If you played the Xbox version (2004), then you're well aware of what Fable is about. If you haven't, Fable is an imaginative and unique role-playing game that presents moral choices throughout the course of the story; it's not just about running around the world and killing creatures. As you can probably tell from the name, the PC version adds a considerable amount of new content to Fable, in terms of new quests, new weapons and accessories, and other new elements.

For those who for some reason have no clue as to what Fable is all about, let me briefly fill you in. Fable begins in Albion, a fantastic land of thriving villages, deep forests, snowy mountain peaks, and dark marshlands. As a young lad in the town of Oakvale, your Father tries to instill the concept of good deeds in you at an early age, but like any child, it will ultimately be your decision as to what path you'll take. Along with father, mother, and sister, you spend your early years being faced with situations that will shape the man you grow up to be. Your first order of business is to earn a few coins with which to purchase a birthday gift for your sister. Whether you make the money by being helpful or by making trouble is up to you. This initial choose-your-own-adventure-style sequence is quite impressive in the amount of freedom and variety it affords you, and it suggests that Fable will constantly challenge you to make moral decisions like the ones presented early on. Choose good, choose evil, or something in between, and your character will develop into whatever you wish to make of him, and with all of the respective auras and characteristics of good and evil avatars. It's all up to you. After reaching adulthood, you have complete freedom of action. Your character also can get married (repeatedly), get tattoos (and you can import your own images for these), and generally be dressed up to suit your whim.

Much of the early part of the game will take place in the Heroes Guild where you'll get accustomed to the ins and outs of the controls, how to embark on quests, the inventory system etc. The Heroes' Guild offers story quests, side quests and missions of the standard flavors - kill, find, protect, rescue, etc. Once a mission is taken, you have the option of making boasts - wagering money on not just completing the task but doing it in style. Leveling up a character is one of the many key components found in any RPG and Fable is no different. During the game, you collect green experience orbs by killing enemies, which can be accumulated and used to boost one of three ability disciplines: physical, skill (stealth), and will (magic). Physical enhancements improve your strength, and toughness, Skill makes you more cunning, a better barter, and quiet thief, faster, and stealthier. Will has everything to do with magic: how much magic you have, what kind of spells you can cast, etc. There's also a fourth, general category in which you can use towards any discipline you choose.

The Fable combat system is deceptively simple and nicely integrated with magic. You can switch between ranged and melee attacks easily, and magic is always there should you need it. When surrounded by hordes of creatures trying to take you down, the lock-on system will keep you focused and allow you to have some hack-and-slash fun. The port from console style controls to the PC's mouse and keyboard is fairly well done (of course you'll need some time to learn it).

Fable: The Lost Chapters contains everything from the Xbox version, with additional storyline and side-quests, as well as new toys and goodies. Give it a try. It will not disappoint.

Related links: walktrough, cheats, trainer +7, Fable: The Lost Chapters CDROM

Minimum system requirements: CPU 1.4GHz or better, 256MB RAM, 3D Card with Shader 1.1 support and 64 MB VRAM (supported cards)