$20 Game of the Week: Fable – The Lost Chapters (PC, Xbox)

Ever since the original Xbox was developed, one of the most anticipated games for the system was Project Ego, a game being developed by Peter Molyneux’s Lionhead studios. This game promised an evolving world and character development system. Your character (who you decided would be good or evil based upon your actions), would age over time, even retaining scars that he earned in battle years ago. You could even marry, settle down, and have a family. You would even compete with other heroes in the world for fame and recognition, and a multiplayer mode would allow other player’s heroes to travel about in your world.

The game would eventually come to be known as Fable, and unfortunantely, most of the cool stuff mentioned in the paragraph above would not come to pass, due to Molyneux’s tendency to make promises that he is later unable to deliver on. However, Fable still turned out to be an excellent open world action RPG, even if it is “Elder Scrolls light”. Much like most recent “Greatest Hits” editions, The Lost Chapters adds in new content that begins after the main game is finished.

You played as a nameless, voiceless hero who lost his family in a huge battle. Your father was killed, and your mother and sister were taken captive. Years later, you train to become a hero, completing sidequests while searching for the truth about what happened to your family. You interact with townsfolk, use a variety of weapons, and even purchase real estate. The game is short and easy compared to most other Xbox RPGs, but for $20, it’s an excellent purchase. WIth Fable 2 on the way for Xbox 360, Lionhead may get another chance to deliver on it’s promises.