Fable Anniversary Reviews

We have rounded up the first reviews for Fable Anniversary, Lionhead’s Xbox 360-exclusive remake of the original title, and if first reviews are anything to by, it’s going to garner mixed reviews from the press.

IGN, 8.0.

Fable Anniversary’s personality has proved truly ageless, even if some of its mechanics haven’t. Inevitably, its doesn’t feel as fresh today as they did in 2004, but the strange and beautiful world of Albion, with all its weird idiosyncrasies and wildly varied accents, is as absorbing and lovably, peculiarly British as it ever was.

The Escapist, 3/5.

If you absolutely love Fable as a timeless classic, then obviously Anniversary is going to appeal. Everything about the original has been preserved, save the pleasant visual boost, but that preservation is going to be a hindrance to anybody who may have forgotten exactly how rough Fable was and is. It’s a tough game to love nowadays, but if you can make it there, you’ll get what you want – Fable, but prettier.

Hardcore Gamer, 4/5.

Fable Anniversary is a port of ten year old game released on eight year old hardware after we’ve witnessed the power of next-gen. Yet even with so much stacked against it, it manages to impress. There’s not much of a (wow-factor) because of its ill-timed release, but with the exception of completely rebuilding the game for Xbox One, there simply isn’t much else that could be done that isn’t accomplished here. Sound, functionality and graphics are all substantially improved and breath new life into a game that has aged remarkably well. Even after two sequels and console generations, Fable has the uncanny ability to suck you into its adventure through the world of Albion. Anniversary is more of a preservation if anything, ensuring that the entire franchise can now be played in the same manner on the same console. As a museum piece, it’s a wonderful effort that ensures the game will remain relevant for a new generation of players. As a game, it’s the definitive edition of a superb title that has a lot to offer even in 2014.

EGM Now, 6.0/10.

Fable still has some charming elements that have stood the test of time and survive in Fable Anniversary. But most of the game shows its age, so if you played Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters the first time around, there’s little here to bring you back for more.

VideoGamer.com, 7/10.

However, Fable now stands alongside Halo as an Anniversary re-release, and the latter stands as the pinnacle of its respective series, while Fable’s sequels surpassed it in almost every way. This may make the trip perhaps less impressive than you may have hoped, and it’s tricky to justify the expensive price tag despite the pretty presentation.

Just be sure to recognise that, while Anniversary may feel like Lionhead is doing a sloppy job in 2014, that isn’t the case; it’s a testament to what an excellent job it did in 2008.

Destructoid, 7.5/10.

Fable Anniversary may not blow you away, but it’s still a good action game that everyone should experience at some point or another, and I’d consider it vastly superior to Fable 2 and 3. If you’ve never played a Fable game before this is a great place to start, but at full price, it’s hard to wholly recommend over picking up the original Xbox Lost Chapters edition on the cheap.

Metro, 6/10.

If you’ve never played any of the games before though, or perhaps just one and not the others, Fable Trilogy is also released this week and includes Fable Anniversary, Fable II, and Fable III. The latter two aren’t altered in any way but on a technical level they don’t particularly need it.

What all three could do with though is something to address the intrinsic shallowness of the gameplay. Although playing the first one again it’s clear that’s never really been Fable’s primary focus. Instead it tries to offer a more human and personal experience for a role-playing game, and in that sense it still has disappointingly few peers.