Fable: The Lost Chapters Review

By Jim Rossignol Published 23 September, 2005

It's okay. Jim's found them now.

Version tested: PC

Too many games forget to be playful. All too often they're over-serious, po-faced, or just don't get the joke. They're the kind of game that it's easy to laugh at behind its back. Come to think of it, they're quite often the games that lead us to bash the fantasy genre unfairly: because they really don't get why we find them pompous and embarrassing.

But a few games are a lot more self-aware, and Fable is one of them. It's a bit more likely to be one of your mates, and take joy in its antics. It'll have a laugh with you, and let you muck around. In fact, that's pretty much what Fable is about: messing around in fantasyland. Of course there's a big old backdrop of revenge and dark magic too, but Fable's real strengths are in the mass of splendid detail that you get to wade through like a fat kid at a food-fight.

Toy Evil

This playful, less than serious attitude might make some keen role-players feel a bit uncomfortable about Fable's central theme, which is the choices that will put you on the side of good, or the side of evil. You get the feeling that perhaps your conduct doesn't really matter at all, and that the choices are without any real meaning. There's not much suspension of disbelief: NPCs talking about stats and control mechanisms don't let you forget that it's just a game.

'Fable: The Lost Chapters' Screenshot 1

Glowing swords indicate something or other. Probably how tough I'm being, right now.

But such quibbles miss the point: the big choices aren't what matters; it's about having all these choices in the first place, especially the little ones. Fable gives you lots to do and see and play with. You can get fat, thin, married, weird, hairy, bald, stinky, and even have a relationship with a gay man, as Kieron discovered in his Xbox review of the original. You can attack just about anyone, and steal or let things pass you by. Having an affair or eating till you're a blubberbeast aren't necessarily about 'role-playing' or 'narrative', they're about just playing around and seeing that Fable can do. It's a toy world, and while there's the odd ramification for whether you're going to be very good or very bad, this is generally a game that is really about finding out what is possible.

Bored with the adulation of being a good man, I was able to lure an innocent tradesmen off into the woods so that I could make a sacrifice to dark gods. No reason, I just wanted to poke the game and see what happened. Part of the reason for this is that Fable is just so malleable. You can push it one way or the other and get pleasing results. That's what I mean about being playful: it's the kind of game that ones you to experiment. You can slay hippies or protect the innocent, and all of this is wrapped up on one of the most gorgeous looking fantasy worlds to grace the PC. It begins to make the lavish Gothic series as clunky as it actually is, and takes big cues from the MMOs in how much you can put into dressing and fitting out your character. When playing Fable you get the feeling that really there should be half a dozen action-RPGs of this quality and detail kicking about on the PC every year. There should be a whole lot more dressing up, exploring and hitting earth trolls with a giant hammer.

Psychotic Interactions

Central to the joy in Fable is the ease with which you interact with the world (especially when interacting via a giant hammer). People chat away constantly, either inanely babbling about how you kicked a chicken or offering clues, guidance or things to react to. Most people have something of a story and get pulled into the network of quests in many different ways.

'Fable: The Lost Chapters' Screenshot 2

Getting facial tattoos and some goth-shirts allows you to make a statement about intended evil.

What it mostly comes down to though is the fighting. Fable's real-time combat is so natural and so easy to develop that you barely notice how refined it is. Making your character tougher and faster is a short but smooth curve, allowing you to quickly max out certain areas and move onto something else. Dodging, blocking and stabbing is immediate and satisfying. The fight with the bandit boss is one of the early highlights that really demonstrates how convincing the ducking/dodging dynamic really is. (We should mention that the bow too is totally excellent, and pleasingly meaty in its missile-delivery.)

The only thing that's irritating about the PC version is that there is a slight wiggle in the following camera, which niggles after the rock-steady third-person cameras we're used to. Granted, that's a crap thing to get annoyed with, but the devil is in the details. And Fable's devil is one that draws you in through dozens of delightful touches and little flourishes - keep attacking in the direction of a fallen enemy and you'll perform a finishing move or even kick the corpse. Fable is rich with character and nuanced design. You feel like it knows it, too. It's a game in full command of its faculties.

Chickens Are Hatched

But what about those lost chapters? Well the PC is gifted with a few new quests, aside from those Xbox Fablists will already have defeated, including some of the most delightful Withnail & I psychedelic hippie druggists and a few extra jaunts across fantasyland. There are new items and a few new abilities too - so it's the usual gamut of extra content you'd expect from these souped-up versions, the kind of additions that don't much affect to he beat of the whole game. The one significant difference is that it is a little longer than the original game, allowing you to continue on for a few more quests after the original resolution of the storyline as it plays out on the Xbox. For those who complained that the game was too short (those being power-gaming zombie-men) this might offer some (little if they've already played it to decide it's too short) consolation. Okay, so The Lost Chapters don't really constitute a hugely different experience, but there's more of Fable of PC than there was on the Xbox, and that should count for something. Maybe.

'Fable: The Lost Chapters' Screenshot 3

Killing bandits with the bow as they charge toward you is consistently excellent.

Anyway, the PC version of Fable makes perfect sense. It works superbly with keyboard and mouse, and runs and lovely high resolutions on your expensive PC and plays joyously. It's not exactly the perfect RPG, but it's hard to say what's missing. Perhaps it's because there aren't many third-person action-based RPGs out there, but Fable sometimes feels like a missed opportunity.

For all its beauty, the areas you explore do seem rather small and hemmed in - especially when we're so used to expansive, open-ended RPG worlds. As mentioned, the folk of Fable react to you in all kinds of amusingly different ways, and that is hugely entertaining throughout, but that can leave the backbone of the game seeming a little forced and false. "Go and collect a quest card from the map table," says the Guildmaster, never letting you forget that it's just a game. It's almost too easy to be evil, because you just don't care about the cartoon quest you're being sent on. Like any normal person dumped into a Disneyland with no responsibilities, you're bound to run riot. But maybe that's a good thing.

8 / 10

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About Jim Rossignol

Read more articles from Jim by visiting the Jim Rossignol archive page.

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Comments (64) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Dire #1 6 years ago

    Enjoyed the 10 hours I spent on Fable:TLC. However I wouldnt splash out another 30 quid on a game that doesnt last very long.

  • Tomo #2 6 years ago

    Can't wait for this not having an XBox and all.

    Lovely!

  • Dizzy #3 6 years ago

    Took me 17 hours to complete.. just the perfect length. Yes.. you can blast through at top speed... just take your time and enjoy the sights and sounds.

    The cramped levels is indeed a negative point... I hope they solve that in Fable 2. 8/10 sounds about right.... it really is a pretty good game.

  • Lutz #4 6 years ago

    When does this come out on xbox?
    The original Fable lasts me a good 20 hours a game and I adore it so I can't wait for TLC to arrive.

  • Cloudane #5 6 years ago

    Along with Chronicles of Riddick, OutRun 2 and Ninja Gaiden, I though Fable was one of the finest Xbox game in 2004. I played through it twice - once good and another time being evil - but I shall not be buying this due to the funding for the Xbox 360: plus, I have a Mac, so no PC games on this platform!

    Enjoy the game.

  • Blerk #6 6 years ago

    One of the few games that made me want an Xbox. Maybe I'll grab the PC version? And then never play it, because I hate playing games on my PC. :-)

  • Talha #7 6 years ago

    Oh Blerk, you just wait before the PC Phantom knocks at your door, wielding a 7800 GTX emitting laser slugs, and condemn you to death for daring to mailgn THE PERFECT GAMING PLATFORM, home to the gaming gods, the only piece of hardware (either machine or organic) that matters. Consoles are for below-the-poverty line inadequates (PC Phantom's opinion - not mine)...

    Er, the tea I just had tasted funny

  • Blerk #8 6 years ago

    Bring it on, PC Phantom!

    /fires up Proton Accelerator

  • Artemus #9 6 years ago

    I was playing it all day yesterday. Not really getting too involved in the quests, just pissing around with the world.

    My only problem is trying to get magic into fights. It doesn't really seem necessary to me. More 'I better use this because I have it'.

  • kangarootoo #10 6 years ago

    Fable was fun, but I wasn't so enamoured with some of the points made in the review.

    The whole freedom of choice, good and evil etc was still pretty cosmetic for me. Like so many RPGs that go down the route of "you can do what you want", you quickly find that not all paths are equal and playing the game in a more rigid and traditional manner provides greater tangible rewards. I'm not saying that XP and gold are the only rewards worth having, simply having fun is a valuable thing too. But its not since the Fallout games I have seen an RPG that really DID let you play the game the way you want.

    As for the combat, I feel like I was playing a different game. I found the combat a mix of button mashing and frustrating autolock shenanigans. I'm playing Jade Empire currently and I made the same mental comparison, except JE does the combat the way it should have been in Fable. JE's combat seems like simple button mashing at first, but expand (and use) the styles you have available and play with the combat difficulty set to at least Normal, and it really comes to life. It makes Fable seem rather basic, yet harder to use effectively.

    As I say, I did enjoy Fable, but I enjoyed it in the same way I might enjoy several OK RPGs. It didn't rock my world the way Fallout 1 or KOTOR did.

  • SlackMaster #11 6 years ago

    When's this being released on the XBox? I heard some where that lost chapters will be released tagged onto Fable when released on the classics label... can't remember where now tho.

  • Shinzou #12 6 years ago

    Here be dragons?

    /Hopes

  • kangarootoo #13 6 years ago

    @Artemus

    I found the same thing. I always felt like I should be TRYING to build up a particular skill, rather than simply using the ones I felt comfortable with and progressing naturally.

  • OnlyMe #14 6 years ago

    Wow, good to hear the controls are works great on the keyboard and mouse. Maybe it's worth getting this one instead, seeing as I skipped the Xbox version.

  • Artemus #15 6 years ago

    I wouldn't say the controls work great without some rebinding. The context sensitive F1-3 keys seem a bit unnaturally placed to me.

    BTW, does anyone know if there is a all follow/stop command? When escorting more than one person it seems a bit fiddly have to turn and tell each invidual to wait.

  • Stickman #16 6 years ago

    Passed many an enjoyable evening buggering about with this on XBox. I'd recommend it to any PC bods for a good, fun game. Right about magic though, don't think I ever used it after the tutorial.

  • Groovicron #17 6 years ago

    Wow the most comments I've ever seen on the subject of fable that haven't degenerated into molyneux-bashing and ranting on about it being rubbish and over hyped.

    One of the best games on the big black box.
    Edited by 1 at 23/09/05 @ 14:51

  • drumbaby #18 6 years ago

    Rubbish and over hyped.

  • Xerx3s #19 6 years ago

    "Wow the most comments I've ever seen on the subject of fable that haven't degenerated into molyneux-bashing and ranting on about it being rubbish and over hyped.

    One of the best games on the big black box. " - I think all the fanboys are in school now, wait a couple of hours ;p

    Anyway, when is this comming out for the xbox? And how much will it cost?

  • kangarootoo #20 6 years ago

    I thought it was a mite over hyped, but it was far from rubbish. Its not all that was promised, but its still a very good game.

  • Thamuhacha #21 6 years ago

    Fable was great fun. Any game where I can get myself a handlebar moustache and a monkey tattoo is obviously moving towards greatness.

  • RabidMonkey #22 6 years ago

    I preferred Jade Empire to Fable.

  • UncleLou #23 6 years ago

    Bought it yesterday and played for about 1-2 hours, great fun so far. However, this sentence from the review seems to be very true: ""Go and collect a quest card from the map table," says the Guildmaster, never letting you forget that it's just a game". Much fun, but it's not a totally immersive kind of epic RPG.

  • Thamuhacha #24 6 years ago

    >I preferred Jade Empire to Fable.

    Definitely.

    Jade Empire, Fable, KOTOR and KOTOR 2 are the only Xbox games I still own. It's like an RPG console really.

    I'll get Ninja Gaiden Black though ...

  • smelly #25 6 years ago

    Not played it. But from sounds of the review, it sounds like it intends you to rome around messing about, trying different things treatng it like a sandbox.. But most of you (who are slagging it off) have just played it thru story from beginning to end (without seeing the other stuff?)?

    In that case, i might like it.. I like messing about in games, seeing how far i can push them.
    Edited by 1 at 23/09/05 @ 16:35

  • Artemus #26 6 years ago

    Kicking chickens never gets old!

  • Machiavel #27 6 years ago

    Thought it was beautiful on the Xbox, though I didn't persevere. Might well try again on the PC, when it's at the right price...

  • kangarootoo #28 6 years ago

    @smelly

    I would suggest that it isn't really as much of a sandbox as it purports to be. Sure there are side quests, but they have been around since RPG games first moved onto computers.

    And I don't think anyone (bar a few single sentence posters) has really been slagging it off. More suggesting that it isn't the best console RPG out there and that the whole "you can do aaaanything" aspect simply isn't true.

    It is a nice game, but its really not that different to a lot of other polished RPGs.

  • smelly #29 6 years ago

    thanks matey. I might hold out for a budget release then.

    unless i get bored with my current games, and impulse buy it one weekend.

  • kangarootoo #30 6 years ago

    I played it throgh twice BTW, just to put my criticisms in context.

  • captain-future #31 6 years ago

    a little challenge for you:

    state in max. five sentences the main difference/features of Fable: Lost Chapters?

  • kangarootoo #32 6 years ago

    Not sure if that aimed at me, as I've only read a few articles about Fable:LC, but I'll have a shot.

    More side Quests. More weapons. More armour. More characters. More spells.

    Tadaaaa.

  • smelly #33 6 years ago

    Can think of 3 without playing it.

    Extra chapters?
    Runs on pc?
    Runs at higher resolutions?

  • Ryuken #34 6 years ago

    Fun for a while but in the end just another action rpg with some interface problems (not enough room on the action bar below and wading through the inventory/skills/emotes menus on the PC version is simply horrible). Where the hell are the real rpg's à la BGII that took you 200 (interesting) hours to complete?

  • Flabio #35 6 years ago

    No bugger can afford to make them anymore.

  • Hunam85 #36 6 years ago

    i played for a few hours but became bored of it, not really that exciting

  • morriss #37 6 years ago

    The game's a 10. The atmosphere is sensational. I've never played a game like. It's the only game I've missed (apart from H4Lo) since selling my XBox. 10/10. A beautiful, beautiful game.

  • smelly #38 6 years ago

    erm.. but halo sucked balls.

  • AvA #39 6 years ago

    Zelda alike without Zelda finesse

    I wouldn't say it's rubbish, but then it's not even a RPG (apart from the quest structure).

  • Cloudane #40 6 years ago

    Smelly:

    Go on gamerankings or any multi-format website and try to find a comment that Halo 'sucks balls' - you will find it a hard task.

    Why do people think Halo is overated when there is not a FPS on the consoles that cannot even reach the heights of the game?

    It is a classic and that stands.

  • UncleLou #41 6 years ago

    I wouldn't say it's rubbish, but then it's not even a RPG (apart from the quest structure).

    You didn't level up your character then? ;)

  • Teeth #42 6 years ago

    More of an RPG than most I'd say in that you can play a role in it instead of playing a character.

  • hoathenfold #43 6 years ago

    I bought the orignal Fable on launch day... best I get round to getting the cellophane of the pack and playing it!!

  • UncleLou #44 6 years ago

    Does that mean no day in your life in the past 12 months has been dull enough to let you open a wrapped game you still had? :)

  • RabidMonkey #45 6 years ago

    "I wouldn't say it's rubbish, but then it's not even a RPG (apart from the quest structure)."

    It's more of a dungeon crawl like BG:DA or Dungeon Seige than a normal RPG like KOTOR. That's one of the reasons I'm not so keen on it myself.

    Oh, and Wink; Halo sucked because it was poorly designed and incredibly repetitive, not because it never appeared on a Nintendo console.
    Edited by 1 at 24/09/05 @ 13:42

  • Xerx3s #46 6 years ago

    "I preferred Jade Empire to Fable. " - aye, jade empire was ace. But Fable was great fun too.

    "erm.. but halo sucked balls." - No it doesnt. YOU think it sucks balls. I think its great. Oppinions mate :) And besides, cant think of any console shooter that can even get near the same experience (apart from golden eye then :) ). Come to think of it, cant really think of a PC shooter since UT'99 that was really worth playing.

    "You didn't level up your character then? ;)" - Diablo 2 has lvl up's for your character too, but that doesnt make it an rpg does it? Still remains the best H&S.

    "Go on gamerankings or any multi-format website and try to find a comment that Halo 'sucks balls' - you will find it a hard task.

    Why do people think Halo is overated when there is not a FPS on the consoles that cannot even reach the heights of the game?

    It is a classic and that stands." - Never mind that, You, I and a lot of other ppl know Halo is a classic. Smelly clearly has his own oppinion on the game. H(2) is one of the best console shooters ever imo (next to GE). The MP in H(2) is truely classic imo.

    "Oh, and Wink; Halo sucked because it was poorly designed and incredibly repetitive, not because it never appeared on a Nintendo console. " - Yep. The constantly changing 30 sec superme combat scenes, the superb AI, funny oneliners from the enemy/allies, fresh combat tactics and the fact that you actually had to think before you charged in guns blazing where utter crap. We want more shooters like MoH and killzone!

  • UncleLou #47 6 years ago

    "You didn't level up your character then? ;)" - Diablo 2 has lvl up's for your character too, but that doesnt make it an rpg does it? Still remains the best H&S.

    Yes, it does. An action RPG.

  • matrim83 #48 6 years ago

    Good game. I'm (I think) about half way (just reunited with a family member and killed a big bandit).

    Like I said good game but still seems like a poor mans Zelda. And thats not a bad thing, Zelda is a great game and we could use more games like it.

  • morriss #49 6 years ago

    /note to self

    Never mention H4L0 in 'comments'...

  • RabidMonkey #50 6 years ago

    "The constantly changing 30 sec superme combat scenes, the superb AI, funny oneliners from the enemy/allies, fresh combat tactics and the fact that you actually had to think before you charged in guns blazing where utter crap. We want more shooters like MoH and killzone!"

    Don't forget the poor level design, crappy controls and the fact that it just wasn't much fun to play.

  • Malakhai #51 6 years ago

    This may be beside the point, but why are we talking about Halo? Lets get back to the subject matter at hand.
    This game, no matter the polish and shine, is still lacking. The combat left me wanting.

  • Genji #52 6 years ago

    Actually, I find this highly amusing. Lemme have a go!

    *ahem*

    Halo was the best thing since sliced bread! Anyone who disagrees with this is obviously stupid.

    That felt good!

  • Xerx3s #53 6 years ago

    pfff, Halo was the best thing since the invention of the wheel ^_^.

    Anyway, its true that halo was so fucking bad. Lets all start to play the amazing killzone! Or some other great console shooters!

    /thinks about what he just said.
    /cant stop laughing.

    Ahh well, cant be botherd by it. If you cant appreciate the game, then thats your loss really.

  • RabidMonkey #54 6 years ago

    "Halo was the best thing since the invention of the wheel"

    Really? I would rather play with a wheel than play that torrid game ever again. Hell, a wheel probably has more depth than that shallow, torturous game.

    /goes and plays with wheel

  • RabidMonkey #55 6 years ago

    "Simple minds; simple pleasures."

    Same can be said about you lot playing Halo.

  • Genji #56 6 years ago

    "Same can be said about you lot playing Halo."

    Oh, you're breaking my fragile heart!

  • Inquisitor #57 6 years ago

    I actually used the magic a hell of a lot in Fable. Spells like spawning demon swords and healing yourself became really useful later in the game. I also killed the end of game boss nearly exclusively with magic, and he barely damaged me because I had levelled up my magic so much.

  • morriss #58 6 years ago

    ^^^^^^^^^

    I don't agree

    back on topic. Anyone had Fable sound issues?
    Edited by 1 at 25/09/05 @ 21:03

  • kangarootoo #59 6 years ago

    @RabidMonkey

    You seem to be inventing a lot of extremes there to get your point across.

    "The truth is it's not "the best game ever"" Very few people claim this.

    "but that doesn't mean people should disregard every other game in that genre" Again, I think very few people (if any at all) actually do this.

    Aaaaanyway, finished Jade Empire at the weekend. For the most part if was very good. I think I probably enjoyed it more than Fable, though there isn't that much in it really (and I do have more than a passing interest in the martial arts).

  • smelly #60 6 years ago

    "Go on gamerankings or any multi-format website and try to find a comment that Halo 'sucks balls' - you will find it a hard task. "

    Erm.. well this is off topic.. but okay.. look for a review of halo on the pc anywhere you lie. When compared against other far superior games available on the pc, it sucks.

    On a console where nothing else is available, far enough.. But surely when comparing games, you compare them against all other games in that genre, not just on one platform?

    Compare halo to say half life 2, or far cry... But I'm going off point here.

    I think i'll give this a bash.. see what i think.. i havent had a good game for a while (things have got so bad, i've started replaying mario sunshine).

  • eviltobz  #61 6 years ago

    i find people's differing opinions on combat skills in fable quite interesting. personally i found a mixture of hitting people with a big fuck off sword with magic to make me harder and do ranged attacks was perfect. my mate loved playing with the bow whereas i couldn't really get on with it. i think that the different skill types actually provide a good mix of combat techniques allowing the player to customize it to how they want to play quite nicely, and that neither melee, archery or magic were lacking, just different.

  • morriss #62 6 years ago

    I've been playing 12 hours now and have just began flirting with Lady Grey. I fish all the time, wander around looking for things to dig up. Do every little sub-quest the game throws at me. I'm lokoing at 20hours I think, which is pretty perfect.

  • sirtacos #63 4 years ago

    Lost Chapters is surprisingly good considering the cyclone of bad press it's received (presumably over crushed expectations from overeager gamers, though I didn't much care for gaming when it originally came out so I didn't have that problem).
    The environments are gorgeous, the music is wonderful, the world has plenty of charm, and overall it's a fun experience with plenty of choices along the way.
    However, don't expect KotOR/Jade Empire's choice-making, storytelling or voice acting. Or combat. Or characterization.

    I enjoyed Fable greatly, but what bothered me was this: obviously a LOT of great talent and inspiration was poured into this game. However, Fable doesn't feel like a cogent, engrossing or entirely satisfying experience. It mostly feels like a digital playground for you to run around in. It's more of a 'concept'.

    The great elements that ARE there make you think that it could have been 10 times the game it is now... and such tangible but unachieved potential is sad. Very sad indeed.

    The studio behind Fable, from what I've seen, has enough talent to make a game that rivals BioWare's best outings, and that's saying a lot. They probably never will, though, and that's even sadder.

    Oh, and did the voice acting bother anyone else as much as it irritated me? Some of the people in the game sound completely retarded. Sometimes I wondered if the developers dragged random people off the streets of Liverpool/Wales/the set of Brookside (shivers) and shoved a script in their face. And these people turned out to be dyslexic and illiterate. And high. And completely stupid.
    Edited by 1 at 21/04/08 @ 02:05

  • Gavilan #64 4 years ago

    I thought the voice acting was good actually, made a change from the usual American hum-drum.