 It's
been a year since fans have enjoyed their first taste
of Fable, the game touted to be best RPG of all time.
While I might agree that it was one of the best RPGs
on the Xbox, it's still got some heavy competition with
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. I'm afraid that
it doesn't have the depth or originality of Diablo for
the PC. So it's definitely not the best RPG ever created
but it's in darn good company and there's no reason
not to play it - but if you already have you might not
get your money's worth out of The Lost Chapters.
Fable:
The Lost Chapters is essentially an expansion pack.
It contains the same core gameplay with some additional
features such as new characters, locations, weapons,
spells, enemies and side quests. There are also some
new stories but they are just small branches wrapped
around the core that essentially lead to dead ends.
Originally,
Fable's main claim to fame was the ever-changing character
development which encouraged you to play with either
a good or evil persona. Your character's physical
attributes would change depending on his mental and
moral course. This would also alter other characters'
reaction to him based solely on his appearance. The
uglier he was inside, the uglier he would look on
the outside. By playing through the game as both good
and evil, it was like getting two games for one price.
 Not
so with Lost Chapters if you've already played the
original since it retains the majority of the gameplay,
characters, weapons, locations, etc. Only if you haven't
played it will this game reveal itself to be a treasure
trove of digital delights.
Revolving
around a tale of revenge, your character will be faced
with an incredible array of choices. From childhood
to adulthood, your character will change with the
choices that he's made. This will also be reflected
in his powers and skills. Dark magic is different
from white magic. Both will open up different doors
and lead you down different paths. The interface is
incredibly intuitive and even the real-time combat
system is relatively easy to use. This game just begs
newbies to latch on for the ride of their lives.
 As
with the original, the graphics are impressive. Locations
are highly imaginative but are perfectly rendered
for the context in which they appear. In other words,
as unbelievable as they look, they actually look believable.
Towns have a lived-in look and the NPCs are chock
full of personality. Even when they don't talk they
at least will illicit some reaction to situations
or your appearance. The music and sound effects echo
the rest of the excellent production values.
Fable:
The Lost Chapters is equally as good on the Xbox as
it is on the PC. It's certainly one of the best RPGs
out there and there's no doubt that some novices will
consider it the best RPG they've ever played. If you're
looking for some action in a RPG then Fable is definitely
the way to go.
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