10 Things You Should Know About Fable III

The latest installment of Fable III is out now, and it’s a big one. There’s a lot to do in Albion, and it’s understandable that players might feel a bit overwhelmed at first. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a few things you should know about the game before you lock your doors and dig in.

It’s complicated…
King Logan is set up to be the villain from the start—you are leading a revolution against him, after all. Even though he forces you to make an awful decision at the outset of the game, he’s more than just a heartless tyrant. Without giving anything away, once you eventually manage to unseat him (surprise!) you’ll learn a bit more about why he ruled his kingdom the way he did.

…But it’s also simpler
Lionhead has streamlined many of the systems players are familiar with in the Fable series. Casters don’t have to worry about maintaining mana levels anymore, and they’re free to blast as many spells as they wish. Real-estate investors will be pleased to know that properties can be bought and sold remotely, instead of requiring players to stand in front of buildings to complete transactions.

Choose your weapon
Fable III might not boast a huge arsenal of weapons, but the selection is deeper. Some of the weapons have built-in leveling quests of their own, granting special abilities to users who fulfill their requirements. For example, killing 300 hollow men with one pistol unlocks a cleric ability, adding an additional 80 percent of damage against the bony foes. This is a direct replacement for the system that’s been a part of Fable from the beginning, in which players imbued weapons with special abilities through the use of magic augmentations.

Double the magic, double the fun
If you plan on leaning on your magical abilities throughout the game, you’ll want to invest in Spell Weaving as soon as possible. In Fable III, magical powers are attached to special gauntlets. At first, you can only wear a matching pair. Spell Weaving lets you mix and match gloves, letting you unleash a fiery tornado by mixing fire and vortex spells, or raining razor-sharp ice shards through the use of ice and lightning. Part of the fun is discovering what the combinations do, so we’ll just leave it at that for now.

Don’t let appearances fool you
Lionhead’s removed many of the menus Fable fans—and gamers in general—have grown accustomed to, but most of that key information is still accessible. The in-game sanctuary pops up at the press of the start button, serving as a hub for information about weapons, magic, costumes, and more. Leveling has undergone a similar makeover as well. The Road to Rule is a visual metaphor for player progress, with locked gates representing key story events. At certain points in the storyline, the gates open, granting players access to the treasure chests contained within. Those chests contain the usual trappings that accompany leveling, though players can choose which ones to open. Want to focus on magic? Skip out on the melee chests then. Planning on being a hero, through and through? Don’t waste time opening the evil expressions.

It’s the economy, stupid
Becoming king in Fable III is as simple as gathering an army and leading a revolution. Being an effective leader, however, is a bit tougher. If you plan on being the best possible monarch, you’re going to want to build up your cash reserves. Trust me, it’ll come in handy. With that in mind, you’ll want to start buying up properties as soon as you can afford them. Use the accompanying cash flow to invest in more property. Wash, rinse, repeat. And repeat some more. You’ll need to be a millionaire a few times over if you want to be a true hero.

Play until your fingers bleed
If you’re not feeling particularly patient, you can take on a few part-time jobs to earn cash. Each of them can be upgraded five levels in the Road to Rule, though it’s probably best to resist the lower-level upgrades in favor of waiting for the biggest one. When fully upgraded, making a few thousand gold in a minute or so is trivially easy. Of the three main jobs, I found the Lute Hero one to be the most entertaining. The animations aren’t as long as slinging pie crusts, and it’s challenging enough to remain interesting.

Your decisions matter
Even though things are neatly classified into good and bad categories, it’s not always so simple. Being good sometimes has unintended consequences, and being greedy in the short term can help the kingdom out over the long haul. Remember, Logan had reasons for doing what he did, and you’ll probably be able to justify some tough calls on your own, if you have to.

Points of no return
There are two parts in the story that will prevent you from tinkering around Albion for a while. The first is obviously telegraphed, with a character checking to see if you’re ready to commit to the decision. The latter one isn’t as obvious. Without giving anything away, it involves a fetch quest for a wealthy matron. Don’t turn in that quest until you’re absolutely certain that you’ve prepared for the final stretch.

Even when it’s over, it’s not over
OK, there’s still plenty to do after the final stretch. Guess it’s not so final, after all. Once you’ve seen the ending credits, you can mop up quests you never got around to finishing, meet up with some familiar faces, and even see the consequences of your kingly decisions. New things open up as well, so don’t think you’re getting off the hook. Albion awaits!