Recent reviews by K R U N K

Where to begin,

Let me start off by saying the original Fable game was one of my first Microsoft gaming experiences (Got it with the Crystal EDition Xbox with Fable and Crimson Skies). Since then however many years ago, Ive owned 6 copies of this game whether it be the original, lost chapters, or anniversary. It was on sale on the summer sale and for the low price tag, I had to try the PC port.

Im a huge fan of the game, and the series, however this PC port is less than what is desired. Lets start off with the basic skeleton of the game, the graphics.

Graphics

This Anniversary edition is pretty much Lost Chapters remastered, with a very linear reskin for graphics. The graphics have improved by a little bit yes, but some animations are still quite static and robotic. For a game they are asking $40 full price I guess there isnt too much space to complain about, but when you look at other aanniversary games (Halo 2 Anniversary as an example) that offer full redone and appropriate next gen reskin, its hard to pass this as acceptable. For owners of Lost chapters, its not worth spending that kind of money for minor graphical enhancements. The thing with graphics that drive me nuts with this game is the color palette and shadowing. Original fans like myself will notice this when you first start off, as the green and red outlines around foes/allies are a murky and dull shade, where these colors should be vibrant and identifiable such as the original.
Id give the graphics 3/5.

Sound

For me this games sound component has always been stellar. The composed music in this game is well written and very recognizable. The music composure fits the game well, and changes appropriately without being abrupt as situations in the game change. Whether its browsing throughout the guild, to entering the woods and entering into a combat scenario. As far as sound effects go there is quite abit of repitition, but its to be expected in an older title, and its only going to bug you if you focus on it. Voice acting is another strong point of this game as some of the main characters (minus your hero obviously!) have very interesting voices, and some of the scripting the speak is quite funny and entertaining.
Overall, with the music being a strong point for me and the mix of it all into one works well, id give the sound 4.25/5, especially considering the age of the game (unsure if sound was remastered for the anniversary edition, will have to look)

Story

Another great part of this game. Original fans will feel quite at home and know what they are getting into. New fans will have a great story mode to get into and see how it all intertwines. From the original Oakvale raid, to the battle with Jack of blades, its quite a nice vengeance based story mode that will keep you interested. The transition from the original game to the added extention of Lost Chapters has always been odd for me. You can definitly tell where the original game ended, and where they slapped on the added part of TLC. However, the variety in missions and rewards make this well worth looking into. 4/5

Controls

Here is the major flaw with this PC port. The controls are awful. Controlling the camera with the mouse while trying to balance out everything else out on the keyboard is less than desired. In High tempo, higher ranked combat it is quite difficult to go from say a range attack, to melee, to will in a smooth way. I find myself getting lost on the keyboard trying to remember all the silly Hotkeys (Clicking in the mouse wheel to block?!). I havent looked to see if I can change these or not, but even fresh off the install, better controls should be offered as you seem to be all over the keyboard to map simple combos and interactions. Again im very new to the PC port, so I dont consider this part of the review to be fair. Im going to look into other control options, and test out the full control compatibility and update this.
But as of now, 2/5 for controls

Gameplay

Being a fan of this game I knew what I was getting into. There are gold quests which are your main storyline quests, while silver are selective. Theres a great balance between these quests and none of the main quests seem repititous in anyway. They are all interconnected and feel smooth, while the silver quests seem to be less polished. Whether its combat in the Arena Quest, or racing in your underwear in the prison, I think most gamers will be quite happy with the versatility offered in this game. Its nowhere near as in depth as other RPGs as Skyrim or WoW, but for a casual common gamer such as myself that doesnt want to put 500hrs into the game, its great for pickup and play.
The combat mechanics are simple, yet effective. You have a decent selection of basic weapons (Swords, Hammers, Scythes, Bows, Crossbows, etc) which are then placed into damage categories based on level (Obsidian, Master etc). Not to mention the Legendary weapons you can find in game through chests, quests, and other means. Like previously stated, the only amjor hinderance with the combat in this game is abmysal controls.
Gameplay 4.25/5

Overall, would I recommend this game? For the $9 I paid for it, definitly. For users looking to get into it I cannot recommend it at $40. Owners of Lost Chapters especially, save your time and money,

ID RATE THIS PORT 3.5/5

Its a great game for a great series, and those who didnt experience it on both xboxs like I did, I would recommned picking up this port and checking out this great story and game. For myself, I can look past the flaws as im a huge fan of the game, and hopefully you will do the same and experience the core of Fable and where its popularity came from.

*Thanks for reading my first review, I will update as I continue on with the game as obviously I dont have much time played right now.