Fable Anniversary

 Xbox 360
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 53 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 34 out of 53
  3. Negative: 2 out of 53
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  1. GameOver.gr
    Feb 19, 2014
    90
    Some 10 year old problems are still here proving that Lionhead didn't do its best during the port, but Fable -even after all those years- remains one unique fairytale of a game.
  2. NowGamer
    Feb 3, 2014
    90
    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.
  3. Pelit (Finland)
    May 11, 2014
    87
    One of Molyneux's actual games, and worth remastering. [March 2014]
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  5. CD-Action
    Mar 5, 2014
    80
    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]
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  6. MondoXbox
    Feb 23, 2014
    80
    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.
  7. 4P.de
    Feb 12, 2014
    80
    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.
  8. Eurogamer Italy
    Feb 11, 2014
    80
    Despite frame rate issues and some bugs, Fable Anniversary is still a fresh and entertaining experience that deserves old (and new) fans attention.
  9. IGN
    Feb 3, 2014
    80
    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.
  10. Hardcore Gamer
    Feb 3, 2014
    80
    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.
  11. Game Informer
    Feb 3, 2014
    80
    Even with its imperfections, Fable Anniversary is still the best available way to replay this classic.
  12. Game Over Online
    Feb 18, 2014
    77
    At $40, it’s worth buying if you loved the original release and just want to go through it again.
  13. Multiplayer.it
    Feb 17, 2014
    76
    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.
  14. InsideGamer.nl
    Mar 1, 2014
    75
    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.
  15. XGN
    Feb 17, 2014
    75
    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.
  16. Official Xbox Magazine
    Feb 3, 2014
    75
    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.
  17. Destructoid
    Feb 3, 2014
    75
    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.
  18. 3DJuegos
    Feb 3, 2014
    75
    Anniversary is a great proposal for Fable fans who want to own the best possible version of a decade old game.

Awards & Rankings

30
#30 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2014
5
#5 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2014
6
#6 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2014

User Reviews

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User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 260 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 155 out of 260
  2. Mixed: 61 out of 260
  3. Negative: 44 out of 260
  1. RedeemerEric
    Feb 6, 2014
    0
    What a disappointment, but what should I expect from Lionhead nowadays anyways?

    I loved the original Fable Lost Chapters. It's one of the    What a disappointment, but what should I expect from Lionhead nowadays anyways?

    I loved the original Fable Lost Chapters. It's one of the best games ever made.

    However this is a lazy attempt at a Remake. You think they would put more time into remaking the best thing they ever created.

    Reasons why its good.

    Background Art Style - The background art is higher resolution and looks better. They managed to keep the unique style of the background.

    DLC - It seems the main reason to buy this is hoping theyll come out with new anything. We only get some new clothes to roleplay with or whatever, but it costs around $15 extra. Maybe theyll add new places or something, probably not though.

    Music and sound effects werent touched - thank god they didnt mess up the sound like they did the art

    The reasons why its bad.

    Art Style for everything but the Background- They just added more polygons and texture space, which dont equal better graphics. They completely flew over the original designs and the characters no longer have the unique touch the original had. They blew over the ui as well. It was much more bold and engaging, now its thin and weak looking. I just dont understand how the artists could just blow right over the unique style and have the scary face children and poor looking hair styles pass. Another example of a specific art scew up, the Normal hair style specifically shows on the card that it has small strands of hair in the front, but they made him have fat strands of hair over his face, so you cant even see his face and he looks like an emo.

    Lighting - The original had bright lighting that went with the fantasy world. This game is dark and gray looking. Its like im wandering around in horribly lit clay world.

    They Fixed Nothing! - All of the glitches and abuses are still in the game. They had 10 years to figure out what was wrong with the last game and fix it. All they did was create new art and do nothing else. The animation and controls are still choppy if not worse then the xbox version. They couldnt even allow us to choose which books to give the librarian, he still chooses random books and you have to go through hoops to get him to choose the ones you want.

    They could have done so much more - They should have spent more time on this and just charge the full $60. They could have added features from the last games, like coop (play as a mercenary or your hero perhaps) or leaderboards for quests scores, maybe more branches for certain quests, a 5th level for spells... anything! They could have fixed the glitches that were there 10 years ago. It's not like they needed to add a whole new town, just some new side quests or any small addons. A lot of people playing fable now, hadnt played this on the xbox so they could have just released this like a new game and recreate the experience. If their target market was the old players, did they really think this lazy job would pass? They act like achievements matter... no one cares about your all new achievements... achievements are a basic thing in every game now.

    So basically, just buy the old Fable The Lost Chapters for the xbox. It has better looking art even though its lower resolution. All you gain from this game is the dlc costumes which basically make this a $60 game anyways... and you can talk to your friends in a party since this is an xbox 360 game (has nothing to do with the actual game). This is just a small summary of what I could remember while playing this and its late so I cant go over everything they did wrong.    … Full Review »
  2. ThePyra
    Feb 4, 2014
    10
    When reviewing a game like Fable Anniversary, there's a tendency to try and review it as a brand new game. However, that'd be a bit of aWhen reviewing a game like Fable Anniversary, there's a tendency to try and review it as a brand new game. However, that'd be a bit of a misnomer as far as reviews go. The broader context of the game has to be kept in mind. There's so many elements that, despite being dated by today's standards, are responsible for the original Fable game being the success that it was. I think it was wise that the team took care in not tampering with the formula of the original. There's been some visual overhauls, the sound seems to have been reworked as well, and the menu system and controls have been updated accordingly. In general, I feel that Fable Anniversary does exactly what I've always wanted a Fable remake to do: don't mess the original game up but still make it look and sound amazing and maybe throw a few new features in for good measure. By that standard, this game has really exceeded my expectations. I'm only three or fours hours into the game, but having played the original game like crazy I can already tell that they've really hit that fine balance between staying authentic to the original while still bringing the game into the modern age. This is pretty much everything I wanted in a Fable remake.… Full Review »
  3. jayrumz
    Feb 9, 2014
    6
    Love the game. So much fun, one of the best action rpgs I've ever played. However... this is a technical disaster. Screen tears, frame rateLove the game. So much fun, one of the best action rpgs I've ever played. However... this is a technical disaster. Screen tears, frame rate drops, constant freezing(around 10 within a week of playing) and other various bugs(infinity spawning bad guys) make it really tough to recommend.… Full Review »
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