GRAPHICS - There is no denying that Fable is a very pretty game. Every new area you open is so detailed you can spend hours just checking out all the cool little touches the fellas at Big Blue Box added to make Fable a visual feast for the eyes. In order to pull this tour de force of visual splendor off there is one catch: there is no seamless integration from one map to the next. In other words, you hit a load screen at every connecting point, which breaks that suspension of belief game developers strive for. Its sad, too because many times you need to traverse two or three empty maps to get to a location and the load times drag the pace of the game down.

That being said, everything else in the game is drop dead gorgeous! From characters to environments there is nothing in this game that did not receive the "This is going to be the best looking game out there" test. The trees alone are just incredible. Your character moves fluidly and the sheer amount of wardrobe variety is inspiring. Feeling sneaky? Slip into that assassin outfit you recently discovered. Think you're all that? Strut your stuff in knickers-only and throw out a few pompous expressions. You're sure to attract a maiden or three.

With regards to effects there are plenty. Swordplay includes colorful graphic trails with every swing. Flaming arrows streak through the air leaving a faint trail of smoke behind its arc. Water reflections, weather effects, infinite varieties of character accessory combinations (including battle scarring and tattoos)... the list goes on and on. Pristine sunrises. Romantic sunsets. Pixel shaded foliage. Real-time lighting. Chicken kicking. And so much more!

SOUND - The sound of Fable is superb. Towns come to life with chatter and day-to-day sounds you never pay attention to in real life, but they are here to bring together a well-rounded feeling of realism. The countryside is rich with sound as well that changes from day to evening to night. Hanging out in Knothole Glade enjoying some morning fishing is a serene experience: birds chirp and bees buzz. The afternoon/evening brings about different varieties of bird calls and chirping crickets that fade into wolf howls and hoot owls for the night. The soundtrack is incorporated into your gameplay with the appropriate tension building themes provided at key moments. Most of your travels will be spent with a lilting variation of the main theme (composed by Danny Elfman) and assorted quirky bits that bring a greater dimension to the already solid gameplay. Even the voice acting is of a higher caliber, although some of the script could have used some more work. Overall, Fable won't slap you across the face with its sound - it works its magic on a deeper subconscious level.

REPLAYABILITY - For a game that runs only fifteen hours the replay value is surprisingly high due to the crazy amount of customization the player is able to control and the overwhelming volume of magic abilities. Clever is Big Blue Box for not taking the stance of "longer is better". Too often RPGs become slow if not downright boring at that twenty to thirty hour mark. Keeping a player's attention is a Herculean task and Fable eschews all that time wasting for great gaming that is deceptively replayable. It is one of those games that make you scream "That's it!?" at its end, but then sucks you back in with "What if I... oh what the hell, it didn't take THAT long to finish". Besides, getting drunk is hilarious. You did toss a few back at the tavern, didn't you?

(Additional contributions by Lodur and DuKK)