Fable III review

Fable III PC has exactly the same core gameplay as the Xbox 360 version, but Lionhead has made a great effort to ensure it wasn’t a lazy console port. This is noticeable immediately in terms of visuals; draw distances have been greatly increased, creating spectacular views and vistas that stretch off into the horizon. It’s slightly odd that the same doesn’t apply to NPCs, who routinely pop into view as you enter new areas. Some textures also look slightly bland, but otherwise the graphics are a definite improvement over the console version.

It’s fair to say that every Fable game has been criticised for being too easy, but that shouldn’t be the case for PC gamers; a new hard-core mode ramps up the difficulty level by stopping health from automatically regenerating and making enemies more aggressive. The control system has also seen improvements. Using a mouse and keyboard makes it feel like you have much more control over your character in combat, but the remnants of the console version are still plain to see. Holding down a key to make choices during conversations feels cumbersome and the overly simple shop interface could have been improved for the new platform.

Although the main storyline isn’t particularly long and suffers from occasional plot holes, there’s plenty of extra content once the credits have rolled. You can even invite a friend and explore Albion together using Games for Windows Live. Serious RPG fans may baulk at the simple gameplay mechanics and uncomplicated plot, but Fable III is still an excellent adventure. It’s not quite a perfect translation from console, but there’s no question that Fable III PC is the definitive version of the game.