Molyneux has done it again
You see Fable III much like it's predecessors isn't an amazing game. It isn't an Ocarina of Time, Dragon Age, Fallout or a Mass Effect.
Fable III is at heart an extremely mediocre game But unlike most mediocre games it hides that fact extremely well under a thick layer of charm.
It is that charm that is the real strong suit of the game and it's creator Peter Molyneux. The man is a marketing genius and the "trickery" if you will, starts long before the game disc enters your tray. Interviews and developer diaries often starring the man himself show great promise of epic adventure.
Both Fable I and II although always entertaining never fully delivered on the promises made. Fable III being the best or worst example based on your point of view.
You see if you look past the layers of admitted charm, you end up with a linear series of fetch quests where you follow the trademark glowing trail across the map. Sure there's the option to turn it off but all that does is prolong the search for the right linear path.
Exploration fans need to understand that the game isn't a sandbox game like Fallout 3/Vegas or a GTA title. Instead it offers an intricate maze of linear paths that often lead to dead ends. There's very little true exploring to be done because both invisible walls and the lack of a jump button keep your freedom of movement well in check.
Another Fable III disappointment is the combat. It uses 3 buttons:
X for melee (hold to block)
B for magic
Y for ranged weapons.
It offers no tactical play whatsoever. In fact if you find yourself surrounded by bandits, go ahead and look away from the screen and frantically start pressing the X,B and Y button while spinning the left stick. You'll come out victorious every-single-time. In fact slapping the facebuttons with your palm will most likely take out a good number of foes.
On to the trademark Fable interaction with characters. This requires you to press A to enter the interaction screen. What follows is a random series of interaction options. Press the chosen button for a short interaction or hold the button till the controller starts vibrating for maximum effect.
There's no reason whatsoever to go for a quicky since holding the button is always the right choice. Also 9/10 times the "whistle" option will get you the best results. Interaction is extremely tedious and a simplified version of Fable II's. After a series of whistles you'll unlock a fetchquest with that character.
These quests gain you points which will add to a total needed to win over a towns support in your revolution. What the game boils down to is overly simplified gameplay sugarcoated with that typical Fable humor and charm.
The gameplay feels so simplified it almost makes it feel like the game was targeted at a very young community that is altogether inexperienced at gaming.
However the harsh life and death choices that the game forces you to make at times reveal that this is clearly not the case.
Fable III is one of those games that's ranked among 360 heavyweights. Not so much because the gameplay is worthy of that but because of it's amazing ability to hide it's mediocrity through topnotch marketing and a slick charm.
It's one of those games that has a loyal following that are great fans of it's undeniable charm. It's hard to blame them and offer them alternatives because there's really no other product like it on the market.
Is Fable III a horrible product? No, it's not, but in terms of serious RPG play mechanics, seasoned RPG players should steer well clear of Fable III