Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 68 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 86% | 80 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 76 | 13 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 91% | 85 | 46 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 130 reviews sampled · 127 total reviews in window · weighted 93.5 up / 9.3 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (50)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 40
“The story has some minor twists and turns, but most of them can be seen from miles away, and its best characters and moments come and go in the cutscenes, not as part of gameplay.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Fable is as charming and playable as ever, but the anniversary version is a technical disaster. The developer should have waited till September and use the time to polish this pearl. This game deserves a much higher grade. If you remember loving Fable a lot some years ago and are a forgiving person - buy it. In any other case playing the original will do just fine.”
read full review ↗ - 53
“Fable Anniversary delivers almost the same experience as the original, minus its fantastic graphical style.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It is still fantastic to see where the series started and how far it has come. It is also great to see how much influence this unique action RPG has had on current games in the genre.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“The push and pull between the great and sketchy in Fable Anniversary can wear over the course of the game, but its infallible, messy charm still manage to make it every bit the enjoyable time sink it was back in 2004.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“While a solid job of remastering the original has been done, the game itself could have used a lot more of an upgrade. It's aged pretty damn badly, and no amount of visual polish can mask that.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“As there's no real burden of expectation on its shoulders, it's hard to imagine anyone getting angry with Fable Anniversary, and yet it's equally hard to shake a feeling of disappointment. It's the original, rather than this update, that's the problem. Fable's fundamentals already had a major overhaul in 2, and while a return to those ideas in rawer form provides an insight into the evolution of game mechanics, it also serves as a stark reminder of its age.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Fable isn't quite timeless, but its genial mood is infectious, and I'm happy that Fable Anniversary kept my fond memories intact.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“A good HD remake but the game itself doesn’t really warrant the attention, with too many unfulfilled promises that even its sequels failed to make good on.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Works rather well even after all these years, yet there are still some technical irks that shouldn't be there at all. [Issue #239]”
- 60
“Fable still has some charming elements that have stood the test of time and survive in Fable Anniversary. But most of the game shows its age, so if you played Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters the first time around, there’s little here to bring you back for more.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Inevitably, its doesn’t feel as fresh today as they did in 2004, but the strange and beautiful world of Albion, with all its weird idiosyncrasies and wildly varied accents, is as absorbing and lovably, peculiarly British as it ever was.”
read full review ↗
Slant Magazine
GRYOnline.pl
LevelUp
ZTGD
The Escapist
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral
EGM
IGN…and 38 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- New Version Available - 867695Nov 7, 2014
- New Version Available - 867695Nov 7, 2014
- New Version Available - 842771Oct 3, 2014
- New Version Available - 842771Oct 3, 2014
- New Version Available – 835543Sep 21, 2014
- New Version Available – 835543Sep 21, 2014
- New Version Available - 832816Sep 16, 2014
- New Version Available - 832816Sep 16, 2014