Who hasn’t wondered what it would be like if they hadfollowed a different life path?
Instead of graduating from Wayne State University in Detroit,Mich., with a degree in Journalism, what would have happened ifI’d dropped out of school to become a roadie for U2? What ifyou married a different person, or led a life of crime?
Those “what ifs” form the basic premise behindFable for Microsoft’s Xbox.
In Fable, players choose if they will be good, evil orsomewhere in between.
When I heard that, I knew this was a game I could get into.”Players choose their identity, determine appearance andabilities, feel effects of reputation, and in the end, create theirown interactive experience,” reads the official companyline.
But it’s true — role playing at this level isappealing because you immerse yourself in every action of yourcharacter, no matter how minute.
When the game begins my character, a young boy, is sent on aquest to buy my sister a birthday present. As I maneuver through mysmall village, I encounter people who offer me a reward if I supplythem with items or information.
I liked having the in-game tutorials help me learn the gamecontrols, although it took a while to get used to the cameraangles.
I’m not the most coordinated with a game pad so severaltimes I’d zoom in or out at precisely the wrong moment.
There’s so much to enjoy in Fable — a goodstory, opportunities to explore the world, beautiful graphics.
As I said, the entire game is about choices. As my characteraged, my life was ruled by the paths I chose for each quest.
For the purpose of this review, I ran around town as Super GoodyGuy. I was impossibly helpful to my neighbors, completed every”cat stuck in the tree” quest I could get my hands on,and brought home trophies (proof of my slain enemies).
Most of my reward took the form of ego boosting, but betterarmor and wealth were plentiful.
As I gained experience from accepting and completing quests, Icould hear townspeople talk about how awesome I was, and mycharacter was drop-dead gorgeous.
That goes far with the ladies, especially since a hero may wantto marry. Fable even included that part of “growingup” in the game.
I plan to play the game again, but this time with the fullintention of redefining the term “evil incarnate.”
According to James W. Gettys of Xbox.com, “Your explosivenature and foul deeds will spread quickly throughout Albion. Ifvillagers aren’t treating you with suspicion and fear whenyou show up in town, you’re doing something wrong.”
Who can resist that?
The Guildhall at SMU is an intense 18-month certificateprogram in digital game development.
The curriculum was designed by expert teachers working withleaders in the gaming industry to provide students with a solidfoundation in game development. Visit http://guildhall.smu.edu.
