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jack-crutcher
3rd October 2012

Fable: The Journey

Jack Crutcher looks at the latest entry in the Fable series
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TLDR

For fans of the Fable franchise so far, Fable: The Journey may prove to be an unwelcome distraction from the timeline they have come to love over the past eight years.

This latest instalment does not continue along the lines of the Ancient Archon bloodline dealt with during the previous three games and instead introduces us to an Albion devoid of an obvious hero. The unlikely Hero-in-waiting turns out to be a clumsy tribesman named Gabriel, who gets lost and happens to stumble across Theresa. As with Theresa other familiar characters from the past games are also common fixtures, including Balverines, Hobbes and Hollowmen. Though fans will be pleased to see these much loved characters of Albion remain in the game, this is where the similarities (perhaps unfortunately) end.

Fable: The Journey is produced for Kinect and is set to disappoint the large number of gamers yet to use this device. The game itself may yet prove to be the saviour of Kinect (if Kinect isn’t the downfall of the franchise first). Simple hand movements will produce satisfying results and using your hands interchangeably will produce either focused attacks (right hand) or attacks over a large area (left hand). The game has lost most of its melee elements however, choosing to focus on magic attacks and the occasional hand-to-hand combat. Though quirky elements have been introduced, such as being able to pick apples from trees and heal your horse. Much of the free roam element is lost as the game nurses you through the storyline, moving from place-to-place as quests are completed, although an Arcade mode lets you re-visit explored areas.

For fans of Fable this game may disappoint, visually and emotionally the game should feel like Fable, but many of the unique elements of the RPG franchise will be lost with the introduction of Kinect.


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