Fable 3 is the latest instalment of the long running franchise developed by Lionhead Studios. Set 50 years after the events in Fable 2, Fable 3 places you in the role of the previous games’ hero’s offspring in what is set to be Albion’s darkest chapter to date.

Our “story begins again” on a typical day in the castle. With your character’s father dead and buried, the rule of Albion has fallen to your older brother Logan. Under his reign Albion has grown into its industrial age, though through heavy taxation and rigid exploitation policies the people of Albion have begun to reject their new king.

During an uprising, which ultimately fails, events quickly unfold that force Fable 3′s hero to take up the quest to remove Logan from the throne. It’s during this journey across Albion, that the player must recruit various factions to their cause, by aiding them with their problems, and gaining their trust.

In true RPG fashion, Fable 3′s story is presented over a series of quests, with a huge helping of optional side quests thrown in for good measure. Experience gained during the course of these quests takes the form of guild seals, which in turn can be used to unlock new abilities to enhance your character.

Streamlined significantly in comparison to the previous titles in the series, Fable 3 offers an experience that is accessible to new and old gamers alike. This allows the player to concentrate on the carefully crafted story from the moment they hit the start button, rather than struggling to learn complex combinations of controls.

It’s this story that is Fable 3′s greatest strength, with decisions and promises made along the way ultimately coming back to haunt you as you continue to rise to power. The end result is a series of increasingly tougher moral choices, that constantly present a conflict between keeping your word and the long term needs of Albion itself.

With a stellar voice cast, huge graphical improvements, and minor tweaks over the control scheme, you think you’d be safe in assuming that Fable 3 would be at the top of the “must buy” list of every RPG fan out there. Unfortunately, you’d be wrong.

While great effort has been made to present an epic story, Fable 3 is a game that ceases to be engaging once the primary quest line has been completed. With missions lifted directly from the first Fable game, and relationship quests that are repetitive to say the least, it feels very much like an RPG-lite.

While the simplification of the interface should be commended (gone are the endless lists, and menus), it’s the over simplification of Fable 3′s remaining elements that will drive away the fans of the genre that are expecting something deeper rather than lightweight.

Despite its shortcomings, Fable 3 is a thoroughly engrossing tale while it lasts.  I really do hope that Lionhead are working hard on a series of DLC packs that are truly engaging, challenging, and as inspired as Fable 3′s primary story arc; as I’d love to see what happens next in Albion.

Overall, the brief glimpse of Fable 3′s potential that I’ve been given, has left me craving for more.

7.5/10

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