Fable III (Xbox 360)

Fable III is the third title in the Fable series of action role-playing games. Once again, the title takes place in the fictional land of Albion and follows fifty years after the events of Fable II.

The Hero of the previous game is recognized as bringing a new era of peace and prosperity to the land after defeating Lucien. The Hero brought unity and strength to Albion, and built a kingdom where there was once disparate villages. That Hero had two children and the older child, named Logan, eventually rose to rule the kingdom as successor to the fabled Hero. While originally a benevolent ruler, his policies and military began to turn gradually more oppressive. Word across the land has begun to ring of revolution.

Unlike the largely medieval-style theme of the previous titles, the industrial age has come to Albion (presumably in the wake of rampant growth brought by the previous game’s hero). As such, the style of Fable III resembles the United States and Great Britain during the 18th Century and the American Revolution.

Players take the role of Logan’s brother, working to gradually increase his own strength and powers, and to eventually build an army to overthrow his brother and take over the reigns of Albion. The new Hero is accompanied by a faithful partner in the form of a dog. As before, the game features a focused main storyline broken up by generous numbers of quests, the ability to work jobs, own real-estate, and get married remains. Once again, the player may choose to be good or evil, and the player’s decisions in the game reflect on changes in the game environment and on other characters. Weapons may also be changed according to how player’s move through the adventure.

A new element, however, is that the player is tasked with building an army to overthrow his brother. In order to build the strength to overthrow Logan, the player must actually “play politics” with the citizens of Albion, which may involve making promises keeping them once the player has taken over the kingdom.

Fable III also contains an online and multiplayer mode, somewhat more fleshed out than in Fable II. Rather than simply being a sort of henchman for other players online, player’s Hero characters can interact and quest with one another on a more equal status.