DeVaughn Brathwaite

What makes the PC video game Fable so great?

RPGs, or Role Playing Games if one is not that well with video game appreciations, are typically defined by their stories. A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of a character in a story. A great RPG needs a great and epic story – like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars or Final Fantasy. Fable's story is serviceable, but not extraordinary, which is really what keeps it from the upper-echelon of role-playing games. A simple tale of revenge, you play the role of a young boy whose village is raided by bandits. Your mother and sister are taken captive, your father murdered. Your mission, from that point on is to avenge your father's death and discover the whereabouts of your mother and sister, if they are still alive. And while there are a couple of relatively obvious twists along the way, the story unfolds pretty much as you would expect. Unlike Knights of the Old Republic, which has one of the greatest twists in RPG history, Fable isn't so much about the story, but your journey that takes you to its climactic conclusion. Fable is an open-ended game made for the PC and Xbox console, with specific story points that help guide you towards its conclusion. Once you've finished your training at the Heroes' Guild (which could last a few hours if you choose to take your time), the world is completely open to you. Right off the bat, you can wander to the majority of areas in Albion, a sizable medieval world packed with hundreds of NPCs (Another abbreviation for Non Player Characters, computer controlled characters that interact with you in the story of the game.) who all eventually become focused on you and your journey from nobody to the greatest hero the world has ever known. Of course, the deeper you enter into Albion's wilderness, the more dangerous the path. So, while you could technically make your way to a lot of Albion the moment you enter manhood, you probably wouldn't survive long. No matter where you go, though, the incredible details in the environments really make each area feel much more dense and open than they actually are. Whether you are traveling in the golden autumn fields of the Greatwood Forest or searching for an exit in a massive stone stronghold, I doubt you'll ever see more exquisite surroundings in any other Xbox game. Some of the areas simply amazed me just how beautiful the graphical detail was in the game. Along the terms of graphics, the level to which your character develops as you play, and the ways in which this is visually represented, are immensely impressive. On the superficial front, depending on how you choose to tailor your character's attributes, he'll look completely different. Focus on hand-to-hand combat and increase all the relevant attributes and your hero will turn out burly and menacing. If you choose to make your character more of a magic user, his look will reflect it: all the supernatural energy coursing through him will cause him to age at an accelerated rate. The ethical decisions you make throughout the game also have a huge bearing on not only your look, but also how your hero is perceived by the populace. Basically, if you become the devil incarnate, you'll look the part: you'll sprout horns, your eyes will adopt a fiendish glow, and your skin will become pasty and foul. The common folk, naturally, will react to you with fear and suspicion. But if you perform good works throughout the world, your visage will reflect your angelic nature. You'll have a faint little halo over your head, and spectral butterflies will envelope your aura, and the people will sing your blessings as you pass. There are so many more things that would attract my decision about how much I just love this game, but as a teacher, I’m guessing you might not have time to engage into such a grand PC game. But one day, if you was to ever find the time to embark on a grand story, Mr.Burk, come to me and I could let you barrow Fable for free.