Reviewing Fable: Anniversary was a bit tricky, partly as the experience changes from one player to the other as, depending on how you play, your character and storyline changes, but mainly because most gamers, at some point, will have either played Fable or one of its sequels.
Fable: Anniversary
For: Xbox 360
From: Lionhead Studios
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Fable originally came out in 2004 on the Xbox and was a massive hit, which, as I mentioned, spawned sequel after sequel.
It was the game against which most other role playing games were based on and compared to.
Fable didn't bring anything new to the table, but what it did do was bring a lot of existing ideas together and put them into a fantastic package.
So good in fact that this high resolution, next-gen version still stands up against the competition without the need for Lionhead to change anything.
This is mostly a good thing, although the frequent loading screens and numerous menu screens are a reminder of how game production has improved, but overall it's still a great experience.
The big plus point of the revamp is that Albion, your homeland, now looks better than ever and exploring it is a genuine joy.
Fable is still fun, entertaining and funny, and despite its flaws it's well worth a look.
- Simon Kemp
