History VideoGame / FableIII

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Most people in a position of power are usually much stronger fighters than their subordinates, although in the case of the hero's allies, they have the advantage of having GameplayAllyImmortality.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The game ends with the Hero forced to kill his/her lifelong mentor and friend Walter, who'd been possessed by [[EldritchAbomination The Crawler]]. Also, depending on how full the kingdom's treasury was, the vast majority of Albion could be dead, and depending on how many promises you've had to break, you may have alienated some of your old friends and allies.]]

* TheChainsOfCommanding: Played with in minor ways in the first two games, but utterly bitchslaps you here. [[spoiler:By the time you become king/queen, you are aware that a demonic entity is going to destroy the world in one year's time, and you need a war fund of 6.5 million gold to fight it off. You're forced to choose. Do you keep all your promises, be a good ruler, but risk not having enough money to save everyone? Or do you take the evil options to save money, but end up being just as bad - or WORSE - than your brother, who you just overthrew?]] There's a reason every time you're making royal decisions, you're slumped on the throne, both annoyed and despairing. [[spoiler:Though it becomes a less difficult decision if one invests in real estate, in which case making money becomes a trivial non-issue, though this probably wasn't intended.]]

* CrapsackWorld: Aurora during Eternal Darkness. And how. [[spoiler:And if your character makes the wrong choices when you become the ruler of Albion, the kingdom quickly becomes one of these too, either because you ruined the kingdom, or because the Crawler killed everyone.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: A more literal example than normal, as you need a ''ton'' of money to save everyone ''and'' hold up every election promise you made. If you want to save your kingdom and be loved by your people, you're going to have to work for it. That's right, Your Majesty, I want one hundred pies done by nightfall!

* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: You are Prince/Princess, Hero or King/Queen.

** If you tell Elliot/Elise to dump their new lover and go back to you, you'll later be asked to propose to them. You can do this upon interacting with them...or you can ruin it by belching instead. They will be so disgusted with you that they'll break up with you on the spot and hope they never see you again.

* Railroading - On the whole this is largely subverted as the game series frequently allowed choice even if in a small fashion to play a part in the story. Even if the promises you make are a case of ButThouMust, the actual upholding of them is not. There are, however, some examples where it was outright played straight.
** In spite of the fact that the base story provides you the choice to execute your morally questionable if WellIntentionedExtremist brother, Logan, you cannot execute Reaver who in spite of being demonstrably TheCaligula, is tauted as the chief enterpriser of Bowerstone. Your stand-in chamberlain effectively tells you to get over your issues with him, even though he was both complicit and gleefully so to your brothers worst actions.

* SadisticChoice: Starts out with one in which [[spoiler:you have to choose between your lifelong friend/lover and a group of peasants to be executed. There's no third option, either. If you wait too long to decide, ''all of them'' will be executed]]. You'll also have to make some hard decisions after your rise to power, whether to [[spoiler:spend the money to keep your promises, or exploit the land and earn money to fund the defense against the shadow monsters]].
** The first sadistic choice is (only slightly) devalued when you realise there is no moral implication in making it. (Shown by the blank decision buttons, rather than them being surrounded by a soft light or fire.) [[spoiler:And devalued further because the peasants never appear again if left alive, although your love interest will...and you have to decide whether to tell him/her to abandon their new fiancée when you end up saving them both later on in the game.]]

%% * SwordAndGun

** Once you become King/Queen, there are, in addition to the good and evil options, options to remain neutral, which usually results in maintaining the status quo or doing something which is neither profitable for yourself or the people affected by the decision, but at least disadvantages nobody.
** However these neutral options are only applicable for decisions regarding Logan's old policies that he had enacted during his reign, where you can choose to be better than him, the same, or even worse. You still only have two choices to make when it comes to keeping or breaking your promises to your allies.

* TakeYourTime: Once you're crowned King or Queen, you have a full year before [[spoiler:the Crawler arrives in Albion]]. But the clock for that only moves forward when you do the "Weight of the World" quest and ignores the game's day-night cycle, so you have as much time as you want to complete quests. At the same time, while the clock does only count down when you do the storyline quest, it's pretty arbitrary about how many days it decides to pass at one time. Doing the first set of tasks costs you 25 days, while the last costs over ''100''. Woe be to the player who still thought they had half a year left to prepare.

* TrashTalk: The Gnomes do this ''constantly.''

* UnexpectedGenreChange: Oh sure, there are scary moments in all three games. But in the third game, when you visit Aurora, the game's tone shifts abruptly from goofball fantasy with dark spots straight into full-blown horror. And very well done at that.

* WarningMistakenForThreat: [[spoiler:The tyrannical King Logan gives a speech to himself in the War Room about how Albion must follow his will or be destroyed.]] Later in the game, you learn that [[spoiler:Albion is being threatened by [[EldritchAbomination The Crawler]], and that [[WellIntentionedExtremist his tyrannical laws were meant to bolster the nation's economy and military so it could defend itself]]]], which gives the speech a whole new meaning..

* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:Logan]] turns out to be one of these: the ultimate motivation for all his "evil" acts was [[spoiler:the protection of Albion from the Crawler. Not that this excuses the sadistic choice he offers the player at the beginning though. ]]

** If a citizen who's fallen in love with you (but has not married you) comes across you and your spouse, they may congratulate you on your happy marriage. While their status bar fully indicates that they are still in love with you.

* ShoutOut: In a certain graveyard, your dog can dig up a wooden sword in a grave. The headstone on the grave reads: [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda "It's dangerous to go alone take this."]]

* AnnouncerChatter: In Reaver's Mansion between Reaver and his assistant [[spoiler: when they throw you into a deadly game]].

* ApologeticAttacker: [[spoiler: Walter]] while [[DemonicPossession possessed]] by [[spoiler: The Crawler]]. He encourages the player, "Don't hold back!" when you attack him. Yes, it's as depressing as it sounds.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The game ends with the Hero forced to kill his/her lifelong mentor and friend Walter, who'd been possessed by [[EldritchAbomination The Crawler]]. Also, depending on how full the kingdom's treasury was, the vast majority of Albion could be dead, and depending on how many promises you've had to break, you may have alienated some of your old friends and allies.]]

** The game has [[spoiler: the beginning of your first fight and the end of you last one with Walter, and he even recites the same basic line about stories he told you of your father/mother when you were a child.]]

--->'''Logan:''' [[spoiler: You have the power over life and death. Now choose.]]
** Your first mission involves meeting your lover in the garden and the last is [[spoiler: burying Walter there.]]

** In Millfields there is a sidequest to fund a new bridge which will let you get to Driftwood, [[spoiler: location of one of the four golden keys.]]

* ChestMonster: [[spoiler: Chesty from ''VideoGame/FableII'' returns, challenging you to a game of chess. He eventually gets bored, and has the lifesize gamepieces attack you directly.]]

** Theresa is not only behind your development as a Hero, but [[spoiler: provoked Logan into becoming a tyrant by telling him the EldritchAbomination that nearly killed him is coming to Albion, even though she says she knew from the beginning that he wouldn't be able to handle it]].

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: If you choose to make life better, and drain the vault, better be ready after you win to see a ''lot'' of corpses littering the land. The land is beautiful, friendly... and dead. On the other hand, be a tyrant and have everyone alive - and hating your living guts because they now live in a CrapsackWorld that you created.]]

** [[spoiler: If you play a female character, you're forced into this in a quest that has you impersonate a bandit. The costume they give you is always the male variant, goatee included.]]
** [[spoiler: An early quest that involves finding a lost play involves the player character dressing up in male and female costumes no matter what gender the player character is, making this achievement a guarantee if you do this quest.]]

** [[spoiler: [[EldritchAbomination The Crawler]] takes it a step further, not only insulting and threatening the player, but reminding the hero of all his/her failures and inadequacies in a very booming, mocking voice, ''non-stop'', every time you face his horde. To quote Walter:]]
--->[[spoiler: '''Walter:''' ''"Shut up, shut UP, '''SHUT UP!!!!!"''''']]

* EvilIsEasy: [[spoiler: If you decide to be a good king (or queen), you will not only need the initial 6 and a half million, but several extras to fulfill the promises. On the other hand, if you are bad, you will earn a lot of money with the immoral businesses of Reaver.]]

* EvilVersusEvil: [[spoiler: Logan's tyranny was not because he was evil, but he was committing evil acts to prevent a greater evil - the destruction of Albion by The Crawler. Though the sadistic choice he offers the player at the beginning is pretty damn evil. He claims he was trying to educate you on the challenges of leadership, but there are other, less pointlessly cruel ways to do such things. The player character can also be this, if they choose the evil options.]]

* FascistButInefficient: How Logan runs Albion. [[spoiler: If the state of things when the player deposes him are anything to go by, Logan would probably have run Albion into the ground ''and'' left it totally unprepared for the Crawler. Meaning that not only were his repressive actions heinous, they were also ''entirely pointless''.]]

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.
* GiantMook:

--->[[spoiler: '''The Crawler''' Are you blind yet? ARE YOU BLIND YET?!]]

* MentorOccupationalHazard: [[spoiler: Walter is the player's mentor and dies when the player is forced to kill him after he's possessed by the Crawler. Also an example that happens to someone else's mentor: Captain Swift's execution by Logan is particularly hard on his protege, Ben Finn.]]

* MoodWhiplash: ''Fable III'' is basically the same lighthearted Creator/MontyPython-esque game we all know, with the serious moments and emotional manipulation that we've come to expect. [[spoiler: Then you meet The Crawler]] and suddenly the entire game takes a hard left into DarkerAndEdgier. Even the way your character is seated on the throne when you become the ruler indicates this wasn't what you were expecting.

** [[spoiler: Logan hadn't gone mad with power, but mad with fear of the Crawler, and his tyrannical actions were to generate enough money for the treasury to raise an army to fight the Crawler. A treasury you will either empty to keep your promises to the people who helped you gain the throne and end up ruling a kingdom of corpses, or break them to ensure Albion and everyone in it can be saved. Or take the third option mentioned above.]]
** Traitor's Keep: [[spoiler: It is revealed that General Turner died months ago and it was Milton who orchestrated the entire plot against the king or queen, using the time with him or her to study his or her mannerisms to transform into the doppleganger of the hero to "replace" him or her, and overthrow the monarchy.]]

* RewatchBonus: [[invoked]] Play the game again, and listen to Logan's speech at the page quote knowing [[spoiler: that he's desperately trying to protect Albion from The Crawler]], and it becomes sadder and more poignant, especially the last line, ([[spoiler:because the Crawler will destroy Albion because it won't let anyone surrender]]).

* SadisticChoice: Starts out with one in which [[spoiler: you have to choose between your lifelong friend/lover and a group of peasants to be executed. There's no third option, either. If you wait too long to decide, ''all of them'' will be executed]]. You'll also have to make some hard decisions after your rise to power, whether to [[spoiler: spend the money to keep your promises, or exploit the land and earn money to fund the defense against the shadow monsters]].
** The first sadistic choice is (only slightly) devalued when you realise there is no moral implication in making it. (Shown by the blank decision buttons, rather than them being surrounded by a soft light or fire.) [[spoiler: And devalued further because the peasants never appear again if left alive, although your love interest will...and you have to decide whether to tell him/her to abandon their new fiancée when you end up saving them both later on in the game.]]
** You are forced into another sadistic choice halfway through the game, [[spoiler: that being you either screw over your friends in order to prepare for the EldritchAbomination on its way to destroy Albion or keep your promises and let said abomination destroy your kindgom's citizens]]. [[TakeAThirdOption Though this one can be completely blown out of the water through investment and some hard work]].

* SuperGenderBender: [[spoiler: If the Hero is female, Milton will swap genders when he assumes the hero's form as well as gaining power]].

* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler: Logan]] turns out to be one of these: the ultimate motivation for all his "evil" acts was [[spoiler: the protection of Albion from the Crawler. Not that this excuses the sadistic choice he offers the player at the beginning though. ]]

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: If a citizen who's fallen in love with you (but has not married you) comes across you and your spouse, they may congratulate you on your happy marriage. While their status bar fully indicates that they are still in love with you.

* RewatchBonus: [[invoked]] Play the game again, and listen to Logan's speech at the page quote knowing [[spoiler: that he's desperately trying to protect Albion from The Crawler]], and it becomes sadder and more poignant, especially the last line, which is a dose of FridgeHorror ([[spoiler:because the Crawler will destroy Albion because it won't let anyone surrender]]).

* SuperGenderBender: [[spoiler: If the Hero is female, Milton will swap genders when he assumes the hero's form as well as gaining power]].

-->'''Hero:''' [[ThisIsUnforgivable I will]] ''[[ThisIsUnforgivable never]]'' [[ThisIsUnforgivable forgive you for this]]!
-->'''Logan:''' Good. Then you'll never forget it.

* HasTwoMommies: A new option in ''Fable III'' allows gay couples to adopt children.

** While you're exploring Shadelight in Aurora.
--->'''Walter:''' Um. Do you ever get the feeling someone's playing games with us?
--->'''Hero:''' All the time.

** Also done by the Hero during the "Darkness Incarnate" quest.
-->'''Sir Walter:''' Do you sometimes get the feeling someone's playing a game with you?
-->'''Hero:''' All the time.

* DiscOneFinalBoss: The hero's brother Logan, a hated king who has them chased out of the castle. By the time the player is ready to fight him, they've already encountered the true big bad: a dark being called the Crawler, and Logan tells them everything he's done has been to prepare for the Crawler's arrival.]]

** This gets taken UpToEleven by a group of mercenaries who have a lengthy philosophical discussion about the intangible benefits of robbing a stagecoach, including enjoyment and excitement, as opposed to the tangible benefits of payment, loot, etc.

* NiceHat: The crown, obviously, but the tone and art style means a ''lot'' of sweet hats appear throughout the game. Sabine's is notably improbable and awesome.

* BigBeautifulWoman: There are posters around Bowerstone for a plus-sized dancing girl named "Big Bess."

* InterClassRomance: Thoroughly averted. The Queen/King of Albion wants to marry a homeless dressed-in-rags beggar in a lavish ceremony on the front steps of the castle with all the nobles in attendance? Sure, why not!

** [[TheUndead Hollow Men]] have a bigger skeleton enemy who can [[MookMaker spawn additional hollow men]] to protect it and also casts Shock at you..

* GuideDangIt: [[spoiler:At the end, a lot of people are shocked when the countdown goes from Day 121 to the final attack and they have not had the chance to transfer the funds into the treasury, resulting in a high death toll. Instead of going forward into a war-torn Bowerstone, simply pan the camera around and go the other way, which takes you back to Day 121 to carry on as before.]]

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: The invasion in the second half of the game was originally supposed to be the Auroran civilization. Perhaps because of this plot's uncomfortable similarity with real-life events, the enemy was ultimately changed to an OutsideContextProblem in the form of the Crawler.