Fable III Traitor's Keep DLC Reviews

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Written by Brother None on March 17th, 2011

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The story is probably the best part of the DLC and the humour from the main game is still wholly intact. Sure, you get a few more clothing items and a new breed of dog to play with, and I think you gain some weapons and other niceties. But the story and new environments is what will be the most engaging. You play the role of a King perfectly and rather than doing tedious side-quests (which the DLC also adds), you focus more on the issues of national security. And the new islands feel suitably alien, yet somehow familiar.

In addition there are of course side quests, but uncovering this conspiracy is the meat of the DLC as you will find surprises, twists and turns that you will indeed not expect. These surprises actually took me back and were very clever to add to the content as the main story quest is no more than a couple of hours long while some side quest or Achievements may have you playing Fable 3 for quite some time. This new content adds new islands and areas for you to explore, with more dig spots and treasure chests to add to the already large world of Fable 3. You will venture into three new areas called Ravenscar Keep, Clockwork Island, and the Godwin Estate during your quests throughout the DLC. Taking part in certain quest as well as venturing out on your own will give you to opportunity to obtain new clothing such as a guard outfit, prostitute outfit, prisoner outfit and the coolest looking one in my opinion, the sand fury outfit. Traitor's Keep will add 10 for Achievements to the game adding an additional 250 gamerscore and the whole pack will cost you 560 Microsoft Points. A fair price for the content you are getting.

The journey takes you to several new regions, all with their own set of enemies to fight. Enemies are difficult to conquest most of the time, ideal for a powerful hero. My favorite enemy to spar with was Professor Farraday's robots on Clockwork Island, probably some of the more original characters in the game. The game is split into visiting a few of these unique regions and ultimately leading up into the final boss battle. Morality also pops into the picture again, fortunately a bit more prominent than Fable III. You will have faced with decisions that can effect the outcome of the DLC pack, but only pure good or pure evil. It seems like Bioware are the only people that can effectively straddle the line and stay within the gray area.

This is because Ravenscar Keep is a hellhole. The player enters the Keep through the sewers, where they're told the lowest level in the prison is where the criminally insane those who are "barely human anymore" are kept is affectionately known as 'The Pit'. Cells look dank and spartan, and diaries and notices left about the place paint a dark picture of the inhumane treatment the inmates suffered under Logan. There's a torture chamber in the basement where prisoners were rehabilitated through liberal use of electric-shock treatment. Traitor's Keep shows players a darker side to Albion than even the workhouses of Fable III and in Ravenscar, Lionshead have created a place of vile menace which looks and feels like a cross between Shutter Island and Guantánamo Bay.

I am a huge fan of the Fable series, especially Fable III. The quests are never ending and the rewards are more than sufficient. You can log in and at any time, greeted like any well-deserved diplomat. The game lasts an eternity, depending on whether or not you do the friendship, relationship, or the more dubious of offers quests. Fable III: Traitors Keep DLC is the most satisfying DLC I have ever downloaded, for the fact that it goes on beyond the quests' completions. In addition, I can rule as the Queen of Albion for all eternity well, for the moment anyway.

It's clear that the quest in this DLC has been given a lot of thought. Whereas the first batch of DLC felt like leftovers, Traitor's Keep is a far more rounded experiences and it could have fitted quite comfortably into the overarching story of Fable III to begin with. In fact, at times you'll think that the quest and its characters were initially intended to be a part of the main Fable III plotline, but were held back specifically for DLC purposes. That's not to say that the whole new quest is perfect; there are moments that seem completely out of place, even in the Dickensian Albion with its healthy dose of British humour (the Hobbe disco immediately springs to mind don't ask).

The various battles are entertaining, particularly the robot face-offs. The brilliant voice acting remains, as does the sense of humour you've come to expect. Listen out for the singing fish. A few moral choices are thrown in for good measure, though they're not as conscious-pricking as some of those in the main campaign.

But the primary questline is the main draw, and it provides a marvellous bookend to the game proper. Barring one or two conversation-based asides, Traitor's Keep doesn't really draw much attention to the ironic dichotomy of you (a former rebel turned ruler) tracking down rebels, but that's fine. It's Fable. I wouldn't expect it.

As you will soon realize, Traitor's Keep is a melting pot of different ideas that don't quite fit in with the rest of Albion as we know it. Historical, literary, and pop culture references are thrown about like rice at a wedding as you fight your way through the mysterious new locations, but you don't really have to understand any of them to enjoy yourself. After all, you'll often be too busy battling tough new enemies such as Faraday's robot army on Clockwork Island, a place that further increases my longing for a good current-gen steampunk video game. You may also find yourself entranced or slightly mortified by the monstrosities created by Mary at Godwin Estate (one of the more obvious references).

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