Games you've recently finished

I suppose I should throw my two cents out for Fable: The Lost Chapters on the PC.

Now, Fable was one of two Xbox-exclusive titles I wanted to play, the other being Jade Empire. So naturally I was pretty hyped that Fable was making the jump to PC with the original content that was left out from the first release.

Graphics: Even though the people aren't very....aesthically pleasing, the models are well done, as with all the armor pieces. I would've liked to see more creativity done for the NPCs though, since between Oakvale, Bowerstone, Knothole Glade, etc. the NPCs all kinda start to look the same. But that's not much of a detraction, considering how well they're designed.

The environments are nothing to scoff at either. I was really impressed with what I saw. The cities were very....I guess accurate would be an appropriate word. By that I mean, this game gives off a historical feel to it, and the cities feel like they were taken right from a history book. Everything else, from what lies behind the mysterious Demon Doors to the environments you traverse look well designed and accurate.

Music: To make a long story short, I was lost in the ambience of Fable's music, so I never quite heard it. I guess that's to say that while the music didn't impress me, it didn't distract me with annoying sounds either.

Voices: All done by British VAs and sounding very Old English, it fit the scenario really well. I was a bit taken aback when I first heard them speak and it took a bit of playtime to get used to it, but once I got used to hearing them speak it was easier to interpret their words.

Combat: Everything is done in Zelda-like real-time, with enemies waiting on the map for you come in range and fight them. You fight everything from humans and wasps to wolfman-like balverines and the undead. Your character has access to all three forms of combat -- melee (with a variety of weapons from swords to pickaxes), ranged using longbows and crossbows, and magic attacks. The magic can be used for ranged attacks, area attacks, and defensive spells as well.

The gameplay as a whole in Fable makes you take an hour or two to really get into it, but I'll be damned if it's not addicting once you're in. They play up the "good or bad" choices, but there aren't that many that really have an effect. There are certain parts during the game that really determine your character's alignment. The NPCs are great too -- people will literally drop what they're carrying to either praise you or run in fear of you. You can wait until the shops open in the morning, or pick the locks (or break the door down) and have at their merchandise.

The game lets you buy unowned property (for the good guys, it's one house per town) that you can renovate, sell back, or live in. Buying a house unlocks an interesting feature in the game -- the ability to marry. Flirt with that special lady enough times and well, she'll ask you for a particular placeholder on her finger. Give her a Wedding Ring (but not a fake one. They don't like that.) and she'll consider it. Come back after a few days and she'll have her answer. If she's good for it, you'll become man and wife!

Marriage has its benefits. You receive a dowry of gold upon marriage, your alignment increases, and occassionally she'll (or he'll, depending on the player) give you items. I usually got Plate armor from mine. You can also have more than one wife -- one in each city you own a house in.

There are downsides though. If you marry, you can't sell your house -- ever. It's important to keep your wife happy, so you'll want to be showering her with presents. If you get easily embarrassed, prepare to turn off the speakers when you decide to get freaky with the lady. Also, no matter how many times you get freaky, she's unable to bear children. Sorry, no free labor coming from her womb.

Even though you go nameless throughout the whole adventure (which is odd considering you DO have a father for the first bit of the game and a sister whose got a name), you can take up titles and have Rhobbin the Bard sing of your accomplishments.

One last thing. Everything you wear on your body changes your appearance. Even though there are about 26 full sets of clothing, there are some articles without a full set, such as the Platemail set. It lacks a helmet. It's not a big deal, but it would've been nice. And while I'm on the subject -- 26 is a deceptive number. Yes, there are 26 sets, but a few of them are triple sets, just recolored. However, it's a really nice feature to see your appearance change. All of the weapons are different as well.

Speaking of appearance, depending on what you eat, how much of it and how quickly, your physical appearance changes as well. You can get fatter (or portly as a particular Demon Door calls it) or slimmer. Either way, your wife still loves you. XDD The only thing that bothered me about physical appearance was the fact that you seemed to grow old and gray REALLY fast, and then just suddenly stop. It was kind of odd to go through that much of a change so quickly. Plus, learning magic gives you slightly visible white markings on your body, making you appear older than you are.

Overall, this game definitely gets an A. I enjoyed this game a whole lot going through as a good guy, and I plan to through it again as a bastard. It clocks in about 20 hours, which is decent considering how open it is. Lots of stuff to do, plenty of time to do it in.

By the way, if you need some cash, sell items back to the merchant you bought them from, and repeat the process. This works especially well with gifts from the vendor in Oakvale!

Jam it back in, in the dark.