A young boy all alone in the big wide world is left to grow up on his own. Although many people would come to the aid of such a young boy, he is left having to make various choices through childhood into adulthood. The pathway to becoming an adult is filled with danger, yet also blessed with wisdom. Where the forces of good and evil play tug of war with his very essence, the boy learns the many trials of growing up. The boy discovers that as he grows, in his heart he feels somewhat different. Some unique powers are bestowed on him from within the unknown. A darker place perhaps?

His destiny fully in his hands and able to do as he please, his choice is to become a hero. Faced with a metaphorical pathway of light and dark the first real choices are to be made.

In a land full of heroes it was time for him to embark on this uncertain path to win the hearts of all. The Guild was the place where potential heroes met and rivalries between them were formed. The question in the young man's mind was would he be good or would he become truly evil. Where uncertainty lie these pathways would not always be clear.

As the boy reached adulthood and became ever closer to realising his ambitions, word had spread regarding his many exploits. However war had raged across the lands and thus was a time to test the true hero within him. To fight others, to win in combat, to succome to the most basic of human instincts it was a time to prove himself. Although the underlining pathway of light and dark would remain, he could take many directions. Whatever path he took his actions would determine his fate and perhaps the fate of many. To be good or to be evil, that was the question???

Big Blue Box a subsidiary of Lionhead studios presents Fable or Project Ego as it was initially named. You the player take command of this boy's destiny as you travel the lands on your journey to become a hero. Boasting an unique system where every action you take will have an outcome, whether it be a good deed or something far sinister. The choices the player makes will have an adverse effect on how you are perceived by others and how you look. For example, tackle an extremely tough foe, barely wining the confrontation and narrowly escaping death any deep wounds received will cause scars on your character's body. These scars will actually remain and become a stark reminder to you and those around you of this great battle. Food and exercise will also be a major part of your appearance with an athletic or muscular build being formed by the active and a puny appearance becoming paramount to the inactive or weak. The body of those who spend time outside in the land's sunshine will also take on a darker complexion where as those who remain indoors will be pale.

The player is given a huge array of decisions to make whether it be what skills and abilities are to govern your character to ultimately how you are going to conduct yourself. As with the possession of great power also comes responsibility. This responsibility lies on the shoulders of the player. You will be able to harness this great power to do your bidding, whether it be random and sporadic acts of pure evil to acts of love and kindness to your fellow people.

Fable also boasts a wide range of other heroes who will ultimately cross your many paths from time to time. It is within these meetings that the player is once again faced with the choices of good and evil. Will you aid a hero in trouble by helping them fight an extremely tough adversary or will you stab them in the back and let them die as you wander off laughing, leaving them at the mercy of their fate. Will you kill those who can be seen as potential rivals and steal their belongings or will you aid them in their endeavours and share your wealth and knowledge (maybe if you are truly evil, you will do both) .

As I mentioned before every act has an overall bearing on how others perceive you. Having slain a number of evil foes may gain you the respect of many, whereby folk will greet you and be in awe at your very presence. However should you be evil and lay claim to many killings of good people word will have spread of this. These same folk will cower away from you and perhaps run away in fear .

One will also be able to find love in Fable, not a first in video games but an interesting concept all the same considering the diverse nature of the game. I am imagining becoming some practitioner of doom, yet falling for the woman of my desires. Then being faced with that ever so deep pathway choice by either turning her to my way of thinking or perhaps changing my ways and sacrificing everything I once stood for just to be with her. Sounds far fetched but we are promised such things.

Fable definitely sounds like a very interesting game to say the least. Although parts of its design sound a little similar to some of the antics in Kotor, this game looks set to raise the bar and take this style of play to the next level. looking at some of the screen shots available fable looks very impressive indeed. You wont find this game appearing on PS2 or Gamecube. Although the release date is shrouded in mystery, as it has slipped many times (currently penciled in for release on the 14th of January 2004) it is worth being patient so that the developers take their time to make this one of the best if not the best single player RPG for Xbox. I am eagerly awaiting this title so as to unleash my inner demons on the game. I am sure many of you feel the same. 2004 cant come quick enough.