The problem with reviewing Fable is separating the game from the hype that surrounded it. The game itself is fun, and has any number of great things that'll be influencing other RPGs for software generations to come, but it's not quite the game that its pre-release publicity said it was going to be.

This review isn't about what Fable could or might have been, though. It's about what's in the disc as it stands, and that, at least, is pretty damned good. It's way too short (an issue it shares with the Xbox's other big RPG, Sudeki) and has a couple of glaring flaws, but it's good nonetheless.