Fable Anniversary

A heroic remastering of the decade old Fable shows the new generation has a lot to live up to. Definitely worth a play to see gaming’s modern heritage at its sharpest and brightest, with extensive remodelling and cleverly integrated new controls and gameplay additions.

One of Molyneux's actual games, and worth remastering. [March 2014]

I think you won’t be disappointed if you choose to return to Albion. Of course some gameplay mechanics are old after 10 years, but it is still a charming fairy tale. [03/2014, p.71]

Even with its shortcomings, Fable was a good game and Fable Anniversary keeps everything intact while adding a fresh coat of Unreal Engine 3 graphics. The game didn't age too well and modern RPG lovers will have plenty to complain about, but if taken as a trip back in time to Xbox' early steps, it surely deserves a try.

While the concept feels as fresh as anything and thanks to Unreal technology Albion looks better than ever, you’ll notice the age of the source material. Nonetheless it is a nice stroll down memory lane.

Despite frame rate issues and some bugs, Fable Anniversary is still a fresh and entertaining experience that deserves old (and new) fans attention.

Inevitably, its doesn’t feel as fresh today as they did in 2004, but the strange and beautiful world of Albion, with all its weird idiosyncrasies and wildly varied accents, is as absorbing and lovably, peculiarly British as it ever was.

As a museum piece, it’s a wonderful effort that ensures the game will remain relevant for a new generation of players. As a game, it’s the definitive edition of a superb title that has a lot to offer even in 2014.

Even with its imperfections, Fable Anniversary is still the best available way to replay this classic.

At $40, it’s worth buying if you loved the original release and just want to go through it again.

Fable Anniversary is still a fun game and its drawbacks lay inside the original game's faults and game design choices. Beneath all of these, there's still a fun game worth exploring if you didn't have the chance ten years ago.

Fable Anniversary is a game with all the good and less attractive parts of Fable: The Lost Chapters. It concerns a big visual overhaul that doesn’t work as well as it should in every part of the game and should’ve gotten a bit more attention. The strength of this adventure game remains intact though.

Fable Anniversary is a great way to experience the first Fable. Unfortunately, only the graphics are updated and therefore the game still feels like it is from another time period. Long load times between areas really take the speed out of the game and the menu-interface is old and outdated. Still, the humor and amazing world Lionhead created with the first Fable is just as funny as it was ten years ago.

The push and pull between the great and sketchy in Fable Anniversary can wear over the course of the game, but its infallible, messy charm still manage to make it every bit the enjoyable time sink it was back in 2004.

Fable Anniversary may not blow you away, but it's still a good action game that everyone should experience at some point or another, and I'd consider it vastly superior to Fable 2 and 3.

Anniversary is a great proposal for Fable fans who want to own the best possible version of a decade old game.

It was just a good, solid fun RPG, and it remains so to this day.

If you want to relive the experience you loved ten years ago, get this game, but prepare to feel that crushing weight of nostalgia.

It is still fantastic to see where the series started and how far it has come. It is also great to see how much influence this unique action RPG has had on current games in the genre.

Fable Anniversary is a worthy game and sure to appeal to fans of the original, but sub-HD cut-scenes, a jumpy camera and a poor targeting system indicate this re-release didn't get the full attention it deserved.

A great opportunity to revisit the origins of a leading Xbox series, Fable Anniversary is an enjoyable trip down memory lane. Brought up to date with new visuals, extra content and a brilliant achievement list, its charms just about overpower its ageing, decade-old gameplay. A must for fans.

Fable Anniversary has been given a great HD-coat of paint, but many of the mechanics feel too outdated by today’s standards to be satisfying.

Fable Anniversary is an average remake that keeps all the charms of the original, but still suffers from technical issues and annoying loading times.

Fable is still a charming and extremely engaging adventure. It's fun and entertaining, and the worlds Lionhead create are filled with magic. It is, however, showing it's age. Aside from the stiff animations several gameplay systems are out of date and could have benefited from an overhaul.

Fable isn't quite timeless, but its genial mood is infectious, and I'm happy that Fable Anniversary kept my fond memories intact.

This is a great example of how a HD remake is supposed to be. If you're aware of the limitations you will find in a ten-year-old game, it's a good choice.

Fable has always been a diamond in the rough. There's as much entertainment to be found here as there are frustrations - nothing about that has changed in the past decade.

While Anniversary may feel like Lionhead is doing a sloppy job in 2014, that isn’t the case; it’s a testament to what an excellent job it did in 2008.

Get past the faintly patronising tutorial, and resist the slightly disappointing final battle, and stay in the brilliant, rich middle. This is an adventure that rewards the curious and the explorers.

There are better remakes. Fable was a great game and still works today, but this time Lionhead hasn't taken all the magic of the immortal project by Peter Molyneux.

Ten years later, Fable is still an interesting action-RPG, yet it has lost most of its innovation and a large chunk of its charm.

With all of its upgrades and love, Fable Anniversary really is the original Fable in a brand new suit, warts and all.

Works rather well even after all these years, yet there are still some technical irks that shouldn't be there at all. [Issue #239]

Fable Anniversary's structure is reasonably competent. [Issue#145, p.112]

Peter Molyneux will retell you the tale you heard ten years ago for the first time. The game's package is prettier than ever before indeed, but its content is exactly the same, and unfortunately, it seems that all its glittering novelties are not without technical issues.

Things such as the long load times between the rather small sections of the map, and the clunky animations and difficult aiming system detract from the many refinements that have been added.

Microsoft seems to have been in a hurry while making this edition, presenting a product that probably deserved more than the 15 months of development declared by Lionhead. The game is partially saved thanks to its contents, based on a game that is simply timeless.

It's same old Fable, and this is a good chance to try it if you've missed the original (and the expansion). Sadly, this remaster shows a lot of graphical hiccups, and a less than good frame rate, despite its high pricing.

Fable is as charming and playable as ever, but the anniversary version is a technical disaster. The developer should have waited till September and use the time to polish this pearl. This game deserves a much higher grade. If you remember loving Fable a lot some years ago and are a forgiving person - buy it. In any other case playing the original will do just fine.

In the ten years that have followed since its launch on the original Xbox, Fable continues to charm, even though the mission structure, morality system and combat have started to show their age. As such, Fable Anniversary is a fun game to revisit for those with fond memories of breaking wind and booting chickens, but isn't likely to appease modern gamers with more sophisticated tastes.

With a lackluster graphical update and no compelling additions outside of new achievements and SmartGlass integration, Fable Anniversary is an HD redux strictly for die-hard franchise fans only.

While a solid job of remastering the original has been done, the game itself could have used a lot more of an upgrade. It's aged pretty damn badly, and no amount of visual polish can mask that.

A good HD remake but the game itself doesn’t really warrant the attention, with too many unfulfilled promises that even its sequels failed to make good on.

As there's no real burden of expectation on its shoulders, it's hard to imagine anyone getting angry with Fable Anniversary, and yet it's equally hard to shake a feeling of disappointment. It's the original, rather than this update, that's the problem. Fable's fundamentals already had a major overhaul in 2, and while a return to those ideas in rawer form provides an insight into the evolution of game mechanics, it also serves as a stark reminder of its age.

Fable still has some charming elements that have stood the test of time and survive in Fable Anniversary. But most of the game shows its age, so if you played Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters the first time around, there’s little here to bring you back for more.

In many ways, Fable Anniversary is just a prettier version of the original game with the added The Lost Chapters DLC thrown in for good measure.

Stunted, bitty world design and cut and paste quests drain the colour from one of gaming's most vivid worlds. [Apr 2014, p.75]

Fable Anniversary delivers almost the same experience as the original, minus its fantastic graphical style.

A half-hearted HD update of a game that had a lot of problems when it was launched ten years ago. Problems that have not become easier to forgive as time have passed. During all scrap hides, however, hides a really fun game, but the only big fans should consider a return to Albion.

A curiosity at best — and an infuriating disservice to the series' legacy at worst.

Despite its issues, Fable Anniversary is the best way for players to experience the original Fable. Just keep in mind that action RPGs have a come a very long way since then.