Fable III

16 cert, Lionhead/Microsoft, Xbox 360****

Fable IIIis an epic role- playing game. It's about morality. It's about duty. It's also (to use an old joke) about 15 hours long.

The industrial revolution has arrived, but Albion’s citizens aren’t benefitting. Dead-eyed children slave in workhouses, the economy is in bad shape, and the spectre of a tyrant looms over everyone.

Playing either the Prince or Princess of Albion, you must gather followers and lead the citizens to revolution. You win the support of the people by fighting for them (in standard third-person combat sequences) or doing them favours, such as finding a lost play or sharing your wealth.

Fable IIIis both an ambitious, immersive role- playing experience and an instantly accessible game. You can deviate from the mission to develop relationships or entrepreneurial pursuits, or simply play it straight through as a narrative.

Unlike so many other role-players, The game isn’t bogged down in menus, stats or reams of information. The controls are simple and intuitive (not stingy with the on-screen prompts), but the moral decisions can be tricky.

Fable IIImay be a bit languid for some tastes, but that isn't a negative. However, its graphics do look a mite dated, especially compared with other open-world games such as Red Dead Redemption.

Thankfully, Fable IIImaintains the series' humour and eccentricity. As well as standard heroic skirmishes, some tasks are amusingly humiliating for our hero; he might be required to cross- dress for a theatrical performance, or maybe even wear a giant chicken suit to attract wayward livestock.

Hey, nobody said revolution was going to be pretty.