The Fable Continues

I've been absent from the blog for about a week now due to one word and one number, Fable 3.  I bought the game after (or slightly before) getting my first paycheck at my new job.  Always have to blow through the first one y'know.  This game has taken up a great deal of my time as I tried to beat it as quickly as possible so that I could turnaround and sell it for maximum profit.  Hey, I'm on a budget here. 
Just because I'm rushing through the game doesn't mean I'm not thoroughly enjoying what it has to offer.  It also helps that the Fable games aren't the deepest available and all of the features can be enjoyed in short order.  This was by far the best game in the series but still fell short of being great.  It's a good game, certainly, but it leaves a lot on the table and feels very rushed.  Now that I've beaten the game I feel I can comment freely on everything in the game.  Usually Peter Molyneux hypes his games to a degree that can never end in satisfaction, as I've covered elsewhere.  This time he kept his mouth shut which worked in his favor since there weren't any major disappointments in Fable 3.  Everything that was promised was delivered.  Some of the features in the game, like the much talked about "kingship" phase, were lacking in depth but were still nice.

Fable 3 is a very simplified version of it's predecessor.  It takes the main technical parts from Fable 2 and makes them foolproof.  The combat, the leveling up orbs, and expressions have become almost automatic in their function.  It helped streamline the gameplay but at the same time it took a bit of the actual "gaming" out of Fable.  The combat retains the melee, ranged and magic focus and adds flourishes which are visually cool.  The pause menu is probably the biggest improvement.  Pressing start puts your character into a "sanctuary" that acts as homebase.  It give you access to weapons, clothing, stats, multiplayer and the map.  While Fable 2 had one of the worst menu systems I've ever encountered, Fable 3 has replaced it with something entirely unique and functional.  It works with nearly no loading time either, so you press start in the middle of combat it'll drop you into the sanctuary in the flash of a second.  This is Fable's strongest feature by far and it also includes your very own butler voiced by John Cleese.  The butler is never annoying and often quite hilarious.  This feature works so well that it boosts the overall experience by volumes.

As much as the new menu system does to improve the system there is a lot of ground to be made up on weaker aspects of this game.  Interactions with townspeople feel as hollow as ever and since the option to choose your expressions is limited.  You are presented with one option at a time which can lead to unintended interactions, though it boils down to nice, mean and silly.  Boring more like.  Marriage and family raising are still in the game and still have as little impact as ever.  The dog sidekick makes a return, but it seems with his brain removed.  In this adventure it's a brainless mutt that constantly barks only to get stuck instead of leading you to treasure.  These little things really add up to take a toll on Fable 3.

Probably the biggest disappointment in this game is the pacing.  In the beginning as you build up your army to try and overthrow the corrupt King Logan there is a great flow.  A variety of missions see your main character collect allies from all over the kingdom.  Playing the revolutionary sneaking around and cutting deals with all the people harmed by the king is fun and draws you into the game world.  This all culminates in a fantastic showdown in the capital city that ends with you taking the crown.  And that's when the game goes to shit.  The much-hyped "kingship" mode follows your conquest and feels completely tacked on.  In a series of days you make rulings on promises you've made while trying to maintain a treasury in preparation for an invasion.  The story goes out the window and you are simply presented with "good" choices and "bad" choices with little black and white.  You certainly have to internalize the story at this point as the game mechanics just become about budget balancing.  In fact one of your worst enemies who attempted to kill you earlier in the game and was a key figure in the corrupt regime becomes a major advisor.  There isn't even an option to turn him down!  You choose the fate of the king, but not this sniveling industrialist!  The game rushes you through this phase anyway and the endgame comes without much warning, without a "this shits about to happen" message.  Nope, you go to bed after ruling on one of your promises and then it's "uhhh, they're invading right now!"  Very rough stuff at the end of the game.

Despite the problems Fable 3 is a fun, easy game.  It's not for everyone and it was certainly dumbed down to appeal to more of the casual crowd, but it is an enjoyable experience.  I've beaten it once and I hope to get one more quick play in before I sell it.  This was worth playing as I'm a sorta-fan of the series, or at least the ambitions of the series. 

It's in the past though and I expect to have my time returned to me so you can expect more posts in the coming week.  I intend to re-enter a productive state and try to get my life... y'know... on track.