Fable III

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 735 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 329 out of 735
  2. Mixed: 270 out of 735
  3. Negative: 136 out of 735
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  1. klinesmokerr
    Oct 26, 2010
    10
    It's been interesting to see how critics respond to the latest iteration of a well known game franchise over the course of this year. With so many top-notch titles the market itself has felt more than saturated with grade-A content. This is far from a bad thing for us gamers. Quite the opposite as it marks a new step in gaming where we aren't overstocked on too much random IP and have aIt's been interesting to see how critics respond to the latest iteration of a well known game franchise over the course of this year. With so many top-notch titles the market itself has felt more than saturated with grade-A content. This is far from a bad thing for us gamers. Quite the opposite as it marks a new step in gaming where we aren't overstocked on too much random IP and have a plethora of games to choose from.

    The drawback has been in the way games have been received and the strange ambiguity that game critics have put forth of late. It's been a neverending series of "damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't" reviews that seem to be in constant conflict with other games. When a game like Fable III hits the shelves you'll see critics lauding the game as a triumph for its hilarity, size and willingness to change the mold, and yet another game will be crushed for doing the same. What do we as players want? The same game again? Do we want it to change? The difference in this perspective is causing critics to appear extremely random in their desires. The frustration of this all is knowing that yet another by-the-numbers FPS will be out here shortly that will roll in praise for no solid reason. We, as gamers, deserve better than that. As a result I urge you to enjoy the title for yourself and ignore negative reviews for this game because after several hours (all night) I can stamp it with a seal of greatness.

    Fable III has what I will call the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed syndrome. By that I mean you'll have harsh critical bile spewed over changes in the franchise and yet the fans will flock to it because it has a certain charm that just can't be labeled. The humor of the game is as hilarious as it's ever been and yet there are moments of true human drama that should tug at you emotionally. The games engine feels slightly dated at times, but it's never a drawback and might be considered a perk to veterans of the series. The story can feel slightly contrived at times, but there are twists to be found that make it worthwhile. It's difficult to discuss without spoilers but suffice it to say that the story is far more engaging than the so far more critically appraised Fable II.

    Everything is improved in every way. From the graphics to the story to the humor to your dog there is nothing that hasn't seen a step up in the series. Enjoy it for yourself and take the game in the lighthearted fashion it is meant to be played. If you don't you will miss out on one of this years top must play games.    … Expand
  2. AidanWolf
    Nov 1, 2010
    5
    It seems Lionhead tried to reinvent the wheel (which wasn't broken) and ran out of time to do so. One type of Xp, One item per store, no way to view your items, TOUCH SYSTEM was a complete gimmick serving no value to the game as a whole, no online store... I can go on.

    This was a great game... until I figured out I could beat the story in 4 hours. What could have been a powerful and epic    It seems Lionhead tried to reinvent the wheel (which wasn't broken) and ran out of time to do so. One type of Xp, One item per store, no way to view your items, TOUCH SYSTEM was a complete gimmick serving no value to the game as a whole, no online store... I can go on.

    This was a great game... until I figured out I could beat the story in 4 hours. What could have been a powerful and epic game turned out to be a waste of my $80. I went ahead and continued the side-quests, having fun although half felt repetitive and same to Fable II. Beat those in 4 hours! Whole game beat, 8 hours. I found all the chests, gnomes, and doors in another 5 hours. DONE. ALL DONE. In 13 hours. No more to play. What a joke, this is an RPG people. I put days into Fable II, more in Fable I... Lionhead, you should of taken another year to finish your little concept that you left bare, boring, and short. I'm a Fable fan to death... and I really want my money back with this one. Actually made me depressed on how fast it was over. I was so excited, pre-ordered, and I get a hunk of unfinished game in my Xbox. I'm very disappointed.    … Expand
  3. asylumspadez
    Nov 15, 2011
    7
    I have played both Fable and Fable 2 since they came out and Fable 3 is easily the second best game of the series (behind Fable). It greatly improves the audio and visual aspects of the game and features a lot less bugs and glitches but the gameplay still needs a lot of work and there is no replay value to it, Lacks quests and overall interest, Also your choices have no effect on anythingI have played both Fable and Fable 2 since they came out and Fable 3 is easily the second best game of the series (behind Fable). It greatly improves the audio and visual aspects of the game and features a lot less bugs and glitches but the gameplay still needs a lot of work and there is no replay value to it, Lacks quests and overall interest, Also your choices have no effect on anything before you become king and after you become king, They just effect the environment and if people hate you or not.

    Disapointing.    … Expand
  4. Hot_Carl
    Nov 9, 2010
    5
    Fable 3 is disappointing........to say the least. It doesn't feel much of a sequel, in-fact in many ways it feels like fable 2's predecessor. The developers made some weird choices as to what to cut out from the last game, for example combat has been "streamlined" or in other words simplified to the point of it feeling totally void of any skill (i played the entire game through withoutFable 3 is disappointing........to say the least. It doesn't feel much of a sequel, in-fact in many ways it feels like fable 2's predecessor. The developers made some weird choices as to what to cut out from the last game, for example combat has been "streamlined" or in other words simplified to the point of it feeling totally void of any skill (i played the entire game through without dying once). Its all just button mashing. You now only have the choice of 4 weapon types, Sword or hammer and pistol or rifle. And the variety of types of magic has been greatly reduced. In a game like this where choice is key, sadly it lacks it. All the choices you make are simply good or evil, thats it, no room for personality. When you become king the decisions you make require little to no thought, its all down to whether you want to be good or bad. It feels like a kids game wrapped to to look like a RPG. It wants to be a hardcore game but it really really isn't.… Expand
  5. RedXIII
    Nov 8, 2010
    6
    This game feels like a chore to play. While there is some enjoyment to be found the repetition, bugs, stale combat, and poor development designs dominate most of the game. The combat is very unenjoyable and down right frustrating some times with hit detection problems riddled in the melee, and guns, magic is over powered and the path of least resistance though gets repetitous very quickly.This game feels like a chore to play. While there is some enjoyment to be found the repetition, bugs, stale combat, and poor development designs dominate most of the game. The combat is very unenjoyable and down right frustrating some times with hit detection problems riddled in the melee, and guns, magic is over powered and the path of least resistance though gets repetitous very quickly. Exploration is very tedious, with the dog barking every 2 seconds for a dig spot where you get a very little amount of gold, and the rewards of exploration are not worth the time invested. The good/evil choices while they do have a great impact once you become king/queen it all really feels tacked on and not cohesive whatsoever. I did enjoy making the choices, holding court, and amassing wealth. The family system is terrible and investing in properties and business is more streamlined (you can do it through the map) it is not enjoyable. There is some fun to be had in Fable 3, but you have to deal with a large portion of excrement in this buggy, disjointed, and non-cohesive adventure.… Expand
  6. Mwah
    Oct 31, 2010
    5
    This game looks great, and is very enjoyable on my first run through. Shortly after starting my second run through the lag was horrendous and my butler became mute. The game took 15 hours to get through and that was taking my time. The combat was ridiculously easy. The Road to Rule was an interesting idea but I believe there wasn't enough on it. I loved the first 2 games, and had highThis game looks great, and is very enjoyable on my first run through. Shortly after starting my second run through the lag was horrendous and my butler became mute. The game took 15 hours to get through and that was taking my time. The combat was ridiculously easy. The Road to Rule was an interesting idea but I believe there wasn't enough on it. I loved the first 2 games, and had high hopes for this one. With its performance I may never buy a Lionhead game again.… Expand
  7. Clanka
    Feb 5, 2011
    8
    I liked out return to the land of Albion. It was interesting making my own family, buying everything I could get my hand on and then selling it. One major problem here is the combat. I could rant on and on about it, though at first it is refreshingly simple it eventually gets worse and worse, there is a nice selection of enemies here but button-mash your way through combat, it's really theI liked out return to the land of Albion. It was interesting making my own family, buying everything I could get my hand on and then selling it. One major problem here is the combat. I could rant on and on about it, though at first it is refreshingly simple it eventually gets worse and worse, there is a nice selection of enemies here but button-mash your way through combat, it's really the only way. The quests are fun though and so is almost everything else in the game except the work. Pressing X,A and Y to make a pie is not fun, the only fun (funny) thing about it is the British accents "Oh that's a good pie!" and "I might keep that one for me self!" was a laugh. I loved being king and queen of Albion (I played it twice) and its little quests will keep you coming back for more. The epic battles weren't the best they could your allies may have been not been required but they would have been visually nice. I was surprised at the battles, but that's basically it. 8… Expand
  8. Bozochicken
    Nov 26, 2010
    5
    I don't see how they would let a game be released with such a significant amount of flaws. Yes, the story is good, but the graphics are horrendous. I loved Fable 1 and Fable 2 but this game ran the whole franchise into the ground. Their is a large amount of glitches in the gameplay such as pop ins and graphical glitches but, the story was very compelling in every way. I will buy the nextI don't see how they would let a game be released with such a significant amount of flaws. Yes, the story is good, but the graphics are horrendous. I loved Fable 1 and Fable 2 but this game ran the whole franchise into the ground. Their is a large amount of glitches in the gameplay such as pop ins and graphical glitches but, the story was very compelling in every way. I will buy the next one because I love the fable franchise but this was a complete downfall to the series. Not worth the money.… Expand
  9. scorpius952
    Mar 24, 2011
    7
    I am a huge fan of the Fable series. Fable II was a great game that I played over and over again and never really got tired of. Fable III, although good, doesn't hold my interest like the second did. The graphics and gameplay are definitely improved over part II, (especially the multiplayer) but I feel there is something missing. I only played this game through one time. You don'tI am a huge fan of the Fable series. Fable II was a great game that I played over and over again and never really got tired of. Fable III, although good, doesn't hold my interest like the second did. The graphics and gameplay are definitely improved over part II, (especially the multiplayer) but I feel there is something missing. I only played this game through one time. You don't have the ability to make different characters and I seriously think this lowers the replay value. It was fun to play through, (I've completed the main storyline and many of the side quest) but once it's over, it kinda feels over for good.… Expand
  10. vaticanvice
    Jun 28, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I truly wanted to like Fable III. I'm a fan of the first two games; I liked the territory explored by the first, and the second, though lacking in some of the technical elements I look for in games, is such fun that I go back to it about twice a year for a brief and fulfilling love affair with what is essentially mindless sword-swinging and spell-slinging. I expected the third installment in the series to work with what Fable II set in place for it, and improve on what was already a tremendously fun franchise. Sadly, this is not what I found. Fable III partially (and, as far as I'm concerned, needlessly) revamps the leveling system, actually making it clunkier and more tedious rather than streamlining it as is generally the trend. The plot is cheaper and less interesting than either of the previous games', consisting of two halves: making promises you have no idea whether or not you can keep, and then keeping or breaking them based on an overarcing moral choice that wants very badly to be 'deep' and 'difficult.' Ultimately, it is this choice which robs the game of any fun it might have presented before, because it renders the entire experience one big exercise in metagaming. I have a lot of trouble with this, because I don't go to Fable for hard choices--I've never really considered the series to be morally intelligent enough to need them. I go to Fable to have fun. It's a game, that's what it's there for. This choice made the game stop being fun for me. And it's not because it's not an interesting choice, it's because it's an interesting choice that requires intelligence in what is ultimately an unintelligent world. You are given the option to do bad things for all the right reasons, but never given the option to explain, or offer reparations for breaking your promises.

    I won't talk about the game's technical issues, except to say that I actually found this game's graphics worse than its predecessor's. I suspect this has less to do with the actual specs of the game and more to do with the way in which the visuals were used. I wasn't particularly fond of the voiced protagonist, since I was never given the option to control what came out of her mouth, but this, like most of my other problems with the game, is a matter of personal preference. Customization is more limited than in the previous installment, not simply for lack of options, but because of the huge amounts of money the game wants you to spend on clothing. There are a hundred other tiny, nitpicky details I could mention, but none of them are particularly relevant.

    The only thing I want to make perfectly clear is this: This game is not Fable II. It is similar enough to bear the same title, but it tears away the best parts of Fable II and in their place inserts elements that, in my opinion, don't fit in the Fable universe.    … Expand
  11. Scanton
    Apr 23, 2011
    7
    A fun game to play but not as good as the previous game. The spell progression has been massively dumbed down and the game looses its way in the middle which is a real shame. It feels like Lionhead rushed this game and left bits out or half finished them to bring it to market quickly which is a shame as real fans of the series would have been happy to wait for a more complete version.
  12. thebrock
    May 6, 2011
    5
    This game i felt was very poor. Felt far too much like fable 2. The upgrade system was a shambles and combat shockingly bad. Running about holding little girls hands isnt my idea of a good rpg game. The only saving grace and reason why this game did not score lower is because the graphics where exceptional. In my view your not missing much here.
  13. SkipperPenguin
    Nov 9, 2011
    5
    I really wanted to like this game. I really did. My first game with the Xbox 360 was Fable 2, so I looked forward to seeing Fable 3, but a horrible thing happened between Fable 2 and Fable 3...I played Dragon Age. The Fable world feels flat and one dimensional in comparison with the epic scale of Dragon Age. Dragon Age offers me real world choices and actually lets me really exploreI really wanted to like this game. I really did. My first game with the Xbox 360 was Fable 2, so I looked forward to seeing Fable 3, but a horrible thing happened between Fable 2 and Fable 3...I played Dragon Age. The Fable world feels flat and one dimensional in comparison with the epic scale of Dragon Age. Dragon Age offers me real world choices and actually lets me really explore relationships with the NPC's. Fable 3 just feels like a child's game in comparison. It saddens me to say this, but Fable 3 has not stepped up its game enough.… Expand
  14. sias
    Feb 12, 2012
    5
    Bundles of charm, some pretty cartoony graphics and some fun gameplay ideas (bigamy never looked so adorable!). But the combat is hilariously dumbed down to point where it's actually almost impossible to die. You don't have a stamina bar or a magic bar, so you can spam any attack you want as much as you want with no consequences. The combat here is obviously just an accompaniment to theBundles of charm, some pretty cartoony graphics and some fun gameplay ideas (bigamy never looked so adorable!). But the combat is hilariously dumbed down to point where it's actually almost impossible to die. You don't have a stamina bar or a magic bar, so you can spam any attack you want as much as you want with no consequences. The combat here is obviously just an accompaniment to the rest of the game, but there are so many combat situations present, that the dumbed down combat just becomes an irritating distraction from the rest of the game. It improves upon some elements of Fable 2, namely the menu systems, but fails in every other way. Fable 2 had a terrible mini-map which was unusable most of the time. Fable 3 instead has no actual map of an area, but simply a representative 3D top-down view of what the area might look like with key areas. This is fine for when purchasing houses etc, and actually makes up-keep of families and property a lot easier, but if you want to get to a particular spot in an area of the world, there is no game map to help you navigate. It's a little bit preposterous and I'm really starting to think that Lionhead Studios have a thing against maps in games. Such a basic requirement of RPGs shouldn't be messed up like this . Also the game is very very short lived and raising funds is far too easy due to the massive amounts of gold you receive after quest completion, which makes much of the game world feel a bit pointless at times. Like Fable 2 the story really struggles to be compelling and seems to lose its way and come to an abrupt end. Overall, Fable 3 does nothing to try and improve upon the issues present in Fable 2 and actually in most cases makes things worse. The only thing saving this game, is the charming jovial atmosphere and some very pretty graphics.… Expand
  15. StllBreathnButY
    Nov 11, 2012
    5
    It's just more of the same, minus what made fable II fun. Interactions with NPCs have been dumbed down and are boring and repetitive. Gameplay is shallow and repetitive. Technically the game is rough, frame rate isn't perfect. It's not visually inspiring. This games redeeming quality is its sense of humor, it is very funny. Humor can only do so much for a game. Straight down the line, thisIt's just more of the same, minus what made fable II fun. Interactions with NPCs have been dumbed down and are boring and repetitive. Gameplay is shallow and repetitive. Technically the game is rough, frame rate isn't perfect. It's not visually inspiring. This games redeeming quality is its sense of humor, it is very funny. Humor can only do so much for a game. Straight down the line, this game is just average. It wouldve been more enjoyable if it were the only fable game ever made, however it's not. The best fable game on the 360 is not the newest one.… Expand
  16. CasualSum1
    Jun 20, 2013
    4
    Extremely mediocre. The story was rushed. The fortification of Albion was too little time. It barely gives you any time to finish your preparations. The Sanctuary may not be terrible (after they somewhat repaired it), but the map is still quite bad. Shops are kind of odd. The combat system is PRIMITIVE and easy as hell. It literally comes down to pushing three buttons. You will anyways endExtremely mediocre. The story was rushed. The fortification of Albion was too little time. It barely gives you any time to finish your preparations. The Sanctuary may not be terrible (after they somewhat repaired it), but the map is still quite bad. Shops are kind of odd. The combat system is PRIMITIVE and easy as hell. It literally comes down to pushing three buttons. You will anyways end up using no more than two (gun and magic or melee). The worst thing about this whole game is easily the HORRIBLE quest system and interface. This could not be done worse. The ending itself is CUT. I had the feeling that I could take this ''darkness'' and ''the greatest threat to Albion ever'' all by my lonesome and win and the final boss battle was a punch in the face. The only reason I got this game is that it was for free.… Expand
  17. yunggator
    Oct 2, 2018
    9
    Fable 3 was an amazing game to me. I have played it through about 3 times now, and each time its just as good. I don't play too many games like this, so I'm surprised i have enjoyed it this much. Going to play Fable 1 & 2 again now.
  18. Travie
    Jun 19, 2011
    3
    Utterly disappointing. I really don't see why every feature was dumbed down to the point of making you go around and spend hours organizing your inventory or giving gifts when the first game had those features easy and straight forward. The sanctuary should have been changed to just a viewing gallery for your stuff, not the end-all-be-all for every single little activity in the gameUtterly disappointing. I really don't see why every feature was dumbed down to the point of making you go around and spend hours organizing your inventory or giving gifts when the first game had those features easy and straight forward. The sanctuary should have been changed to just a viewing gallery for your stuff, not the end-all-be-all for every single little activity in the game (again, adding waaaaay too much time to simple activities). Gameplay was far too easy as well, it seems they didn't listen to the criticism of the second game at all.… Expand
  19. mweingar
    Nov 7, 2010
    7
    This is not your protagonist's parents game...

    Fable III lost much of what made it's predecessor great. Spell and skill progression is wonky and the story line gets really choppy half way through. With all the attention and and success of the last version you would think the third installment would be an incremental improvement. By all measures, it falls short of Fable II. My    This is not your protagonist's parents game...

    Fable III lost much of what made it's predecessor great. Spell and skill progression is wonky and the story line gets really choppy half way through. With all the attention and and success of the last version you would think the third installment would be an incremental improvement. By all measures, it falls short of Fable II.

    My recommendation to the dev team is to go back to what made Fable II so great and build on it. I would much rather see a solid expanded Fable 2.5 than a sub-par Fable III.

    Weapon progression? It has no sense of impact on the game and is therefore useless. Go back to socketed weapons please.

    The game feels slightly rushed, rough at the end, and ultimately void of meaningful innovation. Reboot off Fable II next time please.    … Expand
  20. Hraun
    Nov 1, 2010
    3
    Incredible graphics, simplified RPG, too straightforward and the end is ultimately utterly disappointing and frustrating.

    The graphics and gameplay are good/outstanding. The rpg element is way too simplified, it has been downhill ever since fable I. The questline is straightforward, which is nice, but the sidequests just aren't rewarding enough (by feel, sense of accomplishment or effect    Incredible graphics, simplified RPG, too straightforward and the end is ultimately utterly disappointing and frustrating.

    The graphics and gameplay are good/outstanding. The rpg element is way too simplified, it has been downhill ever since fable I. The questline is straightforward, which is nice, but the sidequests just aren't rewarding enough (by feel, sense of accomplishment or effect on the 'world' as was is fable II). There are a lot of loading times, almost like you're sitting in front of your tv waiting as much as playing. Up untill you get to be a monarch, the game is nice and pulls you in, ever drawing you onward. When you are a monarch, the frustrating bit begins, which leads to the utter downfall of the game. Choose to be a good monarch, caring for your people, leads to the death of everyone, leaving an empty world to play in afterwards. That forces you to be the tyrant you just defeated. So what's the use of being good, if everyone dies because of it?
    As a sidemark, the whole morality issue is mostly removed. The only thing that changes is what the comments of the villagers are.

    All in all: the game doesn't pick up after fable II, actually, it leaves a lot of great features behind. And the end, well the end is just utterly frustrating.    … Expand
  21. Geekycheeky
    Nov 1, 2010
    6
    The game isn't bad but isn't good neither. It's pretty much Fable 2 part deux. I was expecting the game to look a tad better than the previous one but it doesn't. Mind you a game can still be excellent without being pretty. Still all the small graphical glitches got to me a tad (like shoveling through my dog or being half inside the ground when interacting with a NPC). Quest becomesThe game isn't bad but isn't good neither. It's pretty much Fable 2 part deux. I was expecting the game to look a tad better than the previous one but it doesn't. Mind you a game can still be excellent without being pretty. Still all the small graphical glitches got to me a tad (like shoveling through my dog or being half inside the ground when interacting with a NPC). Quest becomes repetitive a boring fast. It has good moments but still my wallet cries of that 90$ I have lost on that collector edition. I give it a 6/10. Good game but could have been way better.… Expand
  22. adventurer
    Oct 29, 2010
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I purchased the Limited Collector's edition of Fable 3 -- and expected that I would play the game until i had all of its Achievement (as I had with Fable 2).

    My first impression (say, the first 5-6 hours of gameplay) was that it had been underestimated by professional critics. But, as I continued, doubts began to creep across my mind. Albion was full of charm and whimsy (as ever) but little in the game is innovative. My dog was virtually useless in battle. The RPG aspects appeared to be "dumbed down" -- perhaps as an appeal to casual gamers. Once i obtained the ability to combine two spells together -- I chose electric shock and ice storm -- there was hardly any enemy that could knock me out (Fable's euphemistic equivalent of "dying"). The final battle was simply a button-mashing exercise -- As most gamers will know by now, Fable 3 is divided into 2 sections; the first 90% consists of uniting various factions so that you can stage an uprising and depose an evil King (your brother). That section is moderately interesting even though nothing ground-breaking occurs. But the remaining 10% (approximately) consists of making critical decisions, most of them in your throne room, that involve major expenditures. If you decide to play as a "good" King, and honor your agreements with your allies, and improve the lives of Albion's citizens, the treasury will be quickly depleted. (If you play as an evil King you are apparently no improvement over Logan, your brother -- a paradox that the game does not comment upon.) In fact, Logan tries to justify his actions by saying that he had the long-range interests of Albion at heart and was not truly "evil" as the citizens believed.

    You are told however that, in one year's time, you must raise over 6 million gold pieces in order to protect the citizens of Albion from an unprecedented invasion (by something called "the darkness"). Should you fail to raise this huge sum, most of Albion's citizens will perish (so you are told). It is impossible as far as I can tell to make "good" decisions as King and yet raise the cost of defense. Each day as King (or Queen) you are forced to make decisions -- all of which involve spending or saving money. You are not given any opportunity to address your subjects and rally them together in an effort to deal with the economic plight or defend the country. It is not (in my view) a particularly interesting section of the game to play -- despite the stakes involved, partly because the game's mechanics force you to be (a cruel and treacherous ruler who saves the treasury solely for defense or a good ruler who benefits his subjects with but lacks the means of defending them.) A simplistic paradox barely worth thinking about.

    Fable 3 has interesting ideas but fails to develop their potential -- it has a split personality: rather like trying to combine Walt Disney with Machiavelli. And so, eventually, i felt royally let down by this game: I completed it but with no sense of accomplishment. (unlike how i felt at the end of Fable 2). I also had the feeling that this game marked the end of a long-lasting relationship with the Fable series; i.e. it left me suffering from Fable fatigue. Too much of the same thing, endlessly repeated.

    It is possible, of course, for this game to attract new gamers for whom this Fable will be their first -- and they may love it (for everything will be new to them). It remains to be seen how commercially successful it will be regardless of its quality. But, for me, it is "goodbye to Albion" -- Personally, I am drawn more to Fallout New Vegas (which is familiar but innovative enough to justify sustained interest) and also to the upcoming Black Ops (which I am fairly sure will not disappoint).    … Expand
  23. garhent
    Oct 30, 2010
    5
    Fable III to me plays like a kinect game ported to the regular Xbox 360. Almost all of the functionality has been completely simplified to the point where I was trying to find the green plumbob over my characters head. Yes, Fable III has been so simplified it feels more like the Sims 3 w/ a weak RPG port.

    The story line is good, but the game mechanics are just not up there with any    Fable III to me plays like a kinect game ported to the regular Xbox 360. Almost all of the functionality has been completely simplified to the point where I was trying to find the green plumbob over my characters head. Yes, Fable III has been so simplified it feels more like the Sims 3 w/ a weak RPG port.

    The story line is good, but the game mechanics are just not up there with any form of RPG on the market today. In Fable I and II you could at least pick the magic you want, nope. In Fable III you have to pick one spell or a combination of two spells and thats all you have. Of course you can buzz back to base and pick another spell there to use. Which takes time and is not FLUID. The entire game feels like an exercise in breaking up the flow of what could have been a good RPG.

    Now, lets look at the in game sales. Buzz back to base, and you hear John Cleese (the butler) selling you DLC. Yup, the game has made selling DLC part of the game experience directly.

    The only redeeming part of the game is the writing, for that the game gets a 5. If you are looking for a game with a good story and a challenge to play, DO NOT BUY FABLE III. Fable III is a good rental game for the weekend.    … Expand
  24. Harold
    Nov 7, 2010
    5
    What follows is a ranting kinda-review:
    ////
    Fable III's last mission lasted less than 10 minutes, and the final boss fight was easier and less epic than any of the (2 or 3) minibosses in the game. Fable III was a step backwards from Fable II; even from Fable I. //// There were almost no unexpected twists or setting switch-ups. Fable II had the Spire and the time progression at the start    What follows is a ranting kinda-review:
    ////
    Fable III's last mission lasted less than 10 minutes, and the final boss fight was easier and less epic than any of the (2 or 3) minibosses in the game. Fable III was a step backwards from Fable II; even from Fable I.
    ////
    There were almost no unexpected twists or setting switch-ups. Fable II had the Spire and the time progression at the start after being a child, and other parts as you journey around. Fable III has one interesting bit, and it's only there to royally disappoint you at the end.
    ////
    There was less humour, and the characters are less interesting. Jasper (John Cleese) might have been cool, but he stops talking (still unresolved bug), and tries repeatedly to sell you retarded DLC. So screw that.
    ////
    The landscapes are crappier. The draw distance is small, all of the landscapes were fairly samey. There's only a few more enemies, and they're not very interesting (and they only show up later in the game). There's no goofy areas like the Shadow Temple in Fable 2.
    ////
    Skill progression is simplified from Fable II, which was already pretty bloody simple to begin with. The game is also even easier than Fable II, which was pretty damn easy to begin with.
    ////
    The "choices" you make are straight up good or evil. All "good" choices while monarch will simply make the game take longer as you need to earn more money to make up for them. That is, if you even care about the treasury. There's no consequences to anything. The character is also set up as a really good guy in every cinematic, even if you're playing as a complete dick.
    ////
    The interaction system is a nice example of the unthinking that went into this game. Instead of interacting with a large group of villagers at once, you have to interact with them one at a time, and with even more coarsely-grained choices than before (A, X, Y: Nice, Scary, Rude). Why did they change it?
    ////
    And of course it's messy as all hell. The glowing "bread crumb" trail disappears, or points in an altogether wrong direction. The framerate drops precipitously all the time and the game goes into slow-motion mode. Baddies show up nonsensically in rich areas where nobles live.
    ////
    I really enjoyed Fable 1 and 2, but this? It was an *okay* time-waster, but basically completely unmemorable.    … Expand
  25. The_Leducs
    Jan 6, 2011
    0
    This game really angered me. This just seems like microsoft trying to squeeze every penny out of me (again). They are destroying what was my favorite franchise from them . Crappy story ending, bad gameplay mechanics, and terrible glitches.....I have had to restart my whole game 3x due to glitches not allowing me to proceed only to get to the end and be very disappointed.
  26. ileko
    Jan 7, 2011
    0
    The game is extremely short and loading times add a half hour or even more to the game, map system is extremely awkward, I can't usually find where I am in a city, because the map doesn't tell where YOU ARE and the sanctuary system is insane to handle the map, setting, items. It doesn't have anything that makes it stick up from other rpg games. By the way, the COMBAT IS TOO EASY, use magicThe game is extremely short and loading times add a half hour or even more to the game, map system is extremely awkward, I can't usually find where I am in a city, because the map doesn't tell where YOU ARE and the sanctuary system is insane to handle the map, setting, items. It doesn't have anything that makes it stick up from other rpg games. By the way, the COMBAT IS TOO EASY, use magic and the game has NO challenge… Expand
  27. PevMaster
    Jun 18, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After seeing all the heavy marketting for Fable III only months before its release, I got pretty excited, so I bought Fable II so I could see what all the hype was about. I loved it. Fable II was a great game, and upon completing the game I got even more excited about Fable III. So for my birthday I got Fable III. It was the most dissapointing game of this generation. The combat is over-simplified, the game tries too hard to make the characters heroic or likeable which makes them quite unrelatable, the quests are repetitive, unrewarding and have no substance, developing relationships/friendships is tedious and constantly feels like a chore AND THE GAME IS INCREDIBLY SHORT. To be fair, the game starts off as quite an exciting adventure. The main quest is very compelling and made me completely forget about the rubbish sidequests. The bugs are more or less forgivable, so this could have made a fantastic game. But the problem is that the game builds up and up but then comes CRASHING down towards the end, resulting in a brief, rude and innapropriate ending. As soon as you become king you are told that you have 365 days to save your kingdom from some kind of evil force with a generic name ('the darkness' or something) and that the descisions you make will influence the outcome of the final battle. For example, you could spend money on rebuilding a destroyed part of town or you could keep the money and spend it on more military power for the upcoming battle. So in the end of the day, if you are good more people die and if you are bad you save people. I could forgive this nonsensical system, but there is ONE MAJOR FLAW that almost ruins the novelty of being king: instead of playing every 365 days making decisions the game COMPLETELY SKIPS days, letting you only make 5 or 6 'kingly' decisions that have been so heavily promoted by Lionhead. Once the weak boss fight has ended and Albion is safe from the menace that attacked it, you can still continue playing. But there is little to no incentive to do so. The side quests, as I mentioned before, are as weak as a broken spine and you can't even make any more royal decisions about your kingdom anymore, leaving you a dead (or alive) kingdom full of brain-dead sheep; the only kingly thing you can do is kill your guards while they do nothing. It really is a shame to see a game with so much potential ruined by just a few flaws. Hopefully they can set things straight again with Fable 4, but I'm not holding my breath.… Expand
  28. MillionPoundHam
    Jul 3, 2011
    1
    How can I say this, in the nicest possible way, Fable III is just terrible. It's a far cry from Fable 1, which actually held promise. Peter Molyneux may have promised the world in Fable I, but regardless it was a fairly enjoyable game, with a fairly decent story. Fable III on the other hand is just poor. The dog is back from Fable II, but yet again it's merely a treasure hunter. TheHow can I say this, in the nicest possible way, Fable III is just terrible. It's a far cry from Fable 1, which actually held promise. Peter Molyneux may have promised the world in Fable I, but regardless it was a fairly enjoyable game, with a fairly decent story. Fable III on the other hand is just poor. The dog is back from Fable II, but yet again it's merely a treasure hunter. The combat has been dumbed down even further, and yet again the game relies on mashing one button. It's simplistic and annoying. The social interaction is even worse now. Fable II provided some variety but even that has been simplified to pathetic proportions. Now it's random.... Fable III isn't even an rpg any more, it's a tech demo and a cash grab from lionhead. Just disgusting...… Expand
  29. HI_Friend
    Jan 26, 2014
    0
    One of the worst games I've ever played. Fable 2 was alright at best,but Fable 3 was just flat out horrific. Undesirable plot. Useless melee weapons,over powered guns and magic,repetitive boring combat,and a useless moral system plague this game.Don't pick this game up,ever.It's almost as bad as Aliens: Colonial Marines.
  30. Soylent
    Oct 29, 2010
    5
    Fable 3 is basically Fable 2 for the majority of the game, until you get to manage your kingdom. But the combat, dialogs, economy are all just a simplified version of Fable 2. The main character is a prince/princess, who for some reason decided to leave the wealth and power, only to fight their way back to the same place. I don't really feel any connection to any of the characters. UnlikeFable 3 is basically Fable 2 for the majority of the game, until you get to manage your kingdom. But the combat, dialogs, economy are all just a simplified version of Fable 2. The main character is a prince/princess, who for some reason decided to leave the wealth and power, only to fight their way back to the same place. I don't really feel any connection to any of the characters. Unlike Fable 2, where I really felt like I knew the main characters and they were developed well. Now, you're just thrown in the game as some random noble doing favors for random people to start a revolution against a king who's a jerk. It's funny actually, because revolutions against the crown usually don't end up placing the king's brother in power, because they end up killing the entire royal family. That aside, the game feels so over-simplified that it's actually quite boring. The dialogs no longer have a little moving line that you have to hit at the right moment. You just hold down the button until it says "release", and that's it. Many quests make you keep going back to the same place over and over again. Making money is extremely easy. There aren't very many good/evil choices in dialog. Actually there isn't much dialog at all. And what the hell were they thinking with the hand-holding garbage?? My quest was to get apprehend a criminal called "the butcher", so I run up to him and grab his hand and we skip and dance back to the guard, as if I'm taking a naughty child back to their mother. Really? I feel so awkward when I have to do this. Also, the hand-shaking, kissing, hugging sound effects are really bad. Do people really moan and groan loudly when shaking hands? I hate this part of the game so much that I avoid interacting with any NPCs. I do like the inventory system, where you go into your sanctuary to look at your stuff. But the map is useless... I want a quick way to pull up a map, but instead i have to jump to my sanctuary, run up to the map table, zoom to the area I'm in, and figure out where I was standing. Combat is more difficult that Fable 2, but there are few weapons, and your clothes and armor have no bearing on your abilities. There's tons of outfits you can put on, as if you're playing dress-up with a doll. It's pointless and stupid, and it makes me think this game was targeted towards people who love The Sims but want to fight too.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

53
#53 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2010
8
#8 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2010
6
#6 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2010

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 88 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 88
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 88
  3. Negative: 0 out of 88
  1. Absolute Games
    Jan 31, 2011
    80
    Lionhead carefully preserved everything that made Fable 2 so good. Though it's a pity that the "king simulator" concept is totally wasted here.
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  2. Cynamite
    Jan 16, 2011
    85
    There are more highlights in the first two missions of Black Ops, then in Medal of Honor. The requirements of Treyarch seemed to be better, than in the past few years. They made an interesting setting. In addition, there's a nice zombie mode and an overwhelming multiplayer. No doubt, this is Treyarchs best Call of Duty ever!
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  3. Eurogamer Spain
    Jan 15, 2011
    60
    Flaws in design and execution are even more obvious with this new game and, as usual, Lionhead fails to live up to the expectations.
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