[360] - Fable 2 Review

[TrackZero]

Fable 2 Review

Title: Fable 2
Platform: 360
Developer: Lionhead Studios Ltd.
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
MSRP: $59.99 (360), $79.99 (360 CE)
Editor: Andrew 'TrackZero' Hodder

Total game time as of publication (hours:minutes): 18:16 - Good, 7:43 - Evil

What's Hot: Fable finally lives up to it's promises; your actions affect not only yourself but the world around you; economy and reward system actually encourage doing "secondary" quests as well as participating in the jobs and real estate sub-games.

What's Not: The map, or lack thereof; plenty of loading screens when using quick travel to get around; a scattering of bugs.

In Fable 2, we return to the world of Albion. Set 500 years after the original Fable, your previous characters exploits are now nothing more than rumor and legend. The Heroes Guild is long gone and the world has moved on to science, leaving magic simply a fairy tale. As in the first game your childhood is one of tragedy and circumstance (which conveniently also works as a great tutorial). Your youth, however, just lasts long enough to make you familiar with the world, controls and story when you're thrust into the main "meat" of the game.

Once you are grown to adulthood, you begin your quest to save the world (and have some revenge while at it). Though that part of the story often feels secondary to the more immediate issues of fame and profit that are required to progress the main quest line. Since Fable 2 works on such a large time scale as well, there's no pressure to stick to the beaten trail. Finding yourself in the first town, Bowerstone, you're largely left to your own devices on how to continue the game (aside from your quest log reminder). The game encourages the player to explore and experience the game at their own pace and in their own way.

You're also followed around by your faithful dog, who assists in combat, treasure finding and to the feeling of never being alone. There is a multitude to see and do in Albion. This includes such things as working at the bar serving drinks, freeing slaves from bandits or buying up real estate. Demon doors all present unique requirements to fulfill if you want to get to much of the legendary loot. There's also a large number of well done side-quests, with some nice referential humor mixed in to be completed.

As per the original Fable, your character's moral choices affect your appearance and reputation among the population of the world. What's new in Fable 2 is, some of those choices have an impact that affect an entire towns development. Which isn't to say you cannot do some damage control later to try and turn things around, but in some cases the consequences are ones you have to live with. Moral choices also have an effect on man's best friend, as with everything else in the game, your dog's appearance is altered along with your alignment. There are also some more specific plot-based consequences, but we'll keep away from spoilers here. What can be said though is that if you want the full Fable 2 experience, it'll take more than one play through.

Following that note, Fable 2 may require more than one play through if you come across one of the few "showstopping" game bugs that are present upon launch. Lionhead of course is working on a patch to address these issues, but in the meantime there are some workarounds you may want to be aware of. That said, of the bugs that I encountered in Fable 2, most will not affect your gameplay experience (having a lightning texture float in the air after defeating an opponent with that spell, for instance). The only other real issues of note are with the map (there isn't one, beyond a zoomed in view during loading screens, which doesn't give context) and the inventory management. Though neither of these is a dealbreaker, they are something that could have been improved upon.

Overall Fable 2 offers a great world to explore, with tons of customization, a solid story, interesting characters, humour and most of all fun. Add on to that the co-op play and "ORB" system so you can interact with your friends while in the single player game, there's simply a lot of things to do in this title for your money. Lionhead certainly did their homework on this game, winning over many of those who didn't like the original. Fable 2 is a definite improvement over the original, both in scope and implementation. I can recommend this title as a purchase for just about anyone.


Score: 4 out of 5 CoGs


Drew says: "With just the right amount of humor present, the idealistic setting and RPG elements , Fable 2 often reminded me of the Quest for Glory series. Which is just a good ol' time."

- Read the Co-Optimus Review, to get more details from the co-op perspective.

- Review this title yourself over at Play It Review It, part of the CoG Network

[Telefrog]

I'd give Fable 4 out of 5 in singleplayer, but a 2 out of 5 for multiplayer. If you bought it just for singleplayer, I think you'll be satisfied, but folks looking for multiplayer action will get really frustrated with the terrible camera.

[National Kato]

Yeah, the MP was much less than originally expected and the 'scattering' of bugs have kept the game out of my 360 for over a week now.

[Cupelix]

I've been enjoying my time with Fable 2, but I have the same problem with it that I have with other open ended "sandbox" games. The very nature of the game is contradictory to the plot. There is this hanging plot out there where there's an evil man making an evil building which is going to cause all sorts of problems for Albion... but, hey, it can wait, let me go do 800 side quests because the evil dude will wait for me.

I always find that distracting.

On top of that, there are some pretty weird texture/graphic issues in Fable 2, none of which should have made it out the door. 75% of the time when I dig up treasure my dog found, while it's doing the slow zoom around me, the dog goes semi-transparent for no obvious reason. The "bread crumb" trail is very spastic - you can be following it around and suddenly it changes direction on you, and then changes back to saying you were going the right way in the first place.

I've also noticed a handful of framerate issues - mostly obvious when you're playing the not very fun job minigames or extending expressions - the little white ball that moves back and forth in the meter often is very skippy and jumpy (sometimes you can even see the green target bar move from it's last position to the new position needed). That kind of stuff shouldn't make it into a produced game - it's a level of polish that seems pretty fundamental.

That said, none of it is making me stop playing the game. Though, the combat is getting a little repetitive since magic is about 6000% stronger than melee combat, which means my fights consist of: Raise Dead, Inferno Level 5, rinse, repeat.

[JayVe]

Fantastic review. I'm loving Fable II myself, even the lame Co-Op mode. It means my wife can play, and I can chill on the sofa with her and still get some EXP for my own game. Sure, I'm a cripple in her world, but that is actually a GOOD thing. It prevents me from running her game for her. Every time a chest needs to be opened, she has to do it. She's in control, and I'm along the border with a visitor badge.

[opsin]

Just finished this last night (just as Fallout arrived this morning). Have to say I certainly preferred it to Fable 1, which I always say, I enjoyed greatly, but wouldn't say I liked.

With levels far less constrained to the same path, and some real polish, I really liked Fable 2. And would be in the top 5 games of the year most likely for me.

There were some irritations. The jump/vault thing was horrendous. Not so bad when diving into water, but vaulting down from ledges felt so clunky. The dog would occasionally schiz out big time and refuse to take me to whatever it was he was barking about. And there was a period (which somehow ended) where my daughter would just stand there a random spot of town and not move at all.

The worst though was the trolls. The first one was fine, and worked just as intended, but the rest felt like the game was cheating. I would go to fire at a tendril that was glowing, that had only jsut started glowing, and minute I released the button to shoot, it would stop glowing. This happened repeatedly on the fucking TIMED one, both times I did it, and was just infuriating. It really did feel like the game was cheating to stop me defeating that troll as easily as I could, which obviously pissed me off rather a lot.

But, there were more than enough things about it that I enjoyed greatly, and will probably go through it again being an evil tyrant, as like always I couldn't help but be a good guy. Another thing I agree with the IGC guys on - I've not found a game yet where it isn't easier to play through good. GTA it might have been the case, but there weren't masses of choices and I'm not sure they made much difference, and Fallout I haven't played enough of yet...

[Norse]

I absolutely loved the game. The whole world of Fable 2 is so damn beautiful and engrossing. There's so much to do and I love how many of your actions have some kind of consequence. I recently played Dead Space and thought it was my GOTY, but after playing Fable 2 I'm not so sure anymore. Let's see if this continues when Gears 2, Mirror's Edge, Prince of Persia etc. arrives

[agentgray]

Great review, Track. Spot on.

However, I found the loading screens to be informative, and they didn't seem to take too long.

[JayVe]

Originally Posted by Norse

I absolutely loved the game. The whole world of Fable 2 is so damn beautiful and engrossing. There's so much to do and I love how many of your actions have some kind of consequence. I recently played Dead Space and thought it was my GOTY, but after playing Fable 2 I'm not so sure anymore. Let's see if this continues when Gears 2, Mirror's Edge, Prince of Persia etc. arrives

I'm in the same boat. Dead Space was goregous and well-done, but it feels VERY limited to one path and a "Go here and push the button" approach to the game's design.

Fable II feels alive to me. It isn't perfect, but it is engaging and compelling, rich and varied. Nuanced.

[AgtFox]

Dead Space is extremely linear, but it is a good game. I have yet to open Fable 2 or Fallout 3 because I've been concentrating on other games I have to review, but I can only guess those two are far less linear than Dead Space. Linearity isn't a bad thing especially when presented with a new story-based IP like Dead Space.

However the name of the game throughout 2008 has been "open world" or "sandbox" games if anything. Games that have a central story, but allow you to basically do any side stuff you want.

Also, please Digg this and the other reviews if you want. The more exposure we can get to the outer world of CoG and the CoG Network, the bigger and better this community can become.

[Mdot]

Great review Track.

I really enjoyed the game. I feel like I had to somewhat rush through parts because of the busy Fall schedule, but I'm looking forward to getting back into it during the next lull. Biggest complaints I had were the sluggish menus. I agree with the disappointing map and weak inventory management as well.

[JayVe]

Originally Posted by AgtFox

Dead Space is extremely linear, but it is a good game. I have yet to open Fable 2 or Fallout 3 because I've been concentrating on other games I have to review, but I can only guess those two are far less linear than Dead Space. Linearity isn't a bad thing especially when presented with a new story-based IP like Dead Space.

However the name of the game throughout 2008 has been "open world" or "sandbox" games if anything. Games that have a central story, but allow you to basically do any side stuff you want.

I don't know how 'new' this concept is, since a number of games over the last generation consoles were sandbox games.

That said, I quickly grew quite bored with Dead Space. I felt like nothing more than a guy who pushes buttons for other people. Once the thrill wore off of the fancy visuals and the weightless rooms, there was nothing more than go here, kill baddies, push button.

Fable II, on the other hand, grabbed me and didn't let me come up for air for a week.

I'll finish Dead Space once it shows up used for $20. Since it is a single-player affair, with a single path, and very little replayability, It will end up in the discount bins fairly quickly.

[Cupelix]

Originally Posted by JayVe

I'm in the same boat. Dead Space was goregous and well-done, but it feels VERY limited to one path and a "Go here and push the button" approach to the game's design.

Fable II feels alive to me. It isn't perfect, but it is engaging and compelling, rich and varied. Nuanced.

I have to disagree. I don't think Fable II feels "alive" in any real sense. Yes, the game is smart enough to have the villagers react differently to you based on your actions - but the reaction is pretty superficial. It doesn't have any meaningful effect long term, that I've noticed. There are some cool changes that happen to the world based on decisions you make - but they don't happen very organically; the game has an excuse which makes a large chunk of time vanish, and boom, the world has changed. That doesn't really feel "alive" to me.

Dead Space's approach is, to me, the better way to really tell a story. Fable's story, frankly, is not terribly engaging, and can be summed up in about three sentences. For a game where you're supposed to be an epic hero, that seems a little disappointing.

There's also some weird choices in some of the quest designs - I'm playing as a good character, so eventually I had a quest where the evil guys were attacking the Temple of Light's fountain thing. Lo and behold, the guy down there is the freaking head of the Temple of Shadows. This is the first time I've even confronted the Temple of Shadows, and I'd seeming skipped straight to the head honcho. Made it kind of anticlimactic when I killed him and was told that the Temple of Shadows would now surely fall apart.

[AgtFox]

Originally Posted by JayVe

I don't know how 'new' this concept is, since a number of games over the last generation consoles were sandbox games.

I wasn't saying it was a "new" concept, just that I've noticed there has been an unusually large amount of releases in the "open world"/"sandbox" type of game this year, more than I remember in other years and certainly more high profile ones than in previous years.

[JayVe]

Originally Posted by Cupelix

I have to disagree. I don't think Fable II feels "alive" in any real sense. Yes, the game is smart enough to have the villagers react differently to you based on your actions - but the reaction is pretty superficial. It doesn't have any meaningful effect long term, that I've noticed. There are some cool changes that happen to the world based on decisions you make - but they don't happen very organically; the game has an excuse which makes a large chunk of time vanish, and boom, the world has changed. That doesn't really feel "alive" to me.

Dead Space's approach is, to me, the better way to really tell a story. Fable's story, frankly, is not terribly engaging, and can be summed up in about three sentences. For a game where you're supposed to be an epic hero, that seems a little disappointing.

There's also some weird choices in some of the quest designs - I'm playing as a good character, so eventually I had a quest where the evil guys were attacking the Temple of Light's fountain thing. Lo and behold, the guy down there is the freaking head of the Temple of Shadows. This is the first time I've even confronted the Temple of Shadows, and I'd seeming skipped straight to the head honcho. Made it kind of anticlimactic when I killed him and was told that the Temple of Shadows would now surely fall apart.

Like I said, Fable II isn't perfect. I simply prefer its approach of giving me a world to play in and poke around at the seams instead of forcing me through the same dark corridor again cause the next button I have to push is at the end of the hall. Nowhere will you find me claiming that Fable II is perfect. It isn't. That said, I prefer Fable II very much over Dead Space.

Last fall, Mass Effect ate all my holiday time. This year it is Fable II and hopefully Fallout 3. I really enjoy these meaty games that allow me to change the game world though my interactions. Edit: I especially love if the game respects my DIALOG interactions to change the world, instead of resorting to blowing things up to make a change.

[JayVe]

Originally Posted by AgtFox

I wasn't saying it was a "new" concept, just that I've noticed there has been an unusually large amount of releases in the "open world"/"sandbox" type of game this year, more than I remember in other years and certainly more high profile ones than in previous years.

Recently we had Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, Crackdown, Just Cause, GTA, etc. I'm sure I'm missing others, since I don't follow these things directly. Aren't Spiderman and Hulk games open-ended affairs? Mercenaries 2 is a sequel to a series that started on the PS2, along with all of PS2's GTA games and the FLOOD of knockoffs.

We are probably looking at the mature section of the sandbox game's genre lifecycle. Sandbox games aren't anything new or all that special by their very nature alone.

Edit: Here's an excellent look at Nonlinear Gameplay comparing the freedom offered in Crackdown compared to the 'tied down' approach that GTA4 offers.

Edit again: This Wikipedia article on nonlinear gameplay has an interesting quote:

"When a level is sufficiently large and open-ended, it may be described as an open world, or sandbox. Though Grand Theft Auto III popularized the open world design in 2001 with its 3D environment, earlier games such as Metroid (1986) had already utilized this form of level design in 2D."

[opsin]

Originally Posted by Cupelix

I have to disagree. I don't think Fable II feels "alive" in any real sense.

I think it did, more than most games certainly. And I agree it was a veneer, but it did the trick in places. Things like the way the world changes over time (houses popping up - OK, just once, but it was a nice touch) and the seasonal change happening through the narrative just helped to make it feel like it was there. Not spending too much time trying to get anything too real out of the villagers helped me to gloss over how obviously repetitive everything they said and did was.

It was a tease for me, in that in many ways it wasn't any where near as far advanced from Fable 1 as Molyneux promised, obviously, and I expect a third would be a similar iteration on in presentation rather than actual innovation, but it at least made me feel like the narrative was set somewhere with some soul.

[JayVe]

Originally Posted by opsin

Not spending too much time trying to get anything too real out of the villagers helped me to gloss over how obviously repetitive everything they said and did was.

I had one woman in Fable II say, "Don't you just hate it when people keep repeating the same thing, over and over. Don't you just hate it when people keep repeating the same thing, over and over."

[TrackZero]

Originally Posted by opsin

I think it did, more than most games certainly. And I agree it was a veneer, but it did the trick in places. Things like the way the world changes over time (houses popping up - OK, just once, but it was a nice touch) and the seasonal change happening through the narrative just helped to make it feel like it was there. Not spending too much time trying to get anything too real out of the villagers helped me to gloss over how obviously repetitive everything they said and did was.

It was a tease for me, in that in many ways it wasn't any where near as far advanced from Fable 1 as Molyneux promised, obviously, and I expect a third would be a similar iteration on in presentation rather than actual innovation, but it at least made me feel like the narrative was set somewhere with some soul.

I have to admit to some degree with Fable 2 (and in some way Fallout 3), those limitations placed upon the games realism are due to the DVD format's space limitation. We're seeing it hit the end of life with regards to what it can do (at least for open world sandbox games, that require all the data available at once without disc swapping). I'm already looking forward to what their potential sequels next gen will be once (and let's be honest here) the disc standard is either changed to Blu-Ray or installed directly to the hard drive via multiple discs. (I'd probably prefer the latter, simply due to loading/access times.) Though I shudder to think of the development costs to really push the boundaries required.

[opsin]

Originally Posted by TrackZero

I have to admit to some degree with Fable 2 (and in some way Fallout 3), those limitations placed upon the games realism are due to the DVD format's space limitation. [...] Though I shudder to think of the development costs to really push the boundaries required.

This is true. I watched the making of disc at a friend's the other night, as he got the LE (though, putting the request for your hobbe photos on it when they didn't give them the hobbes was... awesome! I thought they'd cancelled that giveaway a long time ago?).
Anyway, on it one of the devs did comment (a few perhaps) that it was juuuuust going to squeeze on a disc. I'm certainly all for the end of DVDs, given pretty much all the games I've played of late have wound up with space issues.

But it's the amount of work it would take to create a world that really feels alive that, like you say, sort of scares me. Considering GTAIV wound up costing 100 million or so... And the number of games that are taking more than three years in development too...


Oh, and kudos for an awesome avatar by the way. It's awesome, while not as horrendously depressing (though well done) as the famous last-strip-ever spoof someone did.