The Bloody Stump

Happy Christmas from Lionhead!

2011-12-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a very long time since Lionhead have done anything Fable-worthy and therefore the Blog has been a little quiet of late. But, they have sent out a little Christmas Card for the Fable fans.

So there you have it, Merry Christmas from Lionhead & of course here at The Bloody Stump. Hopefully in the new year Lionhead will have some more information on the coming games, Journey and Fable IV. Will keep you posted folks.

More Fable Fiction on the Cards

2011-09-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

A new read from Peter David, the man behind the Balverine Order is going to hit for Fable fans...Blood Ties

And some fluff to go with it...

"When it comes to blood, you can either spill it...or save it.

Based on the worldwide video game phenomenon, this novel from the New York Times bestselling author includes a code to redeem for FABLE III Dye Pack.

When they write down the histories of Albion, the name of Ben Finn will be remembered in honor. But at present, I'm feeling a bit of wanderlust-and I'm on the move again. I had to leave the beautiful Page behind, unfortunately. So, instead of a brave woman at my side, I've acquired a troublesome toadstool of a gnome who will neither leave me alone nor shut his insolent mouth.

Not that verbal barbs can hurt me-they're nothing compared to the foe that is assaulting the walled city of Blackholm. A mysterious warlord has been slowly devouring the surrounding lands, and Blackholm is putting up a fight. What better place for a drifting warrior to make his way and earn his pay?

But a darkness that no mortal can withstand is about to be unleashed. And it holds a secret that is bound with my very blood..."

Not too bad eh? Will have to keep an eye on it that's for sure!

Finally Fable IV Rumour Surfaces!

2011-08-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

CVG says today...

"Looking into its crystal ball, the mag's October 2011 issue says: "Look for the Fable cycle to continue with a proper, controller-based Fable IV in 2013.""

It's not much, but something for us to think about...controller based too, Thank Avo.

CVG Link

More The Journey News

2011-07-20T06:49:00.000-07:00

So Gamespot have had another look at The Journey with lead artist Tak Sato.

The look of Fable: The Journey will be defined as "a heightened reality; a world full of visual drama as seen through the eyes of a naive young adventurer," said Sato, quoting Lionhead's art director's edict. This naive young adventurer is the hero of The Journey, a young member of a nomadic tribe who is trying to rejoin his friends and family after being separated from them.

The Journey will be set in "the less familiar fringes of Albion", which draws its inspiration from primitive and rural eighteenth century Britain. This included the Scottish highlands, Yorkshire moorland, Irish bogs, and thick woods, Sato said.

Another thing pointed out by the article is that it will see a reduction in the amount of black and dark humor used in the Fable games as well as apparently becoming more accessible than other titles in the Fable Franchise. But, I wonder...is it really doing more harm than good to have another title which is focused on being all accessable? Are they branding Fable out of its more hoped for hardcore/gamers position?

Let me know...

Gamespot.com Article

More Concepts from the Ether!

2011-07-12T08:16:00.001-07:00

A few more concept art pieces from the ether (or more appropriatly Widigan from CGHub!) concerning Fable III.

Two of the images are some of the character sheets from the game showing off all the NPC's on offer. While the large - and rather impressive one is from the Traitor's Keep DLC package from the Goodwin Estate where all those failed experiments came from.

Enjoy them folks, and will get back to trying to unearth any Fable info I can.

Molyneux 'Ashamed' of Fable III Scores

2011-06-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

The man behind the Fable franchise has decided that he isn't pleased with the results of the two year labour that was Fable III. He didn't blame the reviewers and critics for being wrong, or harsh - but for simply being right in what they had said about Lionhead Studios shortest project.

Here are a few snippets from what Peter has said on the topic below:-

"I look at Fable III and it's hard to be completely honest without offending people; but I know, when I read in the middle of a review that said the quality just wasn't good enough, I actually agree with those reviews."

"It didn't end up being the game that I dreamed it would be, because I thought the mechanic of the ruling section were really good ideas. I thought they were good ideas, but we just didn't have time to exploit those ideas fully."

"I hate the fact that people know what to expect from something like Lionhead," he said. "'We know what Fable's going to be; we know what's coming next from Lionhead.' I hate that idea.

"We should, again, double down on freshness and originality without sacrificing without sacrificing quality.

"We should take a deep look at what people really enjoy about the experiences that [we] might have made and try and focus on those rather than focus on the gimmicks, which we kind of love to develop.

"That is being a little bit self-critical," Molyneux added, "but I think that there's times that you have to be self-critical. I think the worst thing that could have happened to Fable III is if it sold 4.99 million, because I think that would have made us slightly complacent, and complacency is always the worst place to be, in my opinion.

Read the full statement below from Peter to Eurogamer, but it seems like what we will be seeing from Fable in the future is going to be something that smooths over the cracks from previous games - and the stigma of over promising and those bugs in the system.

Eurogamer.net Link

Peter admits ''horrendous mistake''

2011-06-10T12:52:00.000-07:00

So Peter has gone on video saying just how much of a mistake he felt he made doing the show demo ''on rails'' and how misleading it has been. The murmurs from the internet had been pretty annoyed until he said in many interviews how they have not got any on-rails sections and that was purely for the aid of the demo on stage. See below for the video of Molyneux.

He also gets a horde of journalists to sign his wall petition attesting to the fact that it sure as hell IS NOT ON RAILS!. We shall see what happens as the months go on.

OXM.co.uk Link

G4TV: Peter Molyneux ''The Journey'' Interview

2011-06-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

Another quick video from Peter and G4TV about the newly announced Fable: The Journey from the guys at Lionhead.

Xbox 360 Games - E3 2011 - Fable: The Journey

You are voting on the site now, but what do you think. Is this a Peter Molyneux "over think" going on?

Fable: The Journey ''Not so On-Rails...ish"

2011-06-08T03:48:00.000-07:00

After trawling the net for more previews we have this from GamePro about how Fable: The Journey wont be as 'On Rails' as we first thought.

My appointment to see a live demo of the newly announced, Kinect-based Fable: The Journey began with Lionhead’s head honcho Peter Molyneux brandishing a permanent marker, and writing "IT IS NOT ON RAILS" on the wall behind him.

But based on Molyneux’s repeated insistence on the game’s not-on-rails nature ("Aren’t all E3 demos on rails?" he asked back), I’m going to have to hold off on passing judgment on its on/off-rails gameplay until a bit further into its production cycle.

Molyneux cited two driving factors in The Journey’s production: 1) freedom, and 2) control. Freedom in the (not-on-rails) sense that there’s a rich world to explore in your own unique way; and control in the sense that Microsoft’s Kinect motion controller is used in a way that won’t exhaust you. As seen in the announcement trailer, most of The Journey’s Albion will be viewed from the driver’s seat of a horse-drawn carriage. You’ll be able to cast magic and interact with the environment from the carriage, and managing the horse’s reins (speed/direction) looks pretty slick with the Kinect. You can also use the device’s voice recognition technology to teach your horse phrases as you play, essentially hot-keying various custom commands ("Slow down," "Giddy up," "Stop," etc.) with your voice -- something that Molyneux hopes will act towards you creating an emotional repoire with you and your equestrian companion. While an on-foot movement system hasn’t been finalized (Molyneux hinted at a hand gesture-based system), the game looked very manageable both sitting and standing.

GamePro Link

First Impressions - Fable: The Journey.

2011-06-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

So I thought it would be good to have a round up of some of the impressions surrounding Fable: The Journey after its reveal yesterday at E3. Some love it, some hate it - and as always I would love to know what you guys think of it.

IGN Preview

I like the spell crafting idea. It's smart. There are hints about character upgrades and a morality system (how much life will you suck out of enemies) which could add some needed depth. But then there are things that are off-putting. Riding the horse looks boring, the combat seems only fun for the gesturing, and it doesn't really feel like Fable.

Gamespot Preview

The Journey is much more linear than a typical Fable game, though it contains the same pick-up-and-play gameplay and whimsical charm for which the series is known.

CVG Preview

"With the power of Kinect for Xbox 360, craft and control magic in a way that can't be done with a controller. Fable: The Journey draws players deep into the action and adventure of the Fable franchise like never before."

Fable: The Journey - Molyneux Interview

2011-06-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

An interview with the man himself, Peter Molyneux.

Tags: GameTrailers.com, Fable: The Journey - E3 2011: Peter Molyneux Interview (Stream), PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

So, again - what do you think?

Fable: The Journey (Screenshots & Trailer)

2011-06-06T14:21:00.001-07:00

And here it is, enjoy.

And now for some screenshots my friends.

The first epic Fable spin-off goes Kinect crazy. So what do you think?

Rumour: Fable: The Journey?

2011-06-05T04:04:00.000-07:00

So here is an interesting rumour for a dreary Sunday afternoon. Check out what has been found on the internet and what could be an interesting morsel of Fable related content - as well as for those of you who have Kinect.

The announcement of sequels and spin-offs has become too routine to incur huge gasps of disbelief at E3's trio of biggest press conferences. A real surprise, then, would be in those titles staying under wraps until the very last moment. "Spoiler," says the internet, "but that's not happening while I'm around. Check out these domain registrations."

As highlighted by Superannuation, the following Microsoft titles have been linked to internet domain registrars: Fable The Journey, which may be a new jaunt across the land of Albion, Kinect Fun Labs (first mentioned amongst other leaked Microsoft titles), and a pair of body-driven sequels, Dance Central 2 and Kinect Sports Season 2.

Without the presence of a convenient "Kinect" in the title, it's difficult to say whether or not Fable: The Journey (colon assumed) is part of Microsoft's camera-sensitive lineup. The franchise has endured experiments with Kinect before, and it's not exactly difficult to imagine Peter Molyneux pitching it as the best, most amazing, mind-blowing way to experience a hero's life ever. You might already be envisioning it as a spirited on-the-spot march through the streets of Bowerstone, over the surrounding hills and across Milo's unmarked grave.

Rumour Source

Fable III 360 Demo Out.

2011-06-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

So not yet looked at Fable III for the Xbox 360? No? Ah well here is a perfect opportunity to do so without having to pay for it. The game is out on the Live Marketplace to download for Gold members and enjoy a slice of the action for free. It's not been seen before, a Fable demo, but with Fable II offering the game in portions last year this is something in the same vein as that.

Xbox.com Link

Night out, Lionhead Style.

2011-05-31T13:14:00.001-07:00

Is it just me who wants to sneak down to Guildford and go out with them for a drinky!?

Seems Lionhead really do do ''going to the pub'' the best.

Twitter link

The History of Lionhead

2011-05-30T02:41:00.000-07:00

Some people might be interested in this down time before we hear some more Fable news to get to know the company that makes the game and the history of it. As mentioned below on one of the previous posts Molyneux was at the head of a lot of games before he got to making Fable, and the company has gone through a lot of chances too. So, below with the help of the Lionhead.com site is a potted history of the company and just shows off the types of games they have put their innovative sword edge too in the past. It's really interesting to look at the games of the past and what they might give clues too in the future. With something like Black & White especially you can see the element of choice, good and evil which followed through into the Fable series directly and has influenced plenty of their work since.

In 1987 Peter Molyneux founded Bullfrog Productions, along with his then partner Les Edgar in Guildford, Surrey, England to develop an idea he had for a revolutionary new type of strategy game for home computers. This first game, Populous, went on to sell over 4 million copies. Molyneux’s follow-up designs included hits like Powermonger, Syndicate, Magic Carpet and Dungeon Keeper. Each sold in excess of 500,000 copies and firmly established Bullfrog as one of the most innovative game design studios in the world. Another Molyneux title, Theme Park sold over 3.5 million copies and became a sensation in Japan.

History of Lionhead.

Lionhead Get Creative

2011-05-30T02:13:00.000-07:00

This is of course nothing like an official announcement of a next game, but Lionhead have indeed of late been working hard on their 'Creative Bender' as it was labelled on a big Industry Developer site. The premise of the bender was to come up with original ideas that really test the minds of the people working on major blockbusters and let them loose for a while - getting the creative juices flowing and maybe finding some gems in the meantime.

"The results were astonishing. In two working days (as well as a few voluntary late nights) a monstrous level of creativity had awakened within the Guildford-based studio.
Some people had designed entirely new game concepts for Fable, while others decided to test Kinect in ingenious and innovative ways. Others, like the two games highlighted below, are too impressive to remain mere concepts."

Below are a couple of links to the main stories and two interviews with a pair of Dev's about their games and what they thought of the day. Who knows, maybe the games that were shown on that day could find their way into the next Fable project?

Interviews with Devs
Main story

Molyneux voted #1 Visionary

2011-05-30T02:05:00.000-07:00

The man behind Fable, Populous, Dungeon Keeper and Black & White has been named #1 in the games industry by his peers in a new poll taken this month. According to Eurogamer.net 9000 developers in the industry were asked who their number one man/woman would be and the results are as below.

(From 1. to 10.)

Peter Molyneux (Populous, Fable)
Shigeru Miyamoto (Mario, Zelda)
Jonathan Blow (Braid)
Will Wright (SimCity, The Sims)
John Carmack (Doom, Quake)
Mike Morhaime (World of Warcraft, StarCraft)
David Braben (Elite)
Sid Meier (Sid Meier's Civilization, Sid Meier's Pirates)
Masaya Matsuura (PaRappa the Rapper)
Dave Jones (Lemmings, GTA)

The man with the dreams managed to beat off some great competition for the top spot and if this doesn't make him feel like he deserved his BAFTA then nothing will.

Eurogamer.net

Fable III PC: Out Now!

2011-05-17T11:00:00.001-07:00

It's finally here - PC gamers can now officially explore the world of Albion with all the trimmings and more.

Choice has always played an important role in the world of Fable, and PC fans will have even more choices than ever, without the consequence. Microsoft Game Studios and Lionhead are happy to announce that Fable III for Windows will be available right now through Valve Corporations Steam distribution platform, in addition to Games for Windows Marketplace and in retail stores simultaneously. No matter how players decide to purchase Fable III, they will have access to the same exciting content as Xbox 360 players, including riveting Game Add-ons like Traitor’s Keep, in addition to new features like a more challenging Hardcore mode and 3-D functionality.

Lionhead.com PC Article.

Re-Crafting Albion for PC

2011-05-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

Eurogamer just had a fantastic interview with Mike West from Lionhead Studios about the upcoming (well released in the US already!) PC version of Fable III and also what he and the studio thought of the game since its release, and possible additions for the future of the game/franchise.

Below are a few choice quotes, and the link underneath contains the whole interview.

People saying the story wasn't very good was unfair. It's an interesting situation of you gather people together and then defeating the main bad guy. It's a pretty good story and it's pretty fun.

In future games we're going to have difficulty levels for everyone on every machine, but this time we wanted to give PC gamers something more challenging. We've upped the difficulty level; we've stopped the player's health regenerating all the time - the player has less basic health, the AI attacks more often. It's tweaks. A couple of designers had time to go in and really ramp it up and make it feel a lot more hardcore.

Fable III Eurogamer Interview.

Albion's Pubs

2011-05-09T09:50:00.001-07:00

So being a Bard I do enjoy a fantastic pub or tavern, so I thought I would start a collection of the many different pub signs from around Albion. I have found a few concepts now, and will be updating with more as and when I find the artwork for it. So far I obviously have the fantastic 'The Bloody Stump' one from Fable II and a smattering of others from the rest of the games, especially Fable III. One of the main reasons for me doing this is because I loved the pubs from the first two Fable games and the atmosphere that they gave to the player, especially in the second game. I miss the want to go and see what's going on in the taverns and play my lute, so here is me getting back to that for a moment.

Here are a few others from today and my dredging around on the internet. Below is a list of the taverns from Fable II to begin with and as I said will update as I go.

The Cow & Corset in Bowerstone Market, where Keystone can be played
The Sandgoose in Oakfield, where the Cow & Corset variant of Spinnerbox can be played
The Bloody Stump in Westcliff, which might be improved to The Foaming Jugs. Both will have the game Fortune's Tower
The Leper's Arms in Bloodstone, where the Bloodstone variant of Keystone can be played.

The Making of the Fable 3 House

2011-05-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

Pretty awesome video of some people building a 'Fable House'

I would love to live in that house lol.

Ask Lionhead - The Answers

2011-05-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

So Lionhead have stayed true to their word and have given us a smattering of answers to some of the questions raised a couple of weeks ago about Lionhead, Fable and indeed the industry as a whole. It's a great look into the background of the studio and where they will be going (possibly) with future endeavours in the Fable series.

Click to see the full Q&A

Q: Do you feel like the movements toward simplicity and accessibility worked favourably for the Fable series, and if not, do you think the experiences and feedback gained from Fable II and Fable III will help you to make a better game?

A: The Fable series has always aimed itself as accessible games that could be played by anyone and there are many people that tell me that the Fable games are the only ones they have ever finished. From that perspective they have been very successful for our target audience. However, we have received criticism from the more core gamers and I would expect that future games will be designed from the start to appeal to both casual and core gamers. Our first step to that goal was adding a Hard mode to the PC version.

Pretty interesting stuff and probably one of the questions I was most interested in seeing answered (even if none of my own were!). With this in mind could a future Fable game really be ''the one'' we all want?

On the link as well they say to leave your new questions in the comment box below for getting answered in the next round. So, get your thinking caps on and come up with a few questions to really put them in the hot seat.

Russell Shaw Hard at Work?

2011-05-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

So this is going to be more of a speculative post than anything concrete, so count this maybe more as a rumour starter! But as I was looking over the twitterverse I spied something very interesting from the people at Lionhead Studios come up on my feed.

Now of course this could be just Mr Shaw playing around, but as the man behind the score of past Fable games could this indeed herald something new? Like mentioned at the start take everything here with a pinch of salt, and it could be for a completely different project. However, with E3 coming very soon could Lionhead be planning a reveal of some kind.

We shall have to wait and see.

Concept Art Trawling

2011-04-29T06:58:00.001-07:00

Found just a few more concept art morsels that you all might be interested in seeing just to delve into the comedic side of Fable some more!

Pretty good I think you will agree?

The Dead Hamster - New Lionhead Community Pub

2011-04-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

A while ago there was a community chat room for the Lionhead community called The Lionhead Pub. Sadly that was shut down and many of the community still mourn its loss over a pint of beer singing its lament to their fellows. But, Mortalitis Infinitas a community moderator over at the Lionhead forums has taken it upon himself to usher in a new age of drinking and storytelling - and general off topic nonsense - in his new tavern, The Dead Hamster.

If you want to know more about the chat room and generally how the development is going then check out the following links below.

The Dead Hamster Development Thread
Dead Hamster Twitter
Dead Hamster Facebook

Here at The Bloody Stump we wish The Dead Hamster the best of luck in its endeavours and of course, if its open after we shut we will be heading over there for a cheeky late night pint!

Fable III on PC Video Diary!

2011-04-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

And here as a wonderful sunny Thursday surprise is the Fable III PC ViDoc!!

Enjoy and delve into the depths of Albion once more.

Fable III PC: Steam and GFWL Launch.

2011-04-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

Fable III for the PC is not far off, and today has been released information on the goodies that you will get for pre-ordering and also how its going to be released. On the one hand you are going to have a release over Steam which (if pre-ordered) will net you:-

The Rebel's Weapon & Tattoo Pack, a collection of four weapons and five tattoo sets

And if you order over Games for Windows Live:-

Fable: Lost Chapters for free.

With Fable: The Lost Chapters being a pretty much cheap as chips find in a gaming store or over the internet via download I know which version I would be getting myself.

As well as this as we know the game will ship with tighter PC/Mouse controls and the all new Hardcore difficulty setting for the players. Will certainly have more information for you on that as the PC release date gets closer.

"Our hope is that people who pick up [Fable III] on PC think, 'Okay, this plays how I would expect it to play, it doesn't play like a half-done port,' which is the danger for PC games," lead designer Josh Atkins has said.

Eurogamer.net Link

Ask Lionhead?

2011-04-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

No not Jeeves - this time its Lionhead themselves. Lionhead - one of the best community driven developers in the business are opening the gates to the fans to ask them ANYTHING about them, their games, and the industry as a whole.

A good chance to find out about B.C? Maybe a return to Dungeon Keeper? Could it even be about Fable IV. Each Friday Lionhead will pick the best questions and answer them to the best of their ability.

Just fill in the comments section under this post here and Lionhead will do their best to find an answer to your burning question.

Cutlass! - The Fable Tabletop Game Maybe?

2011-04-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

We all love Fable here that's for sure and we like to get our Fable on in many other ways (posters, arcade games etc) but I was playing/looking in my rulebook for Cutlass! - a piratical skirmish game for the tabletop - and realised that it would be a fantastic way of wargaming in the world of Albion and the Fable Universe.

The game is set in the Golden Age of pirates and you make up a crew - buy the miniatures and paint them up then set forth to plunder and pillage in a set of scenarios - some eventually of your own creation and watch them rise or fall depending on the luck of the dice and your tactical mind.

The game is created by a pair called Gav Thorpe and Adam Clarke, both people who used to work at Games Workshop so they have a great understanding of how a wargame should work. Adam has been making miniatures in pirate-y form for a while and he wanted a rules set to use them in, and thats where Gav stepped in.

Now - the game can be played with normal pirates and naval officers of course, but what made me look at it for Fable was the introduction of the fantasy pirates you can use in it as well.

We Have...
Naval - Logan's Guard
Pirates - Revolutionaries/Albionites
Orcs & Goblins - Hobbe Pirates
Undead - Hollowmen Pirates
Elves - Potential Auroran Pirates?
(They also do Dwarf Pirates but couldn't think of what they could be - if anything lol)

So there you have it - for those of you wanting something Fable on their tabletop could this be the answer? I sure know I'm going to make myself an Albion based pirates gang and do some senarios and adventures in the world of Albion and beyond. Perfect for staging the attack on Bowerstone Castle and the fights in the Traitor's Keep.

Cutlass! Facebook Page
Black Scorpion Miniatures

I'm even going to use my Fable III Guild Coin to decide who gets to be the one with priority on the first turn haha!! let me know what you guys think.

Sam says bye to Lionhead.com!

2011-04-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

It truly is a sad day for the Lionhead.com Community as the fantastic mind behind the Video Diaries Sam Van Tilburgh is leaving the company for pastures new. There will be one more Video Diary that is coming out, but he will have left by the time that's released.

He has been with the company for just over a decade and has created a fantastic community atmosphere as well as the excellent videos that keep us fans in the know. We wish him luck here from The Bloody Stump and will raise a pint to his travels and wish him the best for the future.

Comment on the video above at youtube to show your love for his tireless effort.

Coin Golf Weapons/Statistics

2011-04-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

For those of you lucky enough to have a Windows 7 Phone then you also have access to the Fable: Coin Golf game that came out not too long ago. So, with that in mind and you wondering whether or not you want the game for the extra weapons in Fable III itself, here is a run down of the weapons, their fluff, and of course their legendary questing objectives to buff them up.

Donnakebab

A great disaster in another dimension created tear in reality through which this weapon landed in Albion. It is believed that Donna, an inhabitant of the arid wasteland on the other side of the tear, had a sister named Shish, who forged her own weapon.

Chicken Kebab - Kick 50 chickens - Earn guild seals faster in combat.

Chili Sauce - Kill 200 enemies with an unweaved Fireball spell - + Flame Damage.

Nonnom - Make yourself fatter - +18 Extra Damage.

Thundaraga

A great Hero named Cumulus imported this sword from a land far away. Despite the extra cost incurred, he believed that lighting coming from the blade nicely complemented his spiky blonde hair

Buster- Hit 150 enemies with flourishes - Earn Guild Seals faster in combat.

Heroic - Increase your moral standing - +19 Extra damage.

Boom! - Kill 2000 enemies with an unweaved Fireball spell - + Lightening Damage

Whalehammer

Forged in the nether world, this diabolical weapon originally went by the name of the Ungodly Burning Hammer of the Ferocious Cetacean. It didn't fit on the handle though.

Burning - Kill 200 enemies with an unweaved Fireball spell - + Flame Damage

Ungodly - Decrease your moral standing - +21 extra damage

Whale - Kill 25 large enemies - Gain health with each hit.

So there you have it. Do you think they are worth your cash?

Fable III PC: System Requirements.

2011-03-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

In case you PC guys want to know if you have to spend a whole load of cash on your rig to get it up to speed, these are the specifications for the PC version.

The recommended specs are:
Operating System: Windows 7
CPU: Intel Pentium 2.9Ghz Core 2 Duo or higher
RAM: 4GB
Graphics: NVIDIA 260GTX 896MB or ATI 5770 1GB or higher
Hard-drive: 12GB free space

The minimum specs are:
Operating System: Windows 7, Vista, XP
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz or AMD Athlon X2 4000+
Graphics: NVIDIA 7600GT or ATI HD 2600 Pro
RAM: 2GB
Hard-drive: 12GB free space

The PC version also boasts the Hardcore game mode and 3D stereoscopic fandangos.

Eurogamer.net

Fable III PC Screenshots.

2011-03-29T08:08:00.001-07:00

A few more screenshots recently released on the Fable III PC facebook page and now here for your viewing pleasure.

It's looking very, very cool and if my rig could handle it I would buy it! Let's see how this new hardcore mode pans out for the game too.

New ViDoc on the Way

2011-03-29T08:03:00.000-07:00

As Sam has pointed out on twitter...

"SamVanTilburgh
And I've just finished a new Lionhead Video Diary for #Fable3"

Assuming here that this is going to be about the Fable III PC release, but we shall see.

Sam's Twitter Page

Very interesting.

Some CG Joyness!

2011-03-19T19:28:00.000-07:00

And now some more concept art/still joyness but on the CG side of things thanks to the very talented Daniel Rice who came up with some absolutely brilliant images for the fantastic opening sequence in Fable III.

The fantastic Mr Rice's CGHub page.

Little Concept Joyness!

2011-03-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

So I did another one of my trawls through the internet and I found myself this.

Pretty fantastic and funny when you open it up and see! Very cool work from Crystal Jade Vaughan. See below for a full link to her work which is all pretty brilliant.

Crystal's CGHub Page

Molyneux gets BAFTA Fellowship

2011-03-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Well this is coming mere minutes after watching Peter receive his Fellowship award from the Video Game Awards here in merry old England. With some wise words and just a few tears Peter went into detail about why he loves the industry so much and what it means to him to be part of it all; from its ''substance abuse'' induced openings for him back with Populous and then onto the heady heights of the current generation and Fable III.

My first dip into the games of Peter Molyneux were back with Dungeon Keeper and Dungeon Keeper II. I borrowed the games from a friend and spent hours playing through and making sure my special dungeon retained its creepiness, looking at the fantasy world from the other side of the conflict. Not only was it one of the first games I played but it was also one of the first games that got me interested in the fantasy worlds I now love to run around in today and that's something I have to thank him for.

Without Peter Molyneux and his recent games in the Fable series, as well as the giant that is Black & White I don't think I would be as avid a gamer as I am now, or indeed as interested in the worlds of fantasy I like to inhabit. His interesting way of blending the good and the bad and greying the line between right and wrong is a fantastic concept that many of us playing roleplay games seem to take for granted now, and even into the third iteration of the Fable franchise he is still doing it, forcing some harsh decisions on us as players.

I want to now look at a game and that's obviously going to be Fable. I remember being in secondary school and opening a magazine to read about the awesome sounding 'Project Ego'. A game where everything you did would effect the world around you and it would be a new take on the roleplaying games I had played before. Sure I had dipped into my Final Fantasy collection many a time, and of course the legend that is Baldurs Gate but this was going to be the first one where the hero could be of my own creation, from his face right down to what boots he wore and why.

Sure when Fable finally came along it wasn't totally as he had described it to the press a few years before but it still broke the mould in a good number of ways. Not only did we have the first morphing of a hero in a roleplaying game but decisions that finally carried weight and made us think about what we were doing. I don't mind telling you now that I stood at that vortex for a good 10 minutes before deciding whether or not I was going to chuck that sword into it. It set into motion for me a whole saga of changes I would move with and spark interests I didn't know I had.

The first of these was starting to want to be involved in the video gaming world and so I went and wrote articles for Britxbox. Then I moved onto managing a forum called fable-2.com, dedicated to the games past and future in the series. Sadly that fell through but I continued anyway and now own this blog here continuing to talk about and discuss a mammoth of a franchise that I just can't get enough of. Fable has and always will be a fantastic series of games to me and I hope to see it continue on for many more iterations in the future.

I guess this brings me to the end of my diatribe on the man himself and his games, and to a small extent me. But I will say one more thing. While I was playing through the latest DLC package with a friend last night and exploring the 'street of the future' on Faraday's Island I looked up at that statue of Faraday with the little robot and it struck me that this is exactly what Peter would have done. The whole story of Faraday and his creation for good, a progressive world where new things were always being created and tested is the world that Peter inhabits. Logan wanting to use his experiments and creations for bad, and sticking to the rigid structures of his rule are the naysayers looking at Faraday and indeed Peter's work and saying it can't be done.

Like my hero, and many others I hope we all stretch out a hand to Peter and encourage him to keep pushing forwards and trying new things.

Molyneux set to up his game from already lofty heights.

Molyneux's Twitter.

Fable III Treasured Concepts.

2011-03-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

While I picked my way through the internet thinking of a new post to put up here I found these little morsels from CGHub where concept artists for games, comics and lots of other art forms share their work.

The two Auroran concepts you see above were unused in the Fable III game it seems, but fantastic concepts all the same. Even checking out the ones that were used are a sight to behold with a brilliant city steps of Aurora and Millfield when its been torn apart for the power of industry.

Check out the rest of Emrah Elmasli's artwork on his profile here.

Fable Coin Golf Trailer

2011-03-01T10:53:00.000-08:00

A quick little one before I go back to playing Fable III.

A nice little trailer put together to show off Fable Coin Golf and the things you can do with its nifty little games.

Traitor's Keep DLC - Review.

2011-03-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

The new DLC is out today and with a quick blast through it, Brennon The Bard of Westcliff's very own Bloody Stump has decided to give you a run down of what you can expect from the pretty damn good new piece of work Lionhead has sent out to us.

As is well known to a lot of you fans of Fable III the DLC starts with your hero threatened with assassination by an unknown assailant. With a very cool intro cinematic an assassin breaches your throne room and attacks you from the rafters. After a short fight ensues where he reveals his intentions (like every good bad guy) you are alerted to the presence of a ship on the horizon. Little do you know how deep the rabbit hole goes as the captain of the guard at Ravenscar reveals that the prison is in tatters and you, the King or Queen have to go and sort out the mess.

From this point on I will be pretty much spoiler free as I think with this DLC in particular you need to not know the rest of the story before you dive in. This is my first point indecently. The story woven into the adventure in this DLC is absolutely fantastically done. It does everything that Lionhead does well. It makes you sad, it makes you laugh, it makes you really think about what your doing and the characters your interacting with. That is all without the twist in the ending, and the final encounters with the 'traitors' of Albion which are all something to behold.

The second big draw to this DLC is the islands you visit themselves. Ravenscar, much like Bargate Prison from the first game is a hell hole filled with the unlucky and the degenerate of society. From fighting through its murky sewer depths, to the Alcatraz style interiors of the upper floors, and even the surrounding grounds itself Ravenscar oozes with character and a darkness that fits in well with the Albion you have created. The devil, as always, is in the detail and there has been no expense spared as you rummage through hidden passageways, dive into pools of water and search through atmospheric graveyards to find all the little secrets that Lionhead has tucked away in the islands depths.

The first island you visit after Ravenscar is Clockwork Island. Home to a 'mad' inventor the island was once a themepark the likes of which Albion had never seen before. With his innovative and witty 'Albion of the Future' attraction Faraday bought in crowds from all over the world and once again Lionhead delivers with this fantastically realised and mournful island. Unlike Ravenscar with its thick stone walls and grim exterior and interior Clockwork Island is filled with colour and a deep sadness throughout it. This contrast highlights the fall of the island and its inventor and as you walk through the grounds looking around the environment brings the story to life. This steampunk-esque vision of Albion is simply breathtaking and hopefully a direction that it will continue in as time goes by.

The last island is The Godwin Estate. Here we have not only a nod to a potential village from Fable II but also the Fable of old. Looking almost like Darkwood from the first Fable, mixed with the fog and shadows of the drowned village of Oakvale atmosphere hangs in the air like a heavy weight and you find yourself cautiously picking your way through the brambles and gravestones before entering the house itself and feeling like you have found the Gray Mansion all over again. Again, the devil is in the details and there is much to see as you wander around the island of the dead and the howlers.

In terms of enemies in the new DLC, the screenshots have shown many of them. We have seen the clockwork enemies of Faraday's island which are innovative and interesting to fight. Explosives robot dogs, massive hulking robot bodyguards and cleaner 'droids' are all intent on ending your life. Added to these are the monsters of Godwin Estate. New Balverines to fight, interesting takes on Hollowmen and a very 'funky' shall we say new Hobbe variant to fight. You certainly will be hitting all the triggers and buttons in this DLC.

Traitor's Keep continues in the vein of many other Lionhead DLC's of the past. It is witty, charming, frightening, morally angled with tough decisions and implications as well as top notch voice acting and general presence over all. The humour is fantastic, and kept to well timed one liners and little easter eggs around the island as to not take away from the over all ending of the story. It's pacing is brilliant and for the points your spending the islands are massive...on par with places like Knothole Isle in their grandeur. By the time you have fought the final traitor you will have found yourself immersed back into the world of Albion...and that can only be a good thing.

Added to all its wit and charm are a lovely set of fantastic clothing (the sand fury set is my favourite), plenty of dig spots and treasure chests and who knows what else hidden away in the locked doors and hidden areas I haven't looked at yet at the time of writing this. If your a fan of the dressing up game in Fable III then you will not be disappointed.

If you were in any doubt about buying the DLC package I would not hesitate. If you are a lover of Albion and want to get back into the world then this DLC will plunge you in at the deep end. Even once the main quest is done there are a smattering of side quests and even more collection to be had...all adding to the depth of the narrative the developers are weaving with this pack. I urge you to give it a go, neigh TELL you to have a go and find out all the secrets Traitor's Keep has to offer.

Want to work in Gaming?

2011-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Want to get into the gaming world? Peter Molyneux explains how in this neat little interview with Eurogamer.

Eurogamer.net Link

...the man speaks the truth!

Video Interview: Josh Atkins - Traitor's Keep

2011-02-25T08:03:00.001-08:00

I told you there would be more did I not! *Gets that beer you promised me for finding more news*. Now, this is an awesome interview from Gamespot about the Traitor's Keep DLC coming on the 1st of March. Atkins goes into detail on the plot, how it starts and lots of other interesting things about the DLC and how it fits in.

Very.Important.Points
- Happens after the end of the game
- Assassin tries to kill you in the Throne Room.
- Clockwork Island - Mad Inventors place of wonder leading too...
...Robot Dogs, Robots, 'Fable of the Future'
- Three Arch enemies hating on you as the ruler of Albion
- Crush the rebellion and make decisions on their fate.
- Logan's secret base - The Den of Evil -
- Branching paths based on your decisions.
- New weapons and clothing!

- Windows Phone 7 (Coin Golf) game will unlock weapons in the Traitor's Keep DLC.

New PC Screens!

2011-02-25T03:42:00.000-08:00

Recently added just today on the Lionhead.com site we have a batch of screenshots of the soon-to-be PC version of Fable III. See below for all the awesome in-game shots and the beauty of a nice detailed PC game.

Some delicious morsels there indeed. More to come in the near future this beer swilling bard hopes!

PC Release Dated!

2011-02-24T18:30:00.001-08:00

Fable III will also begin an adventure on the PC this May 17th. The story will be the same as the original from the 360 version but will also have a few nifty additions too it. The first is the advent of 3D in the game which brings a new 'dimension' to the world of Albion like you have never seen before.

As well as this the game comes with a PC exclusive Hardcore difficulty mode which is going to amp the difficulty up to 11; to use a nice British film history reference there. Players on the PC could possibly have the same access to DLC as users on the 360 have had, with the possibility of the DLC already released put into the game...but we shall see.

PC Release News

Traitor's Keep - Detailed and Awesome.

2011-02-24T18:25:00.000-08:00

So time for the official word on the new DLC for Fable III!!!

Our second announcement will please our enormous fanbase for Fable III; brand new DLC! “Fable III” Traitor’s Keep game add-on will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 560 Microsoft Points on March 1. The Traitor’s Keep game add-on continues the journey as fans venture into three new levels called Ravenscar Keep, Clockwork Island, and the Godwin Estate, taking on new quests and encountering a mysterious prisoner. Traitor’s Keep also comes packed with 250 gamerscore points and additional content.

Link to the Official Lionhead Article

Traitor's Keep - New Fable III DLC?

2011-02-22T12:31:00.001-08:00

After a few whispers on the forums of Lionhead.com and those across the pond in America and Canada finding an odd surprise advert on their Live dashboards while they download the Dragon Age II demo...we have possible news of a new DLC pack for Fable III. Could this be it?

From the looks of it; it could be another piece of information let out a liiiitle bit before it was meant too be seen.

With news that they were 'doing something new' over the past two/three weeks we shall see how this develops.

All credit to the folks of the Lionhead Community.

More from Mort

2011-02-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

Earlier I posted an image of Mort's Low-Rez Fable art, but now he has gone one further and given us some oldy console Fable music to listen too!

Pretty damn awesome.

...Fable from the Old Days?

2011-02-20T10:34:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered what Fable would look like if it had been an 80's game? Well look no further...

It's not actually a game, but the wonderful Mort from the Lionhead Forums decided to mock up some fantastic little pixel art for the Fable series and show it off for us all to enjoy.

Click on the picture above to expand it for a proper large view of the image and enjoy what could have been a wonderful text based adventure!

Link to the forum.

Check out the forum to have your say on the cool artwork!

More Whispering...

2011-02-16T09:29:00.001-08:00

Another tweet from the twitterverse confirms that we will be seeing another...

@Rhiarti absolutely! We're editing a new Fable related trailer and I wanted to set it to jolly music! Coffee too, YEAH!

Fable related trailer? For the PC, for DLC? What could it be.

Follow Sam!

Fable up for Bafta

2011-02-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

Fable is up for....

Best Original Music for the British Academy Video Game Awards, and Mr Shaw better win this!

Bafta Nominations.

Check the link for a full list of the nominations in each catagory and we all wish the Fable team and Russell Shaw the best!

Don't forget to go and have YOUR SAY on Fable III and the rest of the series on the Lionhead Website.

What's YOUR Fable?

2011-02-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

The Developers of the Fable series over at Lionhead.com have come up with another nifty survey for those of us who love the Fable world, and its a chance for us to tell them what we feel are the most, and least, important factors in the Fable games we play.

Simply follow this link...
Sam's Survey!

And follow the instructions to get your voice heard about the Fable franchise. Community support is always key to getting a game just right, and Lionhead love their community more than most developers at the moment.

Let them know your thoughts.

Whispers from the Ether?

2011-02-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

So news on Fable has been a little on the low side for the past few months, but do not despair. It isn't hard and fast Fable information but with some tweeting on twitter we may have something on the horizon for anyone wanting to be back in Albion sooner rather than later.

"Man its been so long since I captured game footage... I feel rusty. Making rookie mistakes left right and centre. Maybe up and down too..."

DanielUsher Twitter.

"Good morning tweeps, today we start recording game footage. Can't say what for yet, the overlords are reading, but you'll find out soon-ish"

SamVanTilburgh Twitter.

Just two little slithers of information from those within the walls of Castle Lionhead. This could be a new game, this could be the PC version; this could be new DLC? Soon-ish couldn't come sooner in my opinion.

Fable: Coin Golf

2011-01-20T12:03:00.000-08:00

So with the Fable train still chugging along Lionhead and Microsoft have got another little mini-game for us to play. With the new Fable: Coin Golf lucky owners of a Windows 7 Phone will be able to play this on the move and gather money for their game on the big ol' console.

"Fable: Coin Golf draws upon the wealth of traditional British pub games like Shove Ha’Penny, Bar Billiards, and Skittles, then combines them with elements from very popular modern puzzle games to create a challenging skill-based game that is entirely in keeping with the Fable pub game universe.

Played from an overhead perspective, your quest is to rid the land of evil and conquer each area by getting your Hero Puck into the Pillar of Light in as few shots as possible.

Obstacles, hazards and pickups litter the way challenging you to think carefully about the route that you take. Take as few shots as possible, thereby earning large bonuses that affect the area score. Scores can also be increased by performing various feats around the table. Gold earned from these areas can be transferred to your Fable III game on Xbox 360 or PC."

While this sounds great, this pud goer can't help thinking that this would be great to see on the Live Arcade rather than on a select number of phones. But, we shall see. More images below:-

Xbox.com Linkage

Fable III ZeroPunk'd

2011-01-19T16:17:00.000-08:00

Here is the loveable and eco-friendly Yahtzee with his review of Fable III.

100% Positive Result.

Peter Molyneux Honoured

2011-01-19T12:01:00.000-08:00

The master of Albion, the King of Lionhead and the basically all round nice guy of gaming Peter Molyneux will be honoured at this years GDC event with a Life Time Achievement award! Starting out with floppy discs and Bullfrog Peter has worked his way up through the industry to be one of the great visionaries of the modern day. With classics like Black & White, Dungeon Keeper, The Movies, and Fable under his belt he has given Britain a good name as a developer of games.

Molyneux has always been a man to look forwards and not backwards when it comes to his games and his thirst to see change and growth in the industry has stoked the fires of imagination in many a game developer. With a long time still ahead of him we're all hoping that Peter has many more tricks up his sleeve, and if he can wrangle a few of them past his now tired and over worked PR people then that's grand too.

Raising a pint glass to Mr Molyneux here at The Bloody Stump.

Lionhead Link
Eurogamer Link

New Fable Fansite

2010-12-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

A long time ago now I was part of a fansite for the Fable franchise called fable-2.com. Well, after that fell through under numerous problems I thought my days of being a Fable addict on the internet were over...until I started this blog up.

Well, some of the members of the previous site have started their own little bastion of Fable dorkness in order to revive some of the passion for the game, and also to bring together another community on the scale of fable-2.com. I love the idea of fansites and the sense of community they bring, as well as the mass amount of fun you can have with like minded individuals.

Check out the link here to see it for yourself, and for your future reference the site is www.fable-legacy.com.

See you there, here, Lionhead forums and even in the world of Albion. Take care, and merry Christmas to everyone!

Dog Breeds & X-Mas Gifts

2010-12-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

Lionhead are pulling all the stops out again for the DLC at this festive time. A little late on the uptake with this post but as well as a free Santa hat to wear for this christmas period there are also a load of new dog breeds for your hero to run around Albion with. Too add to the Red Setter and Boxer that are already in the game, as well as the Boarder Collie there is now the Doberman, the Alsation and the epic Poodle...wonder if Reaver would like a poodle?

See below for the awesome pictures:-

Official site after the jump.

I want to hear Stephen Fry!

2010-12-08T07:28:00.001-08:00

...was the cry that rang out from the roofs of many a house all over the world when Fable III came out in different countries. And now, Lionhead have delivered and given all non-english versions of the game the English Voice-Over pack featuring the talented words of wisdom from so many big names in British film, tv and many other fields.

There's a myriad of talent in the game including:-

John Cleese as your trusty butler and confidant, Jasper
Sir Ben Kingsley as the leader of the mountain dwellers, Sabine
Simon Pegg as attention-seeking soldier Benn Finn who is looking for action
Michael Fassbender as the evil King Logan whom your “Fable III” hero will lead a revolution against
Zoë Wanamaker returns as Theresa. She was last seen taking over the Spire in “Fable II,” but who knows what her real motivation is?
Stephen Fry returns as Reaver, the narcissistic marksman blessed with eternal youth
Bernard Hill as Sir Walter Beck, your faithful mentor
Nicholas Hoult as the potential male love interest, Elliot, to your “Fable III” female hero
Naomie Harris as Page, the leader of the rebels who reside in Bowerstone

"The 'Fable' franchise has always been recognized for its unique take on drama, morality, and of course, humor," said Louise Murray, head of the "Fable" franchise. "We're taking this to the limits in 'Fable III' by bringing on a star-studded cast that includes Sir Ben Kingsley, John Cleese and Simon Pegg, who truly understand what it takes to bring characters to life in complex ways and add new dimensions of blockbuster entertainment to 'Fable III.'"

So if you're from a land far away from the green fields of Blighty, get yourself this download pack to listen to some fantastic voice acting from some fantastic actors.

Lionhead Pooch Lovin'

2010-12-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

Now we all love a bit of animal friendly gaming, don't we? Well Fable III has shown that the love of a faithful poochy companion is more than enough to satisfy our hearts when it comes to animals...and for their services to the world of animated dogs...they have won themselves an award!

Fable II won a Proggy for Most Animal-Friendly Video Game, and Fable III is up for a Peta Libby Award with the same title!

Vote for your favourite Fake Meat, Animal-Friendly Hip Hop Artist or Vegan Shoe and of course Fable -http://features.peta2.com/LibbyAwards2010/?c=p24471.

Nominated by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) for a Libby Award for Most Animal Friendly Game of 2010, “Fable III” captures the true spirit of camaraderie with your loyal canine companion as you adventure through Albion and rise from rebel to ruler.

Well done to Lionhead Studios and let's hope they continue to win more and more awards for their games in the future!

More details after the Guild Seal Teleport ;)

Fable III: Patch Notes & Release.

2010-12-01T06:34:00.000-08:00

Title Update fixing the game...see below.

Patch Notes Fable III

Deployed 1st December 2010 10am GMT (5MB)

Disclaimer: While we make every effort to include as many upcoming changes in our patch notes as possible, please be aware that some changes are unintentionally omitted. (UPDATE: Some media reported that we omitted content from the title update, this has been misreported; the comment refers to omitted from the patch notes, not the patch itself). Where possible the title update will be retroactive, meaning if you’ve already experienced the issue in your game it will now be resolved. This is not applicable to all solutions.

Major Fixes

Sanctuary: Fixed numerous issues whereby Jasper would stop talking or whereby the world map would become unusable

Quests: Tabletop: The Hobbes may not spawn in the last area causing the player to be unable to progress

Quest: Tabletop: Online multiplayer: Player host is unable to vault off platform to Hobbe area

Quest: Tabletop: Player can become stuck behind some rocks

Quest: Tabletop: After defeating the hollowmen in the room with the lever the player is unable to progress

Quest: The Masquerade: Player can become trapped in Reaver’s mansion.

Quest: The Masquerade: Player can fall out of the world

Quest: GNOMES PART 1: Player can break script

Live: The players fall out of the world (FOOTW) when transitioning from Shifting Sands to The Veiled Path

Crash: Mourningwood guards audio

Crash: During the quest “Peace, Love and Homicide”

Minor Fixes

General improvements to performance and frame rate

World: Online multiplayer: Fast Travel area does not extend from end of level the "The Hole" to go to Mistpeak Valley

World: Player can fall out of environment in Mistpeak Valley while in combat

World: After proposing marriage, Bowerstone Castle cannot be selected as family home.

World: If client repairs a house, the house goes from renting out to living in

World: Player can become stuck during Castle Battle after vaulting over sandbags near burning cart

World: Bowerstone Industrial: Player can fall off the world

World: a fix for existing or future FOOTW situations

World: Online multiplayer: No Particle Effects on Host Screen after Marrying another Player

Live: Orbs do not always show up

Live: Online multiplayer: Fixed an issue with sliding host in the sanctuary

Live: Fixed several issues relating to gifting and receiving gifts in local and online coop

Quest: Tabletop: Breadcrumb not leading to Demonic Chickens

Saves: Fixed a few issues that could cause a corrupt save game slot

World: Driftwood: Hero can become stuck inside of tree

World: Shooting a crate creates a duplicate crate

World: Black chicken in castle gardens flies straight up into the air for several seconds when kicked

Speech: Japanese: Reaver is missing VO in one quest

Link to the Official Site.

Understone DLC Review

2010-11-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

I went out especially to pick up some points for the DLC for Fable III last week. I have managed to avoid the urge to buy Live Arcade games, and other assorted goodies (although I did have a brief lack of patience when I bought the Priests Robes from Assassins Creed: Brotherhood)and now have downloaded the new Quest Pack, and the Dog Potion. Let's see how it goes...

First off I went straight to the Shooting Range to try that out, always up for challenge me. The introduction to the area is fairly comical and reminded me of the introduction that the town guard gave in Fable when you entered Bowerstone for the first time. After looking around to see if there was actually anything else to buy I popped up to the shooting range to try my luck.

Without much need for bluster I have to say that the Shooting Range was pretty damn fun. If you played Fable II then this won't be anything new too you but its fast paced and indeed rather challenging at times. It took me two tries to get my hands on the new guns on offer (The Money Maker and the Black Dragon)with a mighty 535 points...alas it wasn't enough to upgrade one of the guns but we shall give it time. The range is instantly replayable and with the other gifts you can get from setting good scores it's worth a few more tries at least.

Second up was Reaver's Wheel of Misfortune. Now, since this is in Reaver's Mansion it's exactly the same take as you had when you played the Masquerade Quest. You fight waves of enemies from the spinning wheel of death while Jonathan Ross and Stephen Fry shout things at you for doing well, or awful. Again I managed to rack up a good enough score to get my hands on the two prize weapons, and I think as a piece of returnable DLC with the added ability to do so with Co-Op it's almost as much fun as going through the Crucible or the Arena in Fable II.

Last but certainly not least is the quest for Understone itself. Without wanting to put too much of a spoiler in your midsts you travel down under Bowerstone to find out the mysterious source of a mechanical voice haunting a factory above the surface. The way down is typically fable, with some rather interesting combat encounters and the sense of danger mounting as you reach the end. It doesn't last all that long, so if you were hoping for a massive expansion...this isn't it. And while its a pretty sweet quest, its a little bitter sweet as you realise it's all ended too quickly. Something I think most Fable fans would feel for all the games in the series. The decision at the end however is rather important so have a think before you make it.

Overall the pack is fairly well priced. It's not the longest, but its fairly interesting and gives some replay value for those who want to best their Live friends at even more Fable related content. For 400 Points you could do a lot worse, and if your a die hard Fable fan you might want to pick this up. With a fix coming soon as well, will be pretty good going.

7/10

Title Update Soon

2010-11-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

For those of you out there with some game breaking bugs and other mishaps, there is a title update launching soon to hopefully fix some of those problems...

"Also coming soon, fans will see some positive changes to the “Fable III” gameplay via a Title Update. Lionhead Studios has been hard at work addressing gameplay issues in the massive world of Fable III. In addition, a new voice over pack will be released for some regions, adding even more polish to the adventure. Title update fixes will address the following and more:

- General gameplay progression and spawning issues
- Sanctuary map and audio functionality
- Isolated corrupted game saves
- General performance surrounding Orbs, audio, frame rates and other features"

This should be out soon enough, and was said to be up around the time of the DLC...so watch this space if you are having problems with your game.

Understone Out Today!

2010-11-23T11:02:00.001-08:00

Title says it all. The Understone Quest Pack is out today for you all to buy and enjoy.

Jump back into the whimsical world of “Fable III” with the all new “Understone Quest Pack,” available starting today on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points. The new Game Add-on grants fans access to three unique experiences, including a journey through the mysterious town called Understone, tucked beneath the bustling streets of Bowerstone.

Designed by the peculiar mind of inventor Montague Hummes following the uncertain events that unfolded in “Fable II,” Understone brings new houses and stalls to own, creatures to conquer and a mystery to solve. The “Understone Quest Pack” brings more action and adventure your way with the following quests:

“The Voice”: In the main quest, explore the mysterious underground land built by Montague Hummes in fear of the Spire in “Fable II”

Discover the origin of the voice that controls the people of Understone
Features a moral decision that will lead to two drastically different outcomes in Understone
“Shooting Range”: After defeating Saker during your quest to become Queen of King, the remaining Mercenaries have turned their camp into a tourist attraction. The main attraction being the replayable shooting range mode

Beat the high scores to win three prizes that can be used while playing the minigame: the Marksman 500 (gifted to players for downloading the pack), Money Shot (prize) and Black Dragon (prize)
The Wheel of Misfortune”: After Reaver vacated his home, he set up a venture for budding heroes to replay the thrilling arena-based challenges within his new dwellings

Beat the high scores to win three new weapons that can be used while playing in the minigame: The Full Monty (gifted to players upon downloading pack), Dirty Harriet (prize) and Dead Ned’s Revolver (prize)

From Lionhead.com

And some new fancy screenshot's to enjoy too...

Enjoy!

Fable III: DLC Idea No: 2

2010-11-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

The Lost Boys

Set deep in the swampy marshland of Mourningwood search for a lost group of children taken from their beds by an evil spirit. However, as you look deeper into the mysterious disappearances you find that everything is not quite as it seems. Uncover the mystery of the Lost Boys and maybe you will be able to settle the minds of the parents of Albion once more.

The DLC would be a quest set into a new part of Mourningwood leading away from the eco-warrior village in the swamps. You would be tasked by the leader of the village (or his replacement if you killed the other) to find out what is happening to their children who have been going missing in the middle of the night. The DLC would open up a new region which would be around the size of Mistpeak. Would be a winding wood-like maze with the feel of the marsh part of Mourningwood, very dark and secluded. As you look deeper into the mystery and follow the trail of notes left by someone only known as 'P' you find clues to the children's plight. Piles of toys found under trees, caves filled with beds with no-one in them which eventually leaves you to put together a set of clues to solve a riddle in the woods...which in turn leads to a secret glade in the woods.

When you find it this fellow...(old Fable II Concept art)

Has seemingly been capturing the children to turn into a Hobbe army through the use of a magical artefact. This leads too you defeating him, or helping him in his task. Either asking you to bring him the last sacrifice to his den so he can turn the child into the final hobbe needed to overwhelm Mourningwood and turn it into a Hobbe village, or fighting him and freeing the souls of the children who have been captured by his magic dealings.

Would either gift you the legendary weapons...

Evil Choice: The Hobbeiests Hammer - A Hammer forged by....well, stuck together by hobbes.

The Hammer would be rather crude looking, made of bone etc and have 1) Kill 100 Villagers 2) Steal 50 items of food 3) Get Fat

Good Choice: The Charity Boom Stick - A pistol which rewards you for being rewarding.

A rather basic looking pistol with little flashiness and would have 1) Donate 1,000,000 gold to the treasury 2) Give 50 Gifts to villagers 3) Give your autograph to 30 children.

Fable III: DLC Idea No:1

2010-11-19T07:16:00.000-08:00

"Hollows & Hobbes (3rd Edition, revision 1.5.2.2.1.7.3.0.0.0.8c)

Return back to the table top with the Orb of Magika once again and experience a new adventure in the world of Hollows & Hobbes. With the evil baron dead and the princess rescued this new module takes you deeper into the web of intrigue weaved by the awful baron and his teddy bear factory...of doom!

Explore the distant area of the Afterthought Lands and find the source of the barons power, and your ultimate enemy! With new weapons and new items from The Collected Treasury of Galdo Gygaxian you can vanquish your foes in fantastic new ways...and see if you can hold off against the dangerous Flaming Chickens of Doom!, a new creature for this edition of the game!"

Would basically be set up in Bowerstone where the table is and would have a set of adventures you could do with different ending rewards. Some could be joke rewards and others could be serious...but would be more funny to have joke ones. Maybe could bring back The Frying Pan +1 which would be upgraded from 1) Eating Food 2) Making Pies and 3) Beating up Hobbes who would steal your dinner!

Would also maybe have a similar set up to Reavers wheel of death where you could go back into the room where you pull the lever surrounded by arrows and would send random mobs of enemies at you, defeat them in the time limit etc and would get odd bonuses as you played.

Note: This is not DLC...this is purely an idea.

Ruled the World

2010-11-16T05:05:00.000-08:00

A pretty impressive AMV for Fable III I found today. Watch it and like, good effort.

Link to the Youtube page.

Fable III Patch Update: 16th November

2010-11-16T04:18:00.000-08:00

And so we wanted some news...

We haven’t forgotten about anyone yet, with yesterday’s announcement of the first add-on pack for Fable III, I just want to remind everyone that the title update is still coming and we’re currently aiming for this to be available approximately around the same time as the DLC.

I'd love to be able to give you the entire list of fixes, but I can't do that until we get a firmly fixed release date for it. So please stay tuned and enjoy Albion (and Aurora).

Linkage

And Sam delivers. A fix soon.

GT Accolades Trailer

2010-11-15T14:59:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the GT Accolades trailer for Fable III.

Video Games | Fable III | Accolades Launch Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

...now get back to chasing the maids and making gold from fetch quests!

Info on new DLC: 23rd November for Understone!

2010-11-15T06:59:00.000-08:00

Without much introduction here's the new information...

The Action-Adventure Journey in “Fable III” Continues With Fresh Game Add-ons and a New Gameplay Trailer

On the heels of the triumphant Oct. 26 launch of “Fable III,” fans who crave even more action and adventure will revel in the all new “Fable III” Understone Quest Pack. Available on Nov. 23 on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points, the new Game Add-on introduces three unique quests to continue expanding the world of Albion. In celebration of the global launch of “Fable III,” Lionhead Studios also released the latest gameplay trailer, which captures the magic of revolution as you decide whether it’ll be happily ever after (or not) in the world of “Fable III.” Hailed as “a must-play for fans of adventure” and an “enormously rich experience,” “Fable III” is a must-have game this holiday season. View the trailer at xbox.com/fable3.

With the “Fable III” Understone Quest Pack, your hero will discover a mysterious town built beneath the streets of Bowerstone, crafted by eccentric inventor Montague Hummes. This full scale town is bustling with new houses and stalls to own, novel creatures to battle and a major mystery to solve. As added bonuses, you’re invited to explore the Mercenary Shooting Range and the Wheel of Misfortune, for chances to win in-game prizes. The “Fable III” Understone Quest Pack comes filled to the brim with the following:

“The Voice”: In the main quest, explore the mysterious underground land built by Montague Hummes in fear of the Spire in “Fable II” -

Discover the origin of the voice that controls the people of Understone
Features a moral decision that will lead to two drastically different outcomes in Understone.

“Shooting Range”: After defeating Saker during your quest to become King, the remaining Mercenaries have turned their camp into a tourist attraction. The main attraction being the replayable shooting range mode -

Beat the high scores to win three prizes that can be used while playing the minigame: the Marksman 500 (gifted to players for downloading the the pack), Money Shot (prize) and Black Dragon (prize)

“The Wheel of Misfortune”: After Reaver vacated his home, he set up a venture for budding heroes to replay the thrilling arena-based challenges within his new dwellings -

Beat the high scores to win three new weapons that can be used while playing in the minigame: The Full Monty (gifted to player upon downloading pack), Dirty Harriet (prize) and Dead Ned’s Revolver (prize)
Also available for purchase on Nov. 23 are the Exclusive Hair Pack (160 Microsoft Points) with corn rows, afro and asymmetrical bob styles and the 5 Star Dog Potion (80 Microsoft Points) that gives your canine companion the full 5-star ability for digging, diving and tracking down hidden chests right from the start.

Fans in search of more creative and immediate ways to customize their heroes are in luck! Available starting tomorrow, on Nov. 9 exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, you’ll be able to tailor your righteous or wicked ruler with the Reaver Industries Hero Outfit (160 Microsoft Points) and a colorful Dye Pack (80 Microsoft Points) that icludes black, cream, hot pink and turquoise that will make your hero the talk of Albion.

And also Sam has shown us a new launch trailer...

Pretty ace eh?

Concept Art = Lovely

2010-11-13T04:34:00.000-08:00

Concept art is fantastic, and even more so for Fable it seems. Just can't get enough of the inspiring artwork for the game series, and I know a lot of other people can't either. So here is a nice big chunk of artwork I found from off the internet for you all to enjoy.

Enjoy, and click to get bigger sizes of course.

More Comics!

2010-11-12T08:49:00.001-08:00

Rooster Teeth are sure loving their Fable playing if these comics are anything to go by! Check them out below and don't forget to look at their homepage linked at the bottom for some awesome videos. They have a very funny 'Fails of the Week' coming every Friday from Halo: Reach submitted videos...very cool.

For when the life of a hero takes its toll...

Gnomes in reality eh?

And finally...

They do love the Fable-ness...and dogs...

Home Page...check it out, or Sarge will get you.

Multiplayer...Nope, Sorry.

2010-11-11T05:07:00.000-08:00

My mistake guys...seems like it was all a bit of a misunderstanding when posting the information on Lionhead.com.

From Sam on the forum...

"Yeah it's a mistake, sorry guys and gals. When Woody posted the information he got from the guide people he didn't check it completely...hence the mistake. Should be updated shortly. Our apologiez."

So no versus mode it seems...quick little update to clear that up.

Multiplayer, Fable III??

2010-11-10T17:41:00.000-08:00

Well we know there is Co-Op in Fable III...but this was on the last blogpost I put up, and it has me intrigued.

"Multiplayer coverage provides expert tactics for cooperative and competitive game modes, including Versus, Arena, Command Board, and Rumble Racing."

Could we be seeing some proper Fable III multiplayer on the horizon?

My new Signature by the way for the Lionhead forums.

Need A Guiding Hand?

2010-11-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

So we love Fable here, well I do anyway! And I picked up the Fable II Guide a few weeks after I had completed the game to try and help me through some of the rough spots I had experienced as I was playing, as well as to find all the secrets. So here is some awesome news about the Fable III guides!

Above is the normal edition of the guide with...

"The Fable III Limited Edition Signature Series Guide" picks up the story of life in Albion over half a century after the events of Fable II. Your quest is to overthrow a megalomaniac sibling and save a continent on its knees. This limited edition guide tracks the decisions you make, determining the type of ruler you become. Exclusive quest guides and maps provide an unprecedented knowledge of the games dig spots, gnomes and secrets. Included is a stand alone art section, with a limited edition dust cover and multiplayer tactics for co-op and competitive modes.

Fable III and The Kingdom of Albion have never been explored in such detail, but how will you gain and control the wealth and power you crave?

Signature Series Guide:
Complete Quest and Promise Guide
All Main and Option Quests Are Covered
Learn what can befall Your Hero with Each Promise Made and Discover What happens if you Keep it ... or not.
Albion Atlas
Area Information – Shot Listings, Job Sites and Location of Demon Doors
Beautifully Illustrated Maps – Gnomes, Books, Keys, Dig Spots, Dive Spots, Chests - Find Every Secret Spot in the Game.
Real Estate Guide
Prices, Rent, repairs and Decorating Tips
Strategies for Wealth Accumulation

But if you are more of a hardcore fan of the series maybe you want this?

This version is very special and...

This special hardbound Edition includes everything in our Signature Series guide, plus exclusive content not available anywhere else!
Exclusive 80-Page Art Gallery! Packed with breathtaking concept art and fascinating commentary from the developer.
Get One of four Deluxe, Collectible Covers! Beneath the striking dust jacket (which is a beautiful piece of art in and of itself), each volume features one of four limited-edition covers. Deluxe print treatments highlight these dramatic cover images. These are randomly assorted so you wont know what cover you get until you open the package at home!
Additionally, the Limited Edition guide contains a virtual IN-GAME TATOO for your character available only with purchase of this guide!
Also Included:
Complete walk-through which leads the player through the entire game with ease.
Comprehensive statistical breakdown of every weapon and item.
Locations of every hidden item in the game..
Exclusive maps illustrate the game's multiple worlds and pinpoint critical locations.
Multiplayer coverage provides expert tactics for cooperative and competitive game modes, including Versus, Arena, Command Board, and Rumble Racing.

What takes your fancy? Go here and see what you think, maybe buy a copy?

Fable IV: Looking Forwards

2010-11-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

In Fable: TLC we had the foundations of the Heroes Guild and the story of a hero coming to power to rule over Albion (some would say with an iron fist if what he did to the Guildmaster is to be believed). In Fable II we jumped forwards many years to a time where the old ways were pushed to the fringes and industry and progression took over from fantasy and the wild. Fable III took this a step further with the world being plunged into a full on industrial struggle. Despite the end game options (which I won't spoil) there were plenty of factories still open, and the progress of the world and invention will not be stopped.

Seeing as progression is inevitable in any world, it seems wrong for the game to suddenly take a step backwards and look towards the beginning like a few people want. This also goes against the design philosophy of Lionhead Studios with them not wanting to make another swords & sorcery style game. The logical next step would either be a large leap forwards towards maybe the modern day (think in the same way that Assassins Creed puts the mechanics of the historical gameplay into the modern world) or a small leap to a proper, full on steampunk period in Albions history.

Now, how would this work I hear you say? Well, like the Industrial Knight armour showed this would be entirely possible if technology has got to that point already with Reaver Industries. Fantasy & the Modern History feeling can always overlap and could easily sit quite well next too each other. Lionhead have always looked to films for inspiration it seems with their games, especially the second two in the franchise. Fable II drew heavily from the look and feel of films like Brotherhood of the Wolf (very good french film) and Sleepy Hollow. Fable III seems to draw from the very classic Sharpe series and so it would seem right to look at what media offerings could inspire a full on steampunk Fable IV.

1) Van Helsing

Now, this seems a pretty obvious one but its a good mix of Fantasy and the progression of the world around the darkness. It fits into the theme of the Fable games, with the wild and the unknown being terrible and dangerous, small oasis' of calm being the villages that pucker the landscape. With the weapon from Fable III crafted by the militant monks around, would it be such a leap of the imagination to see the Temple of Good hiring the next hero as a bounty hunter against the dark forces that threaten the progressive world of Albion? This example comes from the Pope and the Catholic Church providing Van Helsing with his weapons (steampunk of course) in the film. There is also the perfect mixture of creepy, sleepy hamlets tucked into the wilds of Europe (much like the towns of Brightwall etc?) and the bustling cities plagued by unseen human influences using the darkness of the wilds (London and Mr Hyde = Bowerstone and some crazy scientists?)

2) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Here again is another good mixture of the fantasy and steampunk for us to look at for justification on our onward journey. Again it has the powerful dark and fantasy influence from beasties but also, and more importantly the human influence which could be a big thing in coming games. With the growth of technology, there will be those that try and use this for evil as well as good. In this its Moriarty/Fantom who is trying to create an army like Mr Hyde. Could this be something Lionhead could use? Maybe with the advent of the Gauntlet to channel Will everyone could have access too this powerful source of energy and some humans in Albion have been bending it too their nefarious will causing all kinds of horrible mutations and odd powers amongst the populace (or their experiments). Vehicles have never been something implemented in Fable games, and again this kind of setting would need none, but like Fable III they could still have a presence. Maybe, like Fantom the crackpot trying to bring down the world has an army of blimps at his command? Maybe an Auroran scientist has come up with a perfect way to travel over and under water like Captain Nemo?

3) Hellboy

Now this is a big leap in time, but bear with me. Now, this isn't technically steampunk but its a very good way of showing the power of the fantasy world mixing with the urban and the modern. Maybe as Albion has become more technologically advanced the fantasy world has been pushed underground? Like in Hellboy a whole world of fantasy exists along side the human world, just out of sight in the fringes. Maybe this is where the balverines and hobbes have gone? The people of Albion could see the stories of Balverine attacks, Hobbes stealing children and such as old wives tales told to scare the children at night, or the symptoms of madness in the old. Hobbes could rule the shadowy sewers of the steampunked world, balverines skulking in the dark forests no one enters anymore, or in plain sight like the guests of Reavers party...something to think about there.

But now onto the powers the heroes in Hellboy possess. Just like Fable there is Will there, uncontrollable at first with the young woman in the films but then later channelled for good. Hellboy himself is a being of strength, and there are even firearms wielded by the group as well. Maybe like in the previous example Will has become something uncontrollable and prone to violence and that's why Gauntlets are needed. Either way, this film shows a brilliant way of the fantastical being put alongside the modern progressive world. There's even an 'Old Kingdom' beneath the world with Prince Nuada and the Golden Army...which could almost be the mechanical constructs of the sandy dunes of Aurora.

Now too the story itself, and here might be some spoilers...

At the end of the game we now know what the real threat to Albion was all along. We hear why Logan did what he did, and why Teresa needed you to make the ending possible, to save Albion. It seemed as if this 'evil' was powered and given strength by fear and sadness which means maybe it will never fully go away. With your hero 'finishing' off the threat in the end of Fable III the future could be very interesting for the world of Albion. It seemed as if the power was locked away within the continent of Aurora but now is free...and the continent itself is also a lot bigger than the areas we have discovered in the game. Whatever it was, is possibly biding its time until it can once more return to bring Albion, and Aurora down to its knees....and make servants of all its people.

In Fable IV then, if we go down the steampunked route, what could the possible story be? Maybe we will find out that Teresa has not been totally forward with the truth once more and the darkness is returning? Maybe the Spire still has a part to play? Maybe she is waiting for the right time, and the right technology to harness the power of the Spire for some other purpose? Maybe the story won't be focused on Teresa at all? What if the main story focused on someone else, a hero amongst the people who was subject to the experiments of the villain of the piece and has to find out who he/she is and channel their power, for good or evil...in defeating the man who had tormented them. Could the hero find solace in the dark corners of the world of Albion and unleash the dark creatures of the woods and caves back on the people of the cities? The need to 'not save the world' would be a good opportunity to play on the opposing moralities and let the player truly be good or evil.

This is just a few ideas...maybe it could give a few people a bit of hope that a forward looking and technological/steampunked Albion could be a good idea. I hope to carry this on in another post at some time to keep you updated with my ideas.

Images taken from Steamlords.

DLC Now Available!

2010-11-09T13:01:00.000-08:00

You know that lovely DLC that I mentioned yesterday? The ones that got pulled off of the marketplace on Day One release? Well they are back, well...some of them anyway!

The Dye Pack, the Industrial Knight and a myriad of other bits and pieces for those who did not get the Limited Edition version (and the dog outfit) are all up their to buy and enjoy. Make sure that if you DID buy the Limited Edition box that you DO NOT re-download the Highlander outfit again like a few people have done today already!

I shall be scouting around for some Microsoft Points soon and indulging in the magic that is Fable III again. I must say, been taking my time more with my second Evil character and enjoying the experience just as much as my first play through.

Fable III: DLC on the Horizon

2010-11-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

So we all love a bit of DLC, and we adored the extras we got for Fable II, so this is some of the stuff that will be coming in the near future to download for Fable III. It was released on the day the game came out, and a handful of people managed to download it before it was pulled, but check it out. Make sure to check the link at the bottom of this post for a jump to a thread talking about the new content and also what else might be on the cards for Fable.

Next to the beginning here is a picture of the awesome Industrial Knight outfit which is screaming 'Hellboy' to me right now! Maybe this is a view of what the future of Fable will be? I think my hero of the moment, dressed like a Sharpe character is going to have to take a Steampunk makeover when it comes to this content coming out!

Fable III Understone Quest Pack- 400msp
"Discover a whole new town built beneath the streets of Bowerstone. This full size region contains new houses and stalls to own, new creatures to fight and a major mystery to solve. As a special bonus, you will also receive two extra quests for free: the Mercenary Shooting Range, where you can earn prizes by hitting a variety of targets, and the Wheel of Misfortune, which gives you a chance to return to Reaver's manor and participate in his insane combat arena."

Fable III Dog Costume - 160msp

Fable III Hair Pack - 160 msp
(Cornrows, Afro, and Asymmetrical bob)

Fable III Industrial Knight Outfit- 160msp

Fable III Dye Pack- 80msp
(With the long awaited black dye, hot pink, cream, and turquoise.)

The Dog Costume is for sale now from the Sanctuary and so is a free weapon pack which can be downloaded for...yes...FREE. As well as the above content, the pre-order bonus outfits (The Scottish Clansman outfits) and the new dog potion for the boxer dog, as well as a new weapon will be downloadable too at a later date.

Personally I can't wait to try it out and enjoy the new content! If you want to see more pictures then check out this ace thread on the Fable III forums.

Pictures and Discussion

Fable Playthrough No.2

2010-11-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Another one from FableFan101. If you would like to see a proper Fable fans walkthrough of the game (no commentary but thats ok) of the game then check below for his run on the game, as well as some other awesome videos he puts up as well.

There is part, click on it twice to get to youtube and then to his channel for loads of updates and plenty of other fun things to see and do.

Fable III Concept Art

2010-11-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

Fable and Lionhead always come up with some fantastic artwork, and so why should we be deprived of seeing the art that got the game to where it is? Thankfully FableFan101 has been kind enough to find the concept art in HD for us to see on youtube!

So awesome isn't it! And you can even put it in big screen and screen-cap the images for your wallpapers and avatars. The music is pretty epic as well!

Fable III Bug Updates

2010-11-06T06:39:00.000-07:00

There have been, as with Fable II a lot of bugs popping up in Fable III. I have had a few today but nothing that has been game breaking, and I have reported it to the Bug Report page, like you should all do to ensure that Lionhead can fix the problems.

In the mean time, check out these signatures from the Kingmaker App for you to use on forums to show your support to either the Bowerstone Rebels or Logans Royalists. I find it kinda funny that Major Swift is the picture for the Royalists...but again that's a spoiler so will leave that for you to find out in the game itself. Hope your enjoying Fable III as much as I am.

They are a little small, but they would mess up the layout otherwise heh. But anyway, check below for the link to the bug report page so you can get your problems solved in the coming weeks by the patch.

Report the bugs!

More Fable Comic Madness

2010-11-06T06:33:00.001-07:00

Now who doesn't like a good webcomic? Everyone does that's for sure, and so here are a few Fable webcomics from off deviant art that I have found and had a nice chuckle over.

Now that one was funny, but here is another one by the same artist which is just as funny and makes me split my sides.

And finally, for one of those 'dig spot doh' moments.

Ah the love of dogs and their bones. Its true though, not once does the dog dig up a bone...that's a very attentive dog. I am enjoying Fable III so much I haven't updated for a while, so sorry about that. But I will be doing a lot of posts in the next few days to make up for it.

Fable III: The In-Depth Review

2010-11-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

As my information panel to the side of this blog says, I have been a massive fan of the Fable series since its Project Ego days. Following it from its ambitious beginnings, through Fable, Fable: The Lost Chapters and Fable II. Now, the next chapter in the Fable saga has begun, and Fable III delivers on all the levels that the previous games did, and more. However, every game has its faults but with the sheer thought, time and effort put into the world of Albion its hard to get bogged down in those failures.

The first issue that must be addressed is how does the story plan out? Is it worth the money you spent to buy the game? I would say a hearty yes. Lionhead have always been able to deliver a storyline that is both engaging and heartfelt, and you can tell that real passion has been put into the dialogue that leads you through this story of a rise to fame and the hard choices that you must deal with once your there. The main quest that runs through the game, if you decided to not play any of the optional side quests, is not that long, but this has always been the way with Fable games and so I took this into consideration. Its a exciting and well thought out story that really does pull on the heart strings a few times when it hits its high, and indeed its low moments.

However, if you want to utterly 'find' Fable III's story then the devil is in the detail with this game. Fable III's storyline is more than just the main quest to overthrow Logan (your tyrannical brother) and take over Albion. Its the people, the places, and the way that game draws you into its fantastical setting. Its something to commend Lionhead on that they have managed to edge away from the lure of High Fantasy in the progressive Fable series, and find something truly individual in which to base their adventure. Every villager you do a quest for, every gnome you blow up, every balverine you kill to protect a township IS the storyline of Fable III. When Peter Molyneux was talking about the game during development he mentioned that those who want to breeze through the game can, but to fully appreciate the story of Fable III, you have to go deep and unpick the riddles and mysteries left by your father (or mother) from Fable II in changed world of Albion.

Talking of a changed world, the graphics and atmosphere once again do not fail to deliver. Every region has been crafted and designed with love and care, and you can literally find yourself stood there for minutes at a time as you look out over the regions of Mistpeak or Brightwall and admire the scenery. As well as this Lionhead have managed to keep the look and feel of Fable in everything else you see and do in the world. Character models are characteristically 'British' and Oldy Worldy and have a polish to them that Fable II lacked. The new continent of Aurora is no different, original and utterly inspired in its breathtaking landscapes. The hero is no different, the young prince looking the part of the revolutionary hero, his garments prim and fitting, no clipping this time around. They have managed to keep the slight cartoonish edge to the Fable hero, but with a semi-realistic and HD makeover. No more odd facial expressions for him or her now.

There are minor glitches and oddities to be found at points however. Once or twice your breadcrumb trail, which is still intensely useful, vanishes for long periods of time, or turns off altogether meaning that some of the more complicated quest zones become a headache to walk around. It also snags on the scenery at points and can turn you around a few times if you don't keep your head. Occasionally as well the hand holding mechanic in the game suffers for the detailed landscape and can result in your hero struggling to get the follower over a bridge or down into a particularly tricky cavern. At one point I could not run with my hand holding companion, so a period of an hour passed as I walked, very slowly, with the follower towards his destination. Despite all this however, the vast majority of my time (I don't know about others) was spent glitch and bug free.

Another of Fable's talking points was the much heralded Sanctuary menu system. It does deliver and that's a massive plus for Lionhead that something they put so much time into worked when it was put out in the final build. The rooms can be accessed with a simple push on the directional pad, or walking into them, and the system for storing and using your clothing, beards, hairstyles, weapons, gauntlets and other bits and pieces is intuitive and easy to use. There are a few snags in the feel of the place however. Jasper, voiced by John Cleese is a constant source of banter, but he does seem to become incredibly irritating as he tells you, again and again that there are items in the Sanctuary Shop. It almost becomes the new 'Your Health is Low' from the Guildmaster in Fable.

On the subject of weapons it seems prudent now to talk about the combat, and the very meat of the Fable III experience. Combat is again mapped to three buttons. X swings your sword or hammer, Y fires your pistol or rifle, and B unleashes your will abilities. All of these can be powered up to deliver flourish moves. The melee one unleashes an unblockable attack that sends opponents flying. Flourishing with the pistol or rifle builds a powerful shot that can knock your opponents over or even kill them in one. The final magical flourish powers up either a direct attack, or a area of effect spell that blasts away enemies and frazzles them well and good. Its certainly the deepest of the three talents your hero possesses and with the ability later in the game to weave your spells together (combining two gauntlets to create new spells and effects)you can cause some real devastation with the powers within you.

With all these moves you would think that Fable III's combat would be just as easy as it was in Fable II. The answer is a no, and a yes at the same time. On the one hand you have more than enough abilities to dispatch your enemies and for beginning portion of the game you can easily kill off most opponents. But, there is a definitive spike in the difficulty of the game towards its mid-point and you will find yourself having to employ all of your talents to get rid of your enemies that can drop you in a flurry of blows if your not careful. You will rarely fall down and lose followers if you have enough potions and additional options to draw on (the slow time potions and summoning vials) but its by no means easy to stay on your feet. If you stand there pummelling the magic button or hang around for too long, they will surround you and put an end to your adventuring.

Combat, and everything else for that matter, gives you Fable III's new experience system, followers. The only way to really lose followers is to get knocked out in combat, but other than that your more than let loose to gather the people and power of Albion in whatever way you see fit. Possibly the easiest way to gain followers other than combat and the main quests is to engage in some campaigning with the local people. Every handshake, dance, tickle and chicken dance will effect the peoples opinion of you and gain you followers to spend on the Road to Rule. It can be a little annoying to dance with every single person you meet...man or woman...but its a small price to pay for those precious followers.

These followers you gain can then be spent on the Road to Rule as mentioned above. Here you pass through progressively more expensive gates and spend your hard earned guild seals on content for the main game world. This can be expressions, the ability to buy and sell housing and businesses, more combat moves, or even dyes for your clothing. All of it has a purpose and you will find yourself wanting to squeeze every last drop of 'power' from your followers in order to get every chest on that path towards leading the kingdom. Followers are mixed into your morality system within the game. Its a shame to see the more complex morality from Fable II gone with corruption and purity being 'mis-understood' by some players. But, you still will feel a clear sense of Good and Evil in this game...but sometimes you will find yourself looking at that Evil option a lot more than you did in previous games, maybe you can be cruel to be kind?

This brings me to the big point in Fable III's story. You get to be King of Albion, and man that weight is a heavy one to have on your shoulders. After you have overthrown the King Logan you are charged with not only delivering on the promises you made to the main characters but also in the upkeep and survival of the Kingdom. Its not easy to decide on what to do, and you might find yourself breaking some of those promises you made to the people. Being a King or Queen has never been a popular vocation. I won't spoil why and how these changes impact on your world but rest assured you will find yourself considering Stephen Fry's Reavers option a whole lot more than you thought you would. Its just a shame that your time as monarch is a little bit too short.

With the mention of Stephen Fry there it seems good to move onto the incredibly voice talent in the game. As well as the above mentioned British luminary there is the likes of Simon Pegg, Zoe Wannamaker, John Cleese, and even Jonathan Ross makes an appearance in the game, if brief. It all goes to creating a fantastic feel for the game and you will smile every time you hear a familiar voice from your TV watching and comedy enjoying on the BBC. The musical score again is fabulous and evokes all the right feelings as you make your way through the world of Albion. Moody, funny, charming and epic are all words that really do fit the kind of music that Lionhead have put into the game world.

There's far too many things for me to talk about in the Fable III world but it would be remiss for me to talk about the Xbox Live options in this iteration of the game. Co-Op, a major sore point in Fable II has been refined and changed to a degree that its hard to believe that it was so bad before. Your friends can now bring their fully customised hero into your world and as well as fight along side you can now marry you, have children together and even enter into business partnerships with you for some extra money. No longer is the heroes best friend just a mere henchman! There are leader boards as well to track your progress against your buddies and with the promise of lots more Downloadable content on the way it will be good to see what comes next, just remember to get yourself a new copy of the game if you want a head start on it all.

Overall despite a few minor niggles the game is all that it said it would be. There are major improvements across the board from the Lionhead team, and they have truly listened to their community when it comes to what was wanted and needed from them this time around. Fable III is a brilliant and utterly engaging experience, its just a shame that its all too brief. Once the credits roll you will be exploring the world of Albion for months and years to come if your like me, but you will wish that there had been just that little bit more to the main story. But, as I said, the real story of the world of Albion, 50 years on from your previous heroes rule, is in the people and places of this beautifully crafted world. Get stuck in and lose yourself...your Fable awaits.

9/10

Perfect Comic Synergy?

2010-10-27T12:26:00.000-07:00

Its like the guys over at RvB were reading my mind when they wrote one of their latest comics. Check it out below.

Dungeons & Dragons and Fable III combined into the same comic strip? That is something fantastic that could only happen if Bahamut and Avandra were smiling on me...if you get this, then kudos too you.

Let's Play Fable III

2010-10-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

Now there will be some of you that can't get the game yet, or just want to see what its like before you buy it. Thankfully there is ALREADY a Let's Play out for the game, and here it is.

This is the first one I could find, and the rest of them will be linked on his youtube channel afterwards so check it out, if this is your bag.

Need I say...spoilers, and if you want a totally open and rewarding experience, don't watch.

Free Weapons? Yes Please!

2010-10-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

We all love free stuff right? Well how about some free weapons for Fable III? Yes, ALREADY!

In-game content. Communication is very important in Fable III, and what better way to communicate with the world than to bash it in the head with the new hammer, Bloodstone Bludgeon, and shoot it in the face with the brand new rifle, Gusket's Musket? These items will be added to your gift queue in the Sanctuary, and will be available when weapons are unlocked in the storyline.

Sounds pretty damn awesome so go and download now!

Download Link from Xbox.com!

And here they come...

2010-10-27T08:01:00.001-07:00

Here are the first batch of reviews for the game, and they are all pretty good. Check them out below, and enjoy the coming of the World of Albion.

Video Games | Fable III | Review

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Dress Like an Albion-ite!

2010-10-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

So we know the game is coming out this week. And we know that there are loads and loads of awesome DLC to get with the game. There's also a book, and a controller to go with the awesome Fable-ness that we are getting. But how about a t-shirt like the one next to this chunk of text? What if you could wear one of the Reaver branded t-shirts while you get it on with the people of Albion and adventure on your road to power.

And this isn't the only t-shirt on sale by the kind folk from Lionhead. As you noticed in the marriage video below there is an awesome set of t-shirts to be owned by the public, and here they are below.

Check out the fancy wears and be sure to get one before they become ebay property and are so sought after even Logan couldn't get his hands on one!

Apparel for all...or die!

Co-Op Marriage Walkthrough

2010-10-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

So we all knew Co-Op was coming, but here is a look from inside Lionhead at a wedding between two heroes as they embark on a new voyage of adventure...just one that involves children and bed wetting over slaying minions. Check it out below on here, or through the link to Gametrailers.com

Video Games | Fable III | Co-Op Mode Walkthrough

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Fable III Video Game, Co-Op Mode Walkthrough | Video Clip | Game Trailers & Videos | GameTrailers.com

Oh, and my Bard won't be doing any marrying...strictly wandering for the cleavage and coin my guy!

Taking a Step Back in Time...

2010-10-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

A while ago now, when I was first in university I was working for a site called Britxbox. While I was there I reviewed Fable: The Lost Chapters, and seeing as though this is a week of Fable hype I thought I would take a step back in time and look at the game that enhanced our Fable experience on the Xbox. Enjoy...

Back in October 2004 Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios graced us with Fable. The revolutionary graphics, game play and a superb story making it a sure fire hit for the future of role playing games on Xbox. However after its initial hype and the honeymoon period, the game slowly slipped away, gamers feeling slightly let down by the shortness of the story and the ease of the game itself. Fable unfortunate suffrage from over-hype which led inevitably to the fans disappointment.

However, a year on we have been given a second helping, a hope for role players everywhere, and most importantly a proper Fable. The new game, Fable: The Lost Chapters is seen by many as the Directors cut of Fable, the way it should have been if Lionhead hadn't been hindered by deadlines and release dates.

It aims to set right the mistakes of the first game and in turn, win back its audience that were disappointed win the original. Thankfully, for me, and certainly the rest of the role playing community, the game has finally decided to deliver.

The games main criticism was that the story in the first game was too short, lacking in plot and substance. Lost Chapters has solved this, Lionhead have added a whole new chapter to the game and expanded the storyline through the use of previously minor characters, as well as the more major ones.

Quests have been moved in to fill the time in story gaps and the game now feels fuller because of it, making the world of Albion seem even more real. However the addition of new areas and the added story serve as only a small addition. The extra island takes no more than an hour to complete and lacks any staying power, the story also feels rushed and when you reach the admittedly breathtaking ending you are still waiting for more.

The Graphics are still impressive in the Lost Chapters. The lush forest and tundra wastelands each have their own feeling of belonging. Also the smaller effects like grass blowing in the wind, and the running water, add extremely well to the world of Albion.

The people of Albion are as before, beautifully sculpted and with distinct expressions and mannerism they are a joy to interact with. The voice acting is still great, each villager with his or her own voice, aided with a wide range of lines that mean you almost never here the same witty remake twice.

Still within the game the choices you make, ultimately shape your appearance and your destiny. This is what sold the game to so many gamers last year and is what will undoubtedly sell the game this year as well. The many opportunities present themselves as complex moral decisions and are a joy to mull over.

One quest sees you raiding a trader camp and having to decide whether or not to behead the last trader. Obviously this proves a difficult decision for the player, more money, or mercy? However the game can't rely on just this evil/good element and however much I love the moral choices, the lack of story and motivation really made my decisions.

The game also boasts new spells and new weapons, and they do deliver. You get a whole two new spells that, although grand in style, are basically copies of themselves and add nothing to the overall feel of the game. The weapons feel just as redundant, coming at the end of the game, and offering less power than the ones you already have. They usually end up in your inventory, and are never seen again.

This lack of a grand narrative and the small quest developments mean that Fable: Lost Chapters doesn't really feel like a role playing game. An example of this is in the limited movement by the character. You can enter a wood, and walk about, but you are seriously limited in your path.

You are told to go one way, and one way only. This serves to simplify the game and means that you inevitably feel like you are being dragged along by the ear throughout the game, occasionally being let loose for a few minutes in a village or town. Fable: The Lost Chapters therefore serves more as a Action/Adventure with role playing elements, rather than a full blown RPG.

The addition of Xbox Live has also been left out of the new version, and I can't help thinking that downloadable content would have seriously boosted the games lasting appeal. The regular download of quests and items that was so easily done with previous games like Knights of the Old Republic and Phantasy Star Online, added seriously to the games appeal, and if it had been done with Fable, it could have gone in a completely new direction.

If you are looking for a simple, easy to play RPG and haven't played the first game, then Fable: The Lost Chapters is the game for you. I am still a massive fan of the Fable games, and enjoyed playing them immensely, but was put off by the lack of story and development. If you are looking for a RPG that brings you in deep and makes you miss work for the next month, then this isn't for you.

8/10

If you want to see where it was originally and the awesome site that is Britxbox then click here

Fable III - Hour One

2010-10-24T13:53:00.001-07:00

Thanks to FableFan101 for this fantastic little video from Gamespot hosted on his youtube channel. The game is only a few days away, and here is the first hour of the game and hopefully you guys will enjoy watching the videos below.

Enjoy people, enjoy...and check out his channel below.

For Videos and more!

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words...

2010-10-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

Some fantastic new screenshots from the world of Albion. Here we see the Hero reading in a ruin of some kind, and with all those ruins and skeletons around it sure looks like things are going to be dark and brooding.

And here we see a fantastic little image of the house that we will be frequenting when we are relaxing in the world of Albion. As was pointed out on the forums for Lionhead, the fairy tale feel is certainly still there.

And now we have some fantastic looks at the people of Albion. Can't wait to meet the cast of this wonderful game and here their lines, to make you laugh, cry and love.

And here's Mario from Assassins Creed II! In all his moustache and long haired glory...reminds me of a certain reality TV singer on at the moment in the UK.

DLC Overload?

2010-10-22T04:10:00.000-07:00

As if we didn't have enough exclusive content, it seems that we now have even more...for those who are quick off the mark that is. In new copies of the game there will be downloadable content for the people of a Celtic persuasion. Check out the news from Epic Battle Axe below...

Following what is quickly becoming an industry standard, Microsoft will be including a code in launch copies of Fable III that gives early adopters a crack at some exclusive launch day DLC, including new outfits, a new skin for your dog, and some intriguing potions.

According to the press release posted on Gamasutra, the one-time use code will net you the following perks:

• Call forth undead minions to your aid with the Raise Dead Potion
• Extend battle time for more attacks with the Slow Time Potion
• For the fashionably conscious, try on and keep the Scot Male Hero Outfit or the Scot Female Hero Outfit
• Looking to get inked? The Highlander Tattoo Set will be perfect for your hero or heroine
• With the Red Setter Dog Skin, you can transform your faithful furry companion into a whole new breed

Picking up Fable III at launch? Let us know what you think about the new DLC in the comments below!

Sounds pretty good, and lets hope that I can get my hands on this before its too late!

Exclusive Launch Material

'Whuts goin' on 'ere 'den?'

2010-10-21T17:54:00.001-07:00

No I haven't lost my mind. But the new lot of screenshots I just dug out should make you think about how awesome Fable III is going to be...Yes, above me here is an interesting picture of a fellow that looks a lot like Scotland Yards finest sleuth, the masterful Sherlock Holmes. Now of course he won't be in the game, but this does look rather interesting doesn't it?

Now look below...

If this isn't a mind bender of a screenshot I don't know what is! It seems as if our unlucky hero has become a pawn in a giant world run by a secret sect of some kind...very spooky. And if you want to get your Halloween/Evil on, then look no further than...

Now I love those horns, and the evil looks oh so good and evil this time around. Maybe I will quickly run through Fable II as an evil son of a chicken after all and make Albion a very dark place to live indeed.

Fable 2D?

2010-10-21T17:39:00.000-07:00

Now we all love a good Fable game, and we have seen the game progress from Fable I all the way now to Fable III. BUT, what if we took a step back in the world of Fable to the era of Swords and Sorcery in the 2D world?

Here is your answer...

This is an early development video of a fan-made Fable game, using 2D retro styled graphics.

Now isn't that just awesome?! The brains behind this little invention of cool is Jo-Remi Madsen, a developer of some pretty neat little video games for you to try out on his website...

roflgames.com

...will be great to see how this develops and changes! Check out his website above for more details on the game and how its shaping up.

The Call to Action!

2010-10-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

Will you answer the Call to Action?

Xplay: Fable Explosion!

2010-10-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

And who says I ain't good to you guys? Check out this mass of videos from the good people at Xplay!

PC Games - E3 2011 - Fable III

Xbox 360 Games - E3 2011 - Fable III

PC Games - E3 2011 - Fable III

The Videos, the VIDEOS!!!

Its a Revolution!

2010-10-21T13:04:00.000-07:00

And you thought the Assassins Creed II advert was cool, watch this one below and see how brilliant the world of Albion is going to be...

...and how much fun your going to have come the end of October!

And here is the full one, for all the awesome CGI glory.

The Sweet Sound of Bardic-ness

2010-10-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

The previous Fable soundtracks have always been a blast to listen too, and this latest one proves to be just as good.

SUMTHING ELSE MUSIC WORKS ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF FABLE III ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

Blockbuster Action-Adventure Role-Playing Video Game Features Original Music Score Composed by BAFTA Nominee Russell Shaw

New York – October 11th, 2010 – Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc proudly presents the Fable III Original Soundtrack featuring the original music score from the latest installment to the action-packed and critically acclaimed role-playing video game franchise for Xbox 360. Fable III Original Soundtrack will be released on October 26th, 2010 to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works Sumthing.com, and for digital download at SumthingDigital.com, Amazon MP3, iTunes® and other digital music sites.

Fable III Original Soundtrack features the rich and musically diverse music score composed by BAFTA nominated series composer Russell Shaw. The Fable III score was recorded with the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra and 40-piece choir at the Slovak Radio Concert Hall in Bratislava and features solo vocal performances by international singing star Tanja Tzarovska. The soundtrack was mixed at Pinewood Film Studios, UK.

“From fairy tale to drama, action and adventure to horror, the lush, varied orchestrations combine to keep the magic of the Fable musical tradition alive,” says Russell Shaw, Head of Music and Composer at Lionhead Studios. “Drawing on music styles from around the world, the Fable III soundtrack enhances the richness and diversity fans have come to expect from the Fable universe.”

Fable III is the latest installment to the action-packed and critically acclaimed Xbox 360 exclusive franchise that has sold more than six million copies. In Fable III, you will be called upon to rally and fight alongside your people, ascend to the seat of power and experience the true meaning of love and loss while defending your throne. In your quest to seize power and defend your kingdom, the choices you make will change the world around you for the greater good or your own personal gain. Who will you become? A rebel without a cause, the tyrant you rebelled against, or the greatest ruler to ever live?

The Fable III Soundtrack will be release on the same day as the game, 26th October! So you can't order it yet but for now you can pre-order the game by clicking 'order now'.

Sounds kinda awesome doesn't it? Can't wait to here those awesome tunes and get them playing alongside my in-game shenanigans!

Home Sweet Home

2010-10-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

So we love to see game developers go that extra mile when it comes to their video games, so when Lionhead went and made a freckin house...what could we say but awesome!

Check it out here, and also see the article linked below.

Also has some snazzy signatures that you can use for the upcoming Kingmaker series of mobile games!