Transformation of the character
Speaking of moral choice, this is a great time to talk about one of Fable’s more unusual mechanics. The idea behind Fable is that you are telling your hero’s life story. As such, they will undergo physical changes as you progress through the game.
This includes both aging and changes in body type. Investing experience points in strength will make your hero more muscular, while overeating will make him fat. Spending XP on speed and archery somehow makes it higher. Injuries lead to scars.
Aside from that, the other main factor in appearance is the Hero’s moral alignment. A 100% good hero will have a halo and be followed by a cloud of butterflies. A 100% evil character will sprout horns and start attracting wasps.
Heroes who aren’t as busy one path or another show less extreme physical changes. I honestly think it’s great and I wish more games had a similar feature. That said, it does not justify the lack of other significant consequences for the player’s actions.
The one exception is the way Fable models aging. While the journey from child to young adult is determined by the progress of the plot, the rest is based on leveling.
Each time you level up a skill, the Hero ages a little under a year. What bothers me is that only the Hero is affected: his older sister remains a young woman as he transforms into an old man. This doesn’t spoil the game, but it could take people out of the experience.
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