Fable 2, or how I started my love affair with virtual canines!
Review written by KatanOmega on 2/1/09
Last edited on 2/1/09
Let me start by saying that I was not a fan of the first Fable. I found the main story quest uninspired, the combat a bit wonky, and the interactions with the game world boring and unfulfilling. Fable 2 fixed all of that and was very close to being my choice for game of the year.
Your toon starts off as a homeless child that feels like he’s been ripped right out of a Dickens novel. As you progress you will decide whether you are going to join the forces of good, or evil. When I say evil I do mean evil, Fable 2 allows you a lot of creative freedom in the mischief you can cause. Pissed off at your wife? Go to the town whore, nail her, get Herpes, go back and nail your wife, now she has Herpes. I even think there is an achievement for doing it. That’s just the tip of the iceberg though; Fable 2 does a great job of immersing you into that world and making you realize that your actions whether good or evil have consequences. I decided to play as a hero, for some reason I can’t seem to play through a game and be evil.
The main storyline while not the most original, keeps you interested enough to want to move forward. There are a lot of side quests that have their own storylines and are really fun. I thought this was great because in most games I skip a lot of the side quest, they usually are nothing but time sucks. Your supporting cast is what really breathes life into this game. From your dog companion to your fellow heroes or villains, and the inhabitants of the game world, all give Albion a sense of being alive, and when you’re not there they still are. I felt so connected that the first time an enemy kicked my dog I nearly lost my shit and took particular joy in breaking my foot off in his ass.
I am not a huge fan of the games art style. The environments are lush and beautiful. The character art however feels like a mix between bad anime and mad magazine. Try finding a woman in Albion that’s attractive, I dare you. You’re a hero dammit you should have a trophy wife, not a snarled tooth troll. If you’re not a Hero then you should be able to go into town and rape and pillage your way to a slave wife. You really do not want to though because they are fugly! While I joke about the fact that I would not fuck any of the women in this game with your dick, it really is not enough to affect your game play any. Your characters appearance will change over time based on how often you get knocked out, how god or evil you are, and how much you eat or drink.
The combat system has been simplified down to the very basic 1-button approach. Surprisingly this does not get boring and repetitive. Your ranged, melee, and magic are each mapped to their own button. You trigger combos by timed button presses which are not to challenging, but stay interesting and satisfying. As you gain experience you will be able to choose where that experience is spent. Melee, Magic, and Ranged skills are all available to you. You can specialize in one or make a hybrid of magic and melee like I did. The only thing is that you get so much experience from quests that by the end of the game you will be leveling up skills that you passed on because you have nothing else to level. If I envision my toon as a Conan the Barbarian type, I do not want to learn magic, but I also do not want all the experience I collect to go to waste. It’s not a big deal but it did affect my connection to my character a little.
The finale of Fable 2 is where this game really shines. Its heart wrenching, I won’t ruin or spoil it but I will say that the choice you have to make at the end will give you pause. I swear to god that I sat there for 5 minutes saying “I cannot believe they are making me do this, I can’t make this choice”. You do have to choose though and while it is just a game you do have an emotional response and that is what every game should strive for. I can only hope that other developers look at Fable 2 and take this kind of game design one step further. If you finish Fable 2 and watch the credits and still want more, do not worry. The game continues after the credits, you can visit towns and get their feedback on the way you finished the game. You also unlock special quest lines, one of which will change your Fable 2 experience completely. Be warned though there is a “no turning back point in this game” so if you want to see the other endings without playing thru the game again, you better power off before the credits end. This and the fact that there is Fable 2 DLC on the way means the replay value is super high. I’m definitely going back to play as a villain at some point.
The multiplayer coop is the one real negative to this game. Your friends can join your game world but not as their own characters, and that they are tethered to you which kind of lame. I really hope they improve on this for Fable 3. Fable 2 was almost the perfect gaming experience. I can’t give it a perfect score, but it’s defiantly slugging it out with Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead for my game of the year choice. It is definitely a full price game. You can actually feel the meticulous crafting that went into this game. While the first Fable failed to deliver on most of its lofty promises. Fable 2 meets and exceeds them.
Review Summary
It doesn't happen right away, but as the game progresses Albion feels very alive.
Environments are great, Character models make it hard to feel cool in this game.
The audio ambiance in Fable 2 is second to none. It helps immerse you even more into the world of Albion.
Simple intuitive control scheme keeps combat flowing, and button mapping of spells, ranged, and melee keep things from getting boring.
You are going to want to go through this game twice at least to get both sides of the story. Also, you can continue playing after the credits!
90/100
$60
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