Fable 3 Understone Quest Pack DLC

One of the more outstanding features of Lionhead's fantasy action adventure, Fable 3, is the excellent quality of the side quests on offer, with many of the funniest moments and most memorable characters appearing in these optional missions. So with the release of the Fable 3 Understone Quest Pack add-on, fans will be hoping for more of the same thanks to a brand new area, a new story quest, as well as two new challenge areas.

The main quest takes place in a new area under Bowerstone, aptly named Understone, with players investigating the origin of a voice that controls the inhabitants of this mysterious underground town. The quest follows the typical formula of Fable 3's other side quests in that you’ll face several enemy encounters as you progress along a designated path. While more of the same isn't necessarily bad, it's a bit disappointing that the DLC is missing the trademark quirky humour from the original game, with no particularly standout lines or dialogue to be heard. Another complaint would be the length, with the entire main quest coming in at just thirty minutes with a levelled up character.

The other two additions in the DLC, the shooting range and Wheel of Misfortune, task players with scoring as many points as possible, with high scores unlocking prizes such as legendary weapons and random items. The shooting gallery takes the form of a traditional carnival game, situated in a Mercenary camp turned tourist attraction, with points being awarded for shooting targets and bonus points being awarded for headshots. Fable 3's shooting system was never very fluid at the best of times though, so the mini-game boils down to using the auto-targeting feature as quickly as possible and can sometimes become frustrating as you fight against the cumbersome aiming system.

The Wheel of Misfortune on the other hand is probably the most enjoyable aspect of the DLC, with Stephen Fry’s character, Reaver, on top form as you take on groups of creatures in several rounds with the aim of staying alive and again scoring as high as possible. It’s easy enough to get through the early rounds but the final rounds will require players to juggle between close and long range attacks to deal with a mix of different enemies.

At the end of the day the Understone Quest DLC should be seen as a challenge pack, rather than a proper game add-on. If your interest lies solely in more story quests, then you may find yourself disappointed with the lack of longevity and overall creativity in this new DLC. However, if you just have to own every legendary weapon, shop, and high score, then 400 MS Points isn't half bad for a few more hours of fun in Fable 3.

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