Is Molyneux trying to rekindle days of yore?

Those who recall the old days of Lionhead Studios and (going back even further) Bullfrog will know the name Peter Molyneux. Responsible for the Fable series, the veteran designer and program??mer has certainly made a name for himself. Unfortunately, not always?? in a good way.

Typically known for overhyping his upcoming releases (not to mention his brush with NFT games), Molyneux seems to be uncharacteristically doing something un-Molyneux-like. In an interview with Game Reactor, he wa?s asked whether he could divulge a few details about his next project, which is being developed via hi?s company 22Cans.

Acknowledging his reputation, Peter Molyneux admits that in "days gone by," he would jus??t begin talking extensively about u?pcoming projects. In saying he's making the "most brilliant game in the world," people would feel "annoyed and angry" by his claims. As such, it seems he wants to steer clear of overhyping this time around.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEQRwpMYPaw

It's also coming to PC and console

However, he proceeds to say that his team's next game may have a "never been seen before" mechanic. While he doesn't go into detail about what it is, Molyneux says the team "stumbled" upon this idea. To avoid saying too much, he clarifies that what he's been working on will be "kind of" like Fable, Black & White, and Dungeon Keeper.

This mysterious project also represents Molyneux's return to coding, something he says he hasn't been involved in since the first Black & White game, which released in 2001. Perhaps he wants to evoke the olden days whe??n the likes of Bullfrog and ?Lionhead released highly praised games.

Whatever he and his team are working on will appear on PC and console. Molyneux says 22Cans may work on a mobile title late??r, but this game will stay off phones.

These responses come off the back of the new trailer for the upcoming Fable game shown off at this year's Xbox Showcase. This new entry in the series, which does not feature Molyneux, stars Richard Ayoade as a gian??t. Hopefully we'll learn more ??about either Fable or 22Cans' next project soon.

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Coughs and sneezes spread diseases!

Usually, I'm quite indignant about any suggestion that my commitment to the PlayStation brand could bite me full force in the arse. I've ??grown complacent about the fact that everything I want either 1) comes to the PS4, or 2) is so bare-bones in terms of its technical requirements that my cheap-as-chips elderly laptop can handle it, no probs. And if you were to suggest that I piece together a decent gaming rig and stop being so horribly dependent on Sony, you may as well be asking me to remove someone's appendix.

But indeed, it has come back to haunt me, since I currently have no way of running Two Point Hospital -- yes, my laptop is that craptacular. The game is a tad more than?? a spiritual successor?? to Theme Hospital, with key figures such as Gary?? Carr and Mark Webley involved in both games, and operates on the same principle, but with more finesse. Despite the relatively high price point for a non-AAA game, I was very excited about the release of Two Point Hospital, precisely because Theme Hospital was a milestone in my gaming history.

In fact, it is a cornerstone of my gaming history in so many ways. It was not only instrumental in igniting my interest in games, but it was the first title I ever wrote a proper blog post about. What's more, Bullfrog Productions were the first game production company I considered myself a fan of, starting back with Theme Park but fuelled even further by Theme Hospital. So, what was so special about TH and why did it and its siblings attract me to management sims more than its competitors? Grab a KitKat from a nearby vending machine inexplicably placed in the middle of the floor while I regale you with a bit of the history behind Theme Hospital, my background with the comedic cult classic, and a little bit of informat??ion on what followed for Bullfrog Productions.

The release of Theme Hospital

Theme Hospital was first released for the PC in March 1997, with a PlayStation port arriv??ing the following year. As already mentioned, the game was originally developed by Bullfrog Productions, though Krisalis Software did work on the PS port. While Peter Molyneux came up with the idea alongside James Leach, Molyneux left the bulk of the work to his team while he focused on what would become the critically-acclaimed Dungeon Keeper, which was released just three months after Theme Hospital.

The level of control it gave you in running a well-oiled healthcare moneymaking machine, combined with great UI w??ork, was laudable for the era in which it was launched. You could pore over balance sheets and isolate individual points of financial weakness, if "winging it" wasn't your thing; furthermore, to build a successful hospital, you had to have a knack for complicated fields such as architecture and HR. Building a staff room too far away or messing up a corridor layout could be enough for disgruntled employees to threaten a walk-out or for patients to get lost. Yet all of this was conveyed in an entertaining manner, perfectly striking the balance between micromanagement and good fun.

The characteristic daftnes?s? of Bullfrog Productions' games, as evident in the highly sarcastic Theme Park (released for a variety of PC and console for?mats starting in 1994), was amplified in Theme Hospital. The production team wisely decided to use made-up diseases instead of going for realism. Bloaty Head disease, and the treatm?ent of popping your afflicted patients with a needle like a helium balloon, was sure??ly one of the most ridiculous ideas ever injected into the traditionally stodgy management genre. It ranks up there with deliberately not repairing your bouncy castles in Theme Park and waiting for them to explode, ejecting hapless park attendees 20ft into the air. There were a couple?? of extra perks for pop culture fans, such as Hannibal Lecter being called to see security by the receptionist, who provides a dry dose of wit throughout the game.

This sweet little package of tough-as-nails management sim (just you wait 'til you get to the last hospital, Battenberg) and slapstick wonder earned it high praise on release, getting an 8/10 in Edge and 85% in PC Gamer UK for the PC versions. IGN and Gamespot were both favourable about the PlayStation version, though Gamespot was quite critical of the PC original. If you are inclined to take a trip to the yesteryear of medicine that doesn't involve trepanning, you can pick up Theme Hospital for PC on Origin and on the PS Store as a PS1 Classic (in the US -- it has been? removed in the EU. Boo? hoo.)

Theme Hospital wormed its way in?to my heart, and I refused ??all medication

The question remains as to why Theme Hospital was so near and dear to me that I wrote one of?? my first ever pieces for Sk??irmish Frogs on the game, followed in short order by Theme Park World/Sim Theme Park. It's hardly your universally acceptable Mario or Zelda game that kids stereotypically cut their teeth?? on and it's not really playground bragging fodder.

Well, my gaming habits were not influenced by my friends as a child -- I was influenced by my aunt. As a youn?g child of probably ??just five or six, I had farted about with the PS1 controller while my aunt was constructing “Potatoland” in Theme Park, and by the end, I just about understood what was going on. The more complicated management tweaks you could carry out in that game involved gaming the fry stand prices and?? salting them so heavily that all your park visitors woul?d surely make a reappearance in Theme Hospital for hypertension issues. So, when my aunt went out for the day once and my grandma let me?? fiddle about with her computer, the first ??thing I did was boot up Theme Hospital. Probably into a save file and not a new game.

Readers, it was a disaster.

I was bankrupt within 15 minutes and had no?? idea what had ??gone on. Theme Hospital from that point in time became the game I enjoyed watching my aunt play, but for which I would remain resolutely hands?-off;? exactly the same as with Tomb Raider III and Command and Conquer: Red Alert. In a way, it was my first introduction to something analogous to Let's Plays and watching Twitch streams -- I got great amusement out of my aunt's reactions and chatting abou??t what was going on on-screen, but I was happy to forgo active participation myself.

When the game was being offered for free over a decade and a half later on Origin, of course, I broke this spell and went a??ll in. Battenberg proved too tough a cookie to crack, but I loved all of the preceding levels, even if I wasn't naturally gifted at handling a budget.

A few things w?ere noticeable o??n my new playthrough of Theme Hospital and became even more apparent when I flirted with the game recently for speedrunning pur??poses. As a child, I had not really picked up on the biting satire it offered on the US model of healthcare. The receptionist chides patients into bringing their chequebooks with them; you get money by experimenting on your patie??nts and boasting more expensive treatment options in your facilities.

Medicine as a service, and one that snatches at your?? wallet, is something that naïve young Charlotte was not aware of at all. As time has gone on and I've se??en the intro to the game a few more times, it makes me sad more than anything. It reminded me of how I have it easy. I still find the cynical commentary in the game sort of funny, but it's just so close to my experience of reality that it has a bitter aftertaste now.

Another difference from my experience as a very young child is that in the intermediate period, I have played a heck of a lot of The Sims. SimCity is another series I peered at over the shoulder of my aunt, but playing God on such a large scale never fully appealed to me: I wanted to mess with people's lives on a much more personal level. The Sims tapped into that well of benign narcissism and megalomania that is unparalleled in bored teenagers. And the Build tools in both The Sims and The Sims 2 showed up Theme Hospital's clunky room design and lack of control as to where you could place fixtures. Where I once considered myself a staunch follower of Peter Molyneux and Bullfrog's work, Will Wright and Maxis usurped that position in the early 2000s, and The Sims series left Theme Hospital looking a little primitive in its wake.

Bullfrog's demise

Although shinier management sims caught my eye in the early-mid 2000s, I did often check the PC section of Electronics Boutique, HMV and GAME for a follow-up or anything similar. I could never find anything to my tastes, and not following ??gaming news closely as a tween/teenager, I had no clue about what had happened to Bullfrog and Mr Molyneux.

Alas, Peter Molyneux jumped ship from Bullfrog just months after the release of Theme Hospital, an important move without which franchises such as Black and White and Fable may never have materialised. Bullfrog Productions carried on until 2001, making my (controversial) favourite Theme game of the lot, Theme Park World/Sim Theme Park. In my defence, my love of a non-Molyneux Theme game stems from the brilliant voice work done on the PAL version by Lewis MacLeod.

Overall, I am reluctant to revisit Theme Hospital through Two Point Hospital because my experience of the original was so potent. However, on second thoughts, there is a lot about Theme Hospital that left me cold on replaying it as an adult with much more gaming and comedic experience. Through offering a state-of-the-art and polished experience, Two Point Hospital could be just the antidote to the jaded feeling I get when I return to Theme Hospital, a game packed full of good ideas but which definitely shows every single one of its 21 ??????????????????????????years.

I just have to keep my fingers crossed for a console edition or get ??that baby gaming rig together.

Did you enjoy playing Theme Hospital twenty years ago? Do you have any games you returned to as an adult, only to be slightly disappointed? Are you having fun with Two Point Hospital right now? Let me know in the comments down below!

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'Fable 2 must have a dog, and that dog must die'

Eurogamer just put up a pretty in-depth history of Lionhead Studios, and it's a doozy. Most of the info comes by way of John McCormack, art director for the Fable series. There's a lot of interesting tidbits from this tale, most notably how Microsoft saved Fable, but didn't ?directly influence its development or direction, and we get a sense of exactly how much control Molyneux had over these?? projects.

McCormack also gives us a glimpse into the company culture of Lionhead, which was disorganized before it was cool, and includes daredevil canal jumping antics pre-Microsoft 2006 acquisition ("Microsoft HR wouldn't have been up for any of that shit," he says). What's most interesting to me is seeing how natural the fit with Microsoft really was though at first, seeing as how they already had a good rapport with Fable -- it certainly does?n't feel like a hostile t??akeover or anything.

But eventually, the relationship soured a bit. McCormack recalls how "the marketing was shit," for Fable 2, and how the marketing team, which was separately housed, "didn't get it." What was the contention? Lionhead pitched it as a "Monty Python-esque comedy" but it?? was being marketed as a generi??c epic RPG.

That contention only worsened with Fable 3, when he recalls a fight over the box art: "They were going, you can't have a black person on the cover, ??and you can't have a woman. And you want a black woman. And I was like, yes, I do, because it's about be whatever hero you want. No. It's a white guy. That's just the way it is. We know what sells and that'??s fucking it. Stop the arguing. I was like, fuck you! That was a huge fight."

Things move on from there to Milo & Kate's cancellation (and how it might have done better in a post-Gone Home world), "Black Monday" (a day in 2012 where a ton of Lionhead vets quit), and how "Fable 4" [Legends] was eventually born and killed (the meeting to inform employees that the studio was closing was evidently sent out at the same time as the press release). The entire thing is well worth the read if you've played any B??ullf??rog or Lionhead games in your lifetime, which I would guess is most of you out there.

Out of everything, one statement from an unnamed source stands out in particular: "The biggest stab in the heart though was that for roughly six years the studio had pretty much been tasked to develop games that Microsoft wanted us to make to show off tech. Very few people wanted to make Fable: The Journey and almost nobody wanted to work on Fable Legends." It's also crazy to hear that the efforts to revive Fable Legends post-closure were real, and dubbed "Project Phoenix."

I've said it before, but one of the most vivid memories I have of my gaming youth is reading a magazine detailing "Project Ego," which would eventually become Fable, and then actually playing it, realizing that nearly none of the promised features actually made it in. I just wish we could have had the opportunity to see if Fable Legends measured up.

Lionhead: The inside story [Eurogamer]

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Fable Legends isn't coming back

After multiple sources had heard that Lionhead Studios, formed in 1996, still had hope, the end has finally come. According to Kotaku UK, the developer has officially closed down for good following a nominal consultation period. Fable Legends officially shut down on April 13, and it's not?? coming back.

"We can confirm that after much consideration over the six week consultation period with Lionhead employees, we have reached the decision to close Lionhead Studios," reads Microsoft's statement on the issue, sent over today. "We have nothing but h??eart-felt thanks for the te??am at Lionhead for their significant contributions to Xbox and the games industry."

Lionhead wasn't just the Fable factory it became in later years -- it carried on the work of Peter Molyneux's own Bullfrog Productions, crafting Black & White, which hosted its own sequel and expansion. Outside of the microtransaction element Legends actually looked like a decent little romp, an??d the cross factor between Xbox One and Windows 10 was a great example of Microsoft's new united front initiative. Good luck those involved with the studio, and I hope you move on to bigger and better things.

Fabled UK Studio Lionhead Closes Today [Kotaku UK]

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'You are all Legends!'

Fable Legends has now completely shut down.

The cance?llation of the gam??e was announced last month, but there had been hopes that the project could have been saved.

The official website has published the following departing statement:

“Fable Legends closed today (13?? April 2016) and will no longer be available to play. The Xbox and Windows Stor?e teams are currently processing refunds for all players who made Gold purchases in the game.”

“All of us here at Lionhead Studios would like to thank you for participating in the closed beta and being a part of the game's development. All stories have to end eventually, but the memories of Heroic triumphs and Villainous plots will last forever. Thank you f?or you??r support - you are all Legends!”

Refunds are now being processed - check out the website for the details. 

Sad times. :(

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Discussions happening to 'save' the project

When Microsoft dropped the news that Fable Legends was canceled, it was important to note that Lionhead Studios wasn't necessarily closed down entirely -- there were merely "discussions" to do so. That little tidbit may have saved the project, as multiple sources from MCV have reported that the game may be saved yet.

Apparently staff are being offered an opportunity to "continue working on Legends," or "accept a redundancy package." Freelancers have already vacated, but contract employees may have a chance at staying. ??It's a peculiar arrangement all around, but it was always a possibility given the wording Microsoft used.

Microsoft declined to comment of course, but it's possible that Fable Legends may rise one day from these ashes.

Fable Legends may live on [MCV] Thanks Jeff!

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Lionhead Legend

Nas is rap's Nastradamus, but is Lil' Flip video games' Nostradamus? Whether he knew it or not, the Houston rapper was almost six years early in pr??edicting the latest possible studio shuttering.

Today, Microsoft cancelled Fable Legends&??nbsp;and revealed it is in talks abo??ut closing the UK-based developer. Almost immediately, Twitter was filled with people expressing their sympathies, followed by the hashtag #RIPLionhead.

But, if you scroll all the way back to the first use of the hashtag, it came way before this morning's news. On November 9, 2010, Lil' Flip (of "This is the Way We Ball" and "Game Over" fame) sent out the tweet that's embedded below. I don't understand most of it, but #RIPLion?head is right in the middle.

At time of ??writing, Lil' Fli??p's tweet had zero retweets and zero favorites.

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Also closing down Danish developer Press Play

Microsoft has announced that it is 'in discussions' with Lionhead Studios, Peter Molyneux’s former studio and developer of Black & White and Fable, to shut the studio down.

In a statement made on the Xbox site, it was confirmed that the upcoming Fable Legends has also been cancelled:

After much consideration we have decided to cease development on Fable Legends, and are in discussions with employees a?bout the proposed closure of Lionhead Studios in the UK…

…The Lion??head Studios team has delighted millions ?of fans with the Fable series over the past decade.

The news comes alongside an announcement that Danish developer Press Play, the team behind Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, is also to be shuttered:

These have been tough decisions and we have not made them lightly, nor are they a reflection on these developm?ent teams – we are incredibly fortunate to have the talent, creativity and commitment of the people at these studios.

It’s worth nothing that Lionhead hasn’t been officially shut down ?yet, but the language used in the rest of the announcement makes it pretty much inevitable now.

I used to love Black & White when I was a kid, so seei?ng Lionhead finally bow out will be a sad?? day indeed.

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...and it ain't happening. Yet

Lionhead Studios has no plans to start work on Fable 4.

Replying to a commenter on Twitter, the developer confirmed that it was not yet developing a fourth instalment of the franchise, but was instead concentrating efforts on the upcoming Fable Legends. 

Hiya @justinmorgan57 :) We're not working on a Fable 4, #FableLegends is our priority ?and will be for the foreseeable future. Thanks!

— Lionhead Studios (@LionheadStudios) September 23, 2015

Sorry, Fable fans.

It's not all bad, though. Xbox boss Phil Spencer recently said that the free-to-play Fable Legends has "years of content" planned for the title that we said "looks like [...] could provide some interesting multiplayer ?gaming."

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Gary Carr leaves after 12 years

After 12 years at Li??onhead Studios,?? it seems creative director Gary Carr has left the UK studio to take the leap into independent game development.

In a statement made to GameSpot, it was confirmed?? that Carr, who?? had been overseeing the creation and curating of a series of new IP prototypes, has now left the studio.

P?resumably, Carr's departure suggests whatever new IP project he was overseeing is now far enough along for him to leave the project. Could this mean we might see a new IP from Lionhead in the coming months? I'm not sure, I just hope his jou?rney into independent development goes more smoothly than Peter Molyneux's did.

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Not a one-and-done

At the PC gaming show this evening, Xbox's Phil Spencer came out and introduced a few developers working on PC and Xbox One. One game in the presentation was Fable Legends, which I liked the last time I played it.

In addition to reiterating that the free-to-play title would allow for cross-platform play between?? PC and Xbox One, the presenter also noted that Lionhead has "years of content" planned for the game. Good news for anybody who is looking to get into it; it won't be barren for stuff to do a year on.

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Jugheads

[Update: Lionhead tweeted an apology, "We apologise for the imagery we shared earlier. Diversity &????; inclusion are values we uphold here. We'll reinforce these values w/ our team," irritating a whole new group of people.]

"Happy #NationalCleavageDay from all of us at Lionhead Studios!," the now-deleted Tweet from Fable Legends developer Lionhead read.

Apparently today is "National Cleavage Day," one of the many stupid, made-up holidays some people celebrate, like "Star Wars Day" and "Christmas." Lionhead decided to "celebrate" the day on social media with a "piece [of] Fable II?? artwork from our archives." Why make up a holiday if it isn't something you can use to get off work? (Apparently because this one started as a marketing tactic by a bra company in South Africa over a decade ago.)

For the sake of double entendre, The Foaming Jugs is the name of a Fable tavern and a reference to the large-breasted woman h?olding frothing booze. The? problem is that she is not even holding jugs, which are liquid-holding containers that commonly narrow at the top and are used for pouring more than drinking. Now, America delineates between jugs and wide-mouthed pitchers, while elsewhere they're all jugs, but a pouring spout is still part of the description. This is more of a tankard or stein, but those are not things (most) people call boobs.

The o??ther problem, of course, is a #brand being cute on Twitter, trying to score social media clout by hopping on a popular hashtag and rifling through its art archives to find promotional material that features a busty woman in low cut garb serving beer. St. Pauli Girl doesn't even show that much skin and that's as bad as beer gets short of Coors distracting people from its yellow water with a multi-million dollar marketing campaign about how cold it is (which, in turn, works bett?er to hide the taste of bad beer).

Anyways, it's Friday so I'm going to go get a Steel Reserve and suggest brands not post suggestive promo art that commodifies women's bodies while I wait on all the glowing praise I deserve for the Senran Kagura headline.

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Fablevolve

This trailer also best explains (though not completely clearly?) the 4 vs. 1, heroes versus villain mode, which we talked a bit about here. Though it's not traditional Fable, there is also regular single-player and co-op play. Still, 4 vs. 1 might be the way to go.

There's this, Evolve, Crawl. I like the trend of pared down multip?layer. That we've moved away from developers giddy over 56 player or 128 player games. 

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Beta coming this fall

You can now be the villain you always wanted to be in Fable Legends -- you know, if that's your thing. Lionhead Studios' latest release seeks to bolster players who have always sought to wreak havoc and destruction across the landscape of their Fable game with "villain mode," where ?players can control the action fro??m above; every spell and challenge.

The player who chooses to play as the villain orchestrates every single move from afar, issuing attack orders to take on the Heroes at every turn. In short, you can wreck your friends (or enemies) if you so choose, and that's totally awesome. But that's not all Fable Legends is about.

At its heart, this is still a classic Fable game. Each player's tale begins at Brightlodge, which is more or less the "social" heart of Fable Legends. You play as Sterling, a classic Fable character, who begins his quest in Brightlodge. Winter and Inga can join your quest for cooperative play, so you can finally play Fable the way you've wanted to -- with friends at your beck and call. With this team of three you can enjoy Fable Legends as a true co-op game with two additional characters and a decidedly Mass Effect-like slant to gameplay with plenty of sex jokes and potty ??humor thrown in for good measure. 

It looks to be an interesting time, and you can join in on the Fable Legends beta, available this fall. Sign up now here?? if you're interested, and we'll have to sync up to play together.

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Fans apparently demanded it

Here's a video teasing a PC release of Fable Anniversary you can watch, though I wouldn't -- it's just a bunch of messages, presumably written by Lionhead Studios, asking for this revamped game to come to Steam. The featured petition -- "Make it PC users possible too, to decide once again about Albions destiny [sic]" --  on the other hand, is real. 3,262 people signed it.

For those of you who missed out on the Xbox 360 version, Fable Anniversary is the original Fable (plus its Lost Chapters expansion) with new visuals and an updated control scheme more in line with l??ater games in the series. There are some other enhancements too, like being able to save anywhere, but this is largely the same role-playing ?game experience.

In his review of Anniversary, which he gave a seven out of ten, Chris said "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."

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Your health is low. Do you have any potions? Or food?

Fable Anniversary is a relatively straight-forward game, especially if you've played the original, as it's nearly identical in terms of content. But there are a few things you can miss, so I've crafted a few help?ful tips to help you along the way.

Before ??you do anything though you're going to want to turn off the Guildmaster's "hints" in the options menu. Trust me.

General tips (minor spoilers):

• The combat multiplier is literally the crux of the entire leveling process. If you can raise it higher and higher (by attacking enemies without getting hit), you'll net more experience. To get around errant attacks from enemies screwing up your multiplier, use the "physical shield" ability to avoid damage -- if you're hit while the shield is up, it won't lower the count. Consider at least taking the first level of the spell.

• Following up on that, "Ages" potions are directly tied to your current multiplier. So for instance, using an Ages potion while not in combat will net you a paltry amount of experience, but using it with a combat multiplier of 20 will grant you 20,000. As a general rule, 20 is the minimum you'll want to aim for when using these potions, but you can get much higher.

• There's no limit on the amount of items you can carry. If you have the cash and want to buy 50 health potions, go for it. I'd also recommend picking up at least 50 pieces of red meat, apples, and pies, as they all can be mapped to the d-pad and heal you during combat.

• The bow is generally overpowered, as it can be used in almost any situation. Unlike mana you don't need "ammo" to use it, it can attack targets that melee abilities cannot, it's generally more reliable when aiming (you can use a first-person perspective too), and most enemies cannot block arrows. Nock up an arrow and constantly move around (left to right works when dodging troll rocks) to kite most of the enemies in the game.

• A good portion of the best items in the game (and silver keys to open special chests) are found by fishing. Early on in the game go to the fishing hole and earn the fishing rod, then look for ripples in any body of water.

• There are only a few achievements you can "miss." To get everything in one go, you'll need to finish every round of the arena in one go, heal someone on an escort quest, use an Ages potion when your multiplier is at 20 or more, and defeat Whisper without taking damage.

• In terms of content, the major things you can miss are keys. In order to get every key, you'll need to fish in the water next to the battleground where you face Thunder, and marry Lady Grey.

• Buy crunchy chicks whenever you get the chance. Sometimes you'll need to turn "evil" and eating these live chickens will do the trick. There's one demon door in particular that asks you to do something evil in front of him, and eating a bunch of these will do the trick. It's odd, I know, but it works.

• If you need to turn night into day to open the shops, the easiest way is to just buy a cheap house in Bowerstone or buy houses in every major town. Instead of hunting for an Inn or a spare bed, you can just hop in your own and be done with it.

• Even if you aren't keen on using spells for your particular hero, consider getting multistrike and slow time. Even if you specialize in using a bow these can be a deadly combination, as multistrike automatically knocks down almost every small enemy in the game (and breaks their block), and it can be spammed against bosses for thousands of damage in mere seconds. Slow time at level two is devastating, and effects every enemy in the entire game, up to the final boss.

• I won't spoil anything specific, but even if you don't opt for the "evil choice" in the end, you can still get a powerful sword in the part proceeding the seemingly final major boss battle inside the Guild Hall -- so don't be tempted if you don't want to commit the act.

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Still chasin' them chickens

Fable and I have a history together. Ever since I learned of its existence in an official Xbox Magazine under the codename "Project Ego," I was enthralled by the promises of Peter Molyneux. Back then, he basically could do no wrong,?? creating masterpiece after masterpiece at Bullfrog Productions.

But in 1997 he left and founded Lionhead Studios, eventually crafting the very first game in the Fable franch??ise. The first entry didn't really follow up with any of the promises Molyneux made, but despite that fact, it ended up being a serviceable little ac??tion-adventure romp.

Not much has changed with the updated Fable Anniversary, for better or for worse.

Fable Anniversary (Xbox 360)
Developer: Lionhead Studios
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Released: February 4, 2014
MSRP: $39.99

By and large this is the exact same Fable you played back in 2004 with a new coat of paint. The voicework and dialog are the same, the story is the exact same, and gameplay-wise, it's pretty much identical barring a control scheme update. Although?? the music is said to be remastered I couldn't really discern any major differences between the original score -- which is perhaps a testament to how superb it was the first time around.

Visually the game has received an upgrade inline with the later games in the series. It's an odd juxtaposition, as many of the Fable cast members looked right at home with their original freakishly big heads and cartoony designs -- so it took some getting used to with the newer, more realistic Anniversary models. It was especially weird adapting to the early-game manchild teen hero character design, which looks half real and half cartoon. Whereas in the original you'd be able to laugh something like that off, some of the models can feel a bit strange in Anniversary.

In essence, I'm a bit torn on the updated sheen. On one hand I really like the updated models for serious characters like Maze and the Guildmaster, who were more or less always meant to be more "real" looking. Other goofy characters like random townsfolk and traders look a bit more off, but not in a way that ruins the experience. Weapons and spell effects in particular are a massive improvement, however, as are the beautiful landscapes which feel completely new due to the Anniversary update.

But all that glitters isn't gold, as there are some framerate issues (mostly in are??as with lots of enemies) and noticeable pop-in during cutscenes, which is a shame. Then there's the odd decision to rip one element directly from the original, which doesn't quite fit when everything else around it feels new. Specifically, the narrated "stained glass" interludes that often move the story along are also in the same style as the original Xbox game, which looks noticeably old and jarring.

The story is still the same, which has its ups and downs, as well as its mix of memorable and forgettable characters. However, the original Fable succeeds where others in the series have failed, in its ability to deliver a cohesive, easy-to-follow tale that doesn't ever get ahead of itself. There's a clear big bad villain, an obvious motivation, and a relatively simple goal to achieve -- thus earning the moniker of "fable" quite appropriately. The Fable games later added the ability to play as male or female, but the first title is strictly from a male perspective -- which hasn't changed in Anniversary.

Thankfully, the controls have been updated to allow for Fable 2/3 mechanics, which are mainly centered around dedicated attack buttons for magic, ranged, and me?lee attacks. The original had a scheme that revolved around manually switching ??weapon types out which is a bit cumbersome, but if you prefer that method it is there as a "legacy" control option. Everything is relatively easy to perform, as a simple button press will instantly queue up the appropriate attack.

Having said that, a few of the same faults have crept up in Anniversary, most notably the occasionally broken lock-on system. By holding the left trigger your hero will lock on to the closest enemy, allowing you to quickly tap it to change targets. The problem is, not only is this system inaccurate (d-pad switching would be preferable), but it also goes haywire from time to time, locking on a random piece of scenery a??nd causing you to outright miss with ranged attacks.

Beyond those issues though combat is relatively straightforward and fun, allowing you a degree of freedom with tons of spells, close-combat options, and bow attacks. Your hero can also block and roll as well as employ just about every type of spell you desire, allowing you to play the way you want to play, since it's feasible to beat the gam??e with any combination of the three combat disciplines.

The game is still incredibly easy though, as you can carry over 50 health potions, 100 pieces of health-restoring food (with no time limitations on use), and nine "resurrection phials" that let you instantly revive yourself. It's an odd design choice that still creeps its way into the Anniversary edition, as there i?s never really any sense ?of danger or tension when you can just pop one of your hundreds of healing options, with a backup system should you fail to press a button.

While the core tenets of the experience are identical, there are a few noticeable differences with the update which lead to mixed results. The menus have been updated, but they're big and clunky with a number of pointless tabs, so it's hard to locate anything in particular. Thankfully, you can now save anywhere, and there are a ton of added auto-saves and checkpoints, so you'll hardly ever lose any progress at any time. SmartGlass functionality has also been added, which lets you view the world map and backstories on various characters. It's not essential, but it's a nice ?little touch.

In terms of content, worry not, as the Lost Chapters expansion is fully intact in Anniversary, which adds a few more hours of (fun) quests as well as a new town, items, and a new ending. I'm especially a fan of Lost Chapters as it's relatively to the point, and delivers constant action with moral quandaries that don't feel ham-fisted or forced. You'll also get to earn Achievements for the first time ever in the original Fable, which have some rather clever naming conventions (one is titled "Definitely Not On Rails") and requirements (most of them have multiple unlock ??options).

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.

The post Review: Fable Anniversary appeared first on Destructoid.

Launch day content planned

Lionhead has announced that Fable Anniversary will launch on Xbox 360 on February 4, 2014 in North America, February 6 in Asia, and February 7 in Europe.? 

Get all the Fable your mind can take, now with HD 1080p graphics, remastered audio, a new interface, new achievements, and even SmartGlass integration. The Lost Chapters content is also included.

There will be a limited-run box of Fable Anniversary that will include a code for a Launch Day Weapons and Outfits Pack, ??all housed in an embossed slip case. It will also include a 10th anniversary Lionhead avatar helmet. If you want in on thi?s, preorder now.

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Yup, that's a HUD, all right.

Progress continues to be made on Fable Anniversary, an HD remake of the original Fable game for Xbox 360 which will bring the entire series to the console. A recent post on Lionhead's developer blog from User Inte?rface Artist Jenny Peers features comparison shots between the Xbox release and the forthcoming remake to sho?w how menus and the HUD overlay will look and feel.

It's a huge improvement, to say the least. It's been quite some time since I hooked up the old Xbox and played Fable, and I had totally forgotten what its menus looked like. They're kind of hideous and blocky, while the new designs for Anniversary feature more attractive fonts and better organization for the menus. Meanwhile, the HUD has been kept familiar (mostly just gilded and refined), but players will be able to set the opacity of that HUD to their likin?g.?? A nice touch.

I can appreciate all the work they're doing, but it's not likely to get me to buy Fable again. The trilogy of core games reminds me of a prosciutto, tomato and go?at cheese sa??ndwich made with a stale baguette. There's something really awesome in the middle of it all, surrounded by a fair bit of disappointment. No thanks.

Fable Anniversary UI: Old and New [Lionhead Studios]

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Please let it be Black & White 3

A former employee for Lionhead, Franck Laurin, has a job on his Linkedin profile listed as "Senior animator- Fable Legends and Un-announced project. at Lionhead Studios". Lionhead is the studio behind games like Fable and Black & White, and it was founded by Peter Molyneux.

Lionhead has only released games in the Fable series since 2008, so it would be really awesome for them to create a new game, or to revisit Black & White. I'm sure this will turn out to be something related to Fable, but I can dream of playing Black & White 3 if I want to.

Rumor: Lionhead working on an unannou??nced project. [vgleaks]

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You'll have to wait a bit to chase them chickens

It appears as if Fable Anniversary won't be hitting your disc tray until February 2014, as the game has been pushed back a bit. No reason has been?? given for the delay, but my guess is it's to avoid the saturated holiday push for the Xbox One and PS4 and all the games that come wi?th it.

While you wait, "top secret" announcements have been teased, and developers will be answering questions live over Twitter today from 12:00-1:00 PM EST, so follow Ted Timmins and Craig Oman if you want a hand in that. When the game arrives,?? it'll be coming in both physical and digital ?? form.

Oh, I almost forgot: "CHICKEN CHASERRRR!"

Fable [Lionhead]

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Is this a foible or are they able to do it right?

At gamescom, Dale brought us a preview of Xbox One exclusive Fable Legends, which eschews pets and sidekicks for full, four player cooperative play. You can also apparently play as the game's villain, setting traps and controlling minions. As a fan of Gauntlet and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, it doesn't sound like the worst thing, thoug??h the fact that you'll be ?saddled with three AI if you opt for solo play is a bummer.

It seems the idea of online play is going to factor completely in Fable Legends developer Lionhead Studios' efforts going forward. Talking to DigitalSpy, studio head John Needham said, "'every game' in future will have 'connected' elements." Needham, who comes from Star Trek Online and City of Heroes developer Cryptic, cites inspiration from Journey and Dark Souls in innovating the online space.

The thing we thought a lot about was [when making Fable Legends], part of what makes Fable special is the interaction with the characters and the NPC. But what happens if you had interactions with other r?eal people in the same world as? you?

I'll tell you what. They'll talk about how t??hey banged my mother la??st night.

Lionhead now ?an online-focused studio starting with 'Fable Legends' [DigitalSpy]

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Four-player co-op, or play as the villain

At Microsoft's pre-gamescom Xbox One press event, we got our first look at Lionhead's newest for the console. Announced this morning, Fable Legends is not an MMO, though it is an online game. Lionhead calls it a true next-gen??eration RPG. 

Lionhead says that they're looking to make the ultimate Fable game. Albion's folklore and legends have been?? embraced for this game to fill out its world. And we got a qui?ck look at it. We saw a beautiful forest filled with butterflies, bloomy lighting, and lush greenery -- visuals they say were made possible with the power of Xbox One and Unreal Engine 4. 

A gameplay demo took place in a mission called The Moon on a Stick -- a fairytale legen??d about an artifact of the same name. The legend says that so many children wished on this this stick that wishes eventually started coming tru??e. The player's goal is retrieve this artifact.

Four hero characters were shown off during play. The first of the four Hero types was a brave and "dashing" swordsman that spouts off silly one-liners. The second, a Heroine of Strength, sported shiny armor, a huge shield, and a sharp sword. Heroes of will are magicians. Heroes of skill use archery and crossbows. All four fight in what looks to be classic Fable gameplay. The idea behind Fable Legends is tha?t all four ??can combine to work together, with each providing a unique power to add to the mix.

Lionhead says that they passed on pets and sidekicks, going for true cooperative play time time around. An??d it's up to you on how you play. Single player with three AI players? Fine. Two real and two AI? Works. Or, optimally, four live players. Any mix works. 

We saw a short bit of four-player play in action. A Hero of Will spilled an ice spell over an edge to help a another player take out a mob down below. Heroes traveled together, but they're ??free to act on their own, using the?? terrain to their strength.  

Villians are also playable in Fable Legends. As a vill??ain, you control every minion and trap. You p?lace them both before battle, and then spawn them when ready. With Smartglass you can control where, how, and when your hordes attack. You can use Smartglass to get a top-down view that you can command with your fingertips. 

We witnessed a short battle where four heroes were up against a boss. The villain player controlled not on??ly the ogre boss, but also other enemies, traps, and weapons. 

Our first look at Fable Legends was a very short one, but Li?onhead promises more soon. For now, I like the sound (and look) of a c??ooperative online adventure. 

The post Fable Legends: a first look at Lionhead’s Xbox One title appeared first on Destructoid.

It's pretty straightforward

Earlier this month, Lionhead Studios put the call out for fans to design their own Achievement to be integrated in Fable Anniversary. The results are in, and the winning entry "Are you not entertained!?" will require pl??ayers to complete all eight rounds of the Arena without taking a break.

So, not exactly the most inventive Achievement out there, but at least one of the runners-up -- ?"Obtain every melee weapon in the game (excluding Avo's Tear or Sword of Aeons)" -- didn't take the top prize. I can never earn those. The "Farticus" Achievement for passing gas on Whisper in the Crucible before deciding her fate seemed like a lock, but I guess not.

Design an Achievement Winner! [Lionhead]

The post Here’s the winning fan-made Fable Anniversary Achievement appeared first on Destructoid.

You have a lot of faith in us, Lionhead

Lionhead Studios is taking the crowdsourcing approach to coming up with the last Achievement for Fable Anniversary. Now through July 14, you can submit ideas on the company's forums.

"We'll be handing the creative baton to our community by asking YOU to dream up the most creative, challenging, fun and unique achievements possible," writes Lionhead. "Once we've got your ideas, we’ll sit down and shortlist our favourite 5 and, once again, hand the wand of decision making (previously known as t??he cre??ative baton) back to you by asking you to vote for your favourite achievement."

This isn't the first time a studio has let the community have an impact, but it does make a lot of sense here. Players are already familiar with the game, after all -- it shouldn't be too difficult to dream up some creative suggestions. The winner will make it into the credits of Fable Anniversary and receive a copy of ??the game for their trouble.

The post Design an Achievement for Fable Anniversary appeared first on Destructoid.

All that mediocrity for the price of nothing!

Fable III is currently available to download for free on Xbox?? Live. People initially believed it to be some sort of error, but Microsoft has officially recognized it. Go download the game that promises so mu??????????????????????????ch, and delivers very little of it!

Yeah, I wasn't exactly impressed with Fable III and its pond??erous pointlessness, but for the fancy price of nothing at all, it's worth checking out. Also, all the images are broken on our review now, because it went up when we had that messy relaunch that promised so much, and delivered very?? little ... oh. 

Oh. 

The post Fable III is free on Xbox Live Games on Demand appeared first on Destructoid.

Full HD treatment akin to Halo Anniversary

Pretty big news for original Xbox fans has come today. Fable: The Lost Chapters will be getting the HD remake treatment this fall with Fable Anniversary. The original announcement comes by way of Lionhead's Tim Timmins and the Major Nelson podcast. Like Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Fable Anniversary will be a complete graphical overhaul, while the core game remains exactly the same. Timmins did say the some of the game's layout and controls will be reworked, in addition to a traditional checkpoint?? system replacing the hero saves.

Silver Key hero save exploit, RIP. Let us pray too that "reworked controls" doesn't mean any of that Fable 2 single-button combat nonsense.

The revamped visuals will be powered by Unreal Engine 3 with new animations for characters, new cutscenes, new ??lighting, and 1080p support. This release will also support Achievements, as well as the 360's more modern amenities, such as SmartGlass. Though the exact use of SmartGlass was not discussed, t??he possibility of pub games was brought up as something Lionhead has been experimenting with.

As Pam from Archer would say, holy sh*tsnacks! Straight out of nowhere, this is easily the best news I've heard this week. I absolutely love, love, love, love, (are you getting the point yet) love Fable: The Lost Chapters, sinking an ungodly amount of time into the original Xbox version only to have my second playthrough halted by its poor running performance on the 360. And considering how well Halo Anniversary turned out, I ??positively can not wait to? return to Albion.

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E3 is next week, in case you forgot

Are you ready for another installment of Fable? Lionhead Studios has decided that the week before E3 is a good time to launch new Fable forums, which I'm sure it is. But the end result is ?speculation that this is a sign of an impending game announcement.

"Join fans from across the globe to discuss all things Fable; from the latest news & announcements to guides, walkthroughs and fan ?content. Wherever your interests lie, you’re bound to find the perfe??ct bunch of people to discuss them with," writes Lionhead.

During the Xbox One reveal event, it didn't occur to me that Fable would probably be one of the Microsoft's E3 announcements for the new console. I guess Fable: The Journey will do that to you.

Start the co?nversation in our brand new Fable forums! [Lionhead via OXM]

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John Needham becomes studio head

It's been confirmed that the team behind Fable III and Fable: The Journey, Lionhead Studios, has a new studio head; Microsoft has ?appointed John Needham (no, not the biologist) to lead the Lionhead tea?m "effective immediately."

This Needham fellow has had quite a few roles within the gaming industry thus far, including being CEO of Gazillion and Cryptic, a member of the GameStop Digital Advisory Council, and CFO at Sony Online Entertainment to name a few.

“This is a historic time in our industry and I’m excited, and honoured, to be joining Lionhead and Microsoft Studios,” said Needham. “Our vision is focused on bu??ilding innovative gaming services and triple-A experiences at Lionhead, and the rest of Microsoft Studios, which take advantage of Microsoft’s incredible hardware and software platforms.”

John Needham – Lionhead’s new Studio Hea?d [Lionhead via Edge]

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Gratuitous Space Battles dev recounts 'talking to the community too much'

In our interview with Cliff Harris, the independent designer of Gratuitous Space Battles, he spoke about what it's like to communicate with an active fan base directly as a developer, something that can be taken for granted when working at a bigger studio. Prior to his current stint as his own boss, Harris was at Elixir Studios (Evil Genius) and Lionhead Studios.

"I used to get told off a lot at Lionhead for talking to the community too much," he told Destructoid. "They'd ask a question like 'will you be able to ?do this in the game,' and normally you can't answer that. But if you're the? guy that coded it, well, yeah you can, I'm looking at the code right now, and I got a bit told off for that.

"But with Positech, because it's me, there's nobody to tell me what I can say or can't say, and if someone suggests something on the forums and I t?hink that's a good idea then it w??ill happen -- as long as it's feasible."

It's not just the big studios that can limit open discussion, according to Harris. "There's nobody that I have to argue round, whereas with most companies, even with a lot of other indie companies, if there's two or three of them, you won't get that sort of discussion?? and response because they need to agree on whether or not they are going to do that. But here it's a dictatorship of me, so I can just say yeah, that sounds great, I'll put that in, or I won't for whatever reason."

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