“Fable’s story is a simple tale of a young boy’s tragic childhood and his eventual confrontation with the evil responsible for his loss,” explains Carter. After a tragedy befalls Oakvale, a mysterious wizard named Maze takes the young boy to the Heroes’ Guild. There, he meets another young apprentice named Whisper, with whom he will later develop a friendly rivalry. The Guildmaster, who believes in letting heroes choose their own allegiances, trains Hero, Whisper, and other youngsters who join the organization.

Hero obtains new tasks by visiting the Guild’s map table. Some quests are mutually exclusive, requiring you to decide if you’re going to be good or evil before choosing one. For example, one quest will require you to protect traders from bandits while another will tell you to help the bandits kill the traders. There are many minor quests you don’t have to undertake, although you must engage in the major ones, which propel Hero’s overarching storyline. During your journeys, the Guildmaster will often speak to you in a disembodied voice, Obi Wan-like, and give you helpful hints.

“We wanted to avoid a rehash of the standard Dungeons & Dragons sub-Tolkien world of elves and orcs, so we looked to the inspiration for Tolkien’s work: European fairy tales,” says Carter. “The best examples of these can be seen in an old, and very inspirational, TV series called ‘The Storyteller.’”

He also notes, “in addition, many team members are huge fands of Brian Froud, who provided the art direction for the movies “Labyrinth” and “The Dark Crystal.”” Other influences include Monty Python’s silliness and Tim Burton’s baroque fairy tale approach to visuals.

Demon Doors, Silver Keys, and More

In between quests, there are many things to do in Albion. During your journeys, you will come across demon doors that won’t open unless you fulfill their requirements, such as giving them specific items or attaining a certain status (for example, marrying a powerful NPC named Lady Elvira Grey). Some of the doors reward you with items, while others give you access to new areas.

One particular demon door wants all 30 silver keys that can be found in various places around Albion. Those keys also open treasure chests that hide impressive goodies, but if you haven’t opened all 12 of them before you encounter that door, be aware that it will take all of the keys and not give them back. Your reward, however, will be a sword of tremendous power.

You won’t be able to open many of the demon doors when you first come across them, nor will you likely have enough silver keys when you find those treasure chests, but you can easily return to certain places by using the teleportation pads and Cullis Gates strategically placed throughout Albion. Hero also carries a Guild Seal that he can use to teleport back to the Heroes’ Guild, or to the last place he visited.

Enjoy Your Stay in Albion

Don’t forget to check all of the bookcases you come across. (Read the Tips and Tricks section below for how to handle that in NPCs’ homes.) Not only will you discover tomes that tell you more about Albion and its history, but you can also give them to a teacher found in Bowerstone South and receive one of the 30 silver keys in return. There are 25 books to find in the game.

We don’t want to ruin all of the surprises in Fable, but be sure to keep an eye out for other fun activities, such as collecting all nine hero dolls or playing mini games like coin golf. You’ll also come across many regular doors that are locked but will open at certain times (shops, for example, open in the morning and close at night); one is only available for a few seconds at a specific time each day.

If you find yourself stumped at any point, take a look at the comprehensive walkthrough found at GameFAQs. The end of that lengthy document also includes links to shorter guides that focus on specific aspects of the game, such as the locations of all of the demon doors and the silver key treasure chests.

Next Stop? Hero strikes a pose next to one of the teleportation pads scattered around Albion.

Guards! Guards! Hero’s negative streak elicits some unwanted attention.

Lightning Can Strike Twice. Hero uses his magic against an enemy.

• You can do more damage to an enemy if you attack them from behind, so, while engaged in hand-to-hand combat, try rolling past them, jumping up, and getting in a few blows from the rear before they can turn around. There’s also a spell you can use to quickly rush through an opponent and wind up behind them. (Yes, through them; it’s magic.)
• Try using ranged attacks to get a few hits on an enemy before they can close the distance between you and them. Then switch to a handheld weapon, or some spells, to finish the job. This method makes it easier to move through areas that feature clusters of bad guys.
• You can find all kinds of interesting things in townspeople’s homes, including items tucked in cupboards, but don’t swipe stuff when the owners are standing around, or they’ll yell for the guards. Likewise, don’t pilfer anything when the guards are standing around, or they’ll get angry at you. Be prepared, however, to incur negative alignment points, even if no one sees you commit the deed.
• You’ll be asked to pay a fine for stealing things, but you can decline to do so and simply run out of town with the guards hot on your heels. (Click and hold the right mouse button to run.) When you return, they’ll have calmed down, although they’ll be in a heightened state of awareness because your misdeeds will have earned you a few negative alignment points.
• Yes, you can try to fight the guards, but killing them will add severe penalties for murder, and they’ll be even more hot and bothered about meting out justice. You’re better off running for the hills and letting the incident blow over.
• Use an available bed to recharge your health without using a potion or eating some food.

• You don’t have to undertake all the side quests, but doing so will give you a broader view of the complex world created by the Lionhead Studios team. It’s also no fun to just rush through the game when you can take your time and explore everything it has to offer. And, of course, you never know when a seemingly minor task will lead to the discovery of a treasure chest full of cool stuff, or some other fabulous reward.
• When trying to find someone to marry, pay attention to what they’re saying. If you hear comments like “I wonder what’s happening at home,” you probably won’t get them to ask you for a wedding ring, since they’re likely already married. Some of the characters you encounter can also be fickle, with their aura turning green for only a couple seconds before becoming purple again, which means you have a narrow window of opportunity to give them a wedding ring.
• Look all over Albion for little details hidden in the environment. For example, you’ll find amusing cultural references on some of the gravestones you come across.
• Don’t forget that Hero’s clothing also plays a role in how NPCs react to him. For example, bandit garb makes them think he could be a bad guy, which comes in handy when sneaking into a bandit camp but doesn’t help when wandering around a town trying to make friends. Luckily, you can easily swap between outfits through the inventory pane.
• Context-sensitive icons mapped to the F1, F2, and F3 keys appear in the bottom-left corner of the screen as you move through the environment. They provide helpful clues for what you should do, such as dig a hole in a certain spot or give an NPC a gift.
• Improve Hero’s guile ability to get cheaper prices from merchants for goods, as well as to get more money from them when selling items. Some things found in Albion can be bought and sold at a profit, if you can figure out how to do so.