It's a dress-up, sandbox, Sims-lite POS. It was in development for 5 years and still needs an expansion to seem complete.

And the voice-over only happens when you finish a quest? Isn't that the whole fucking game? :evil:

 

[aboyd]

Perhaps roger & angler would have more common ground if they stopped worrying about the phrase "dumbed down" and instead found another label for it -- maybe "targetting average players" or "only requires a 3rd-grade reading level."

 

[Roger P]

I'll go with "only requires a 3rd-grade reading level."