Fable 2 is the anticipated sequel to the popular original that sold more than 3 million copies. Created by famed game designer Peter Molyneux, Fable 2 for Xbox 360 features an epic story that picks up 500 years after the first game. It offers an open world environment giving players a massive amount of freedom to explore and play as they please, with every decision made contributing to the game itself.
Fable 2
Players: Offline: 1-2 Online: 2
Gameplay Modes: Single player, offline cooperative multiplayer, online cooperative multiplayer.
The new combat system lets you master different fighting styles. View larger.
You are free to roam the world of Albion any way you like. View larger.
Every Choice Has Its Consequences Fable 2 provides players with a truly immersive experience where a virtually limitless number of choices can be made, all of which have their own consequences, making each game unique. When you start the game, you choose either to play the role of a boy or girl, and depending on your choices, the hero will grow up to be tall or short, good or evil. Players can get married and have children; female player characters will become pregnant, which will then be reflected by their physical appearance.
Early in the game, players are presented with a stray dog for a best friend, who will need to be fed and loved, and will accompany the player throughout his or her life. Depending on the player, the dog will change appearance and assist him or her in various ways, such as alerting of impending dangers and attacking enemies.
Players inhabit the world of Albion and are free to roam the land to as they please. Players can use different expressions to communicate with others, such as taunting and laughing, and even belching or farting.
As the players grow, so does Albion, reflecting the choices that were made earlier in the game. Every house, hut, castle, and dungeon can be purchased if the player wishes. Players can buy up all the land in a town and can become mayor, king, and even emperor of the entire land.
Fable 2 presents a dynamic and free-roaming world that doesn't demand a player to take any one set path. At the same time, players seeking a plot line will find an epic story and quest that they can follow if they wish, along with many side adventures.
Fight Using Different Weapons and Magic Fable 2 introduces a new combat system that allows for mastery of hand weapons, such as swords, long range weapons such as cross-bows and guns, and, of course, magic. Players improve at each discipline with time, and can combine different combat styles when they fight. Other advanced design features include tactical positional advantages that can bring new strategic elements into combat.
Bring Other Players into Your World Fable 2 has a multiplayer mode that allows you to bring other players into your own world. Consistent with the rest of the game, the actions of these other players can be permanent and affect your world. You can explore and fight together with these other players, share treasures, and even fight each other.
Note: Fable 2 will not ship with Online Co-op mode. An update with this functionality is rumored to be released shortly after the launch of the game.
Xbox LIVE Arcade Mini-Games Gamers can play minigames through Xbox LIVE Arcade and earn currency that can be used in Fable 2 to purchase weapons, armor, and other items for the hero.
Fable 2 is rated M for having mature content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older.
Depending on your choices, the protagonist can turn out wildly different -- male, female, good, evil, and more.
Features:
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Action RPG for Xbox 360 picks up 500 years after the first Fable and offers wide-ranging open-ended gameplay
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Players can assume the role of either a boy or girl
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Combat system allows for short-range, long-range and magic attacks
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Currency earned in minigames on Live Arcade can be used in the game
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Online multiplayer mode lets you bring other players into your world
Average Customer Review:
( 350 customer reviews )
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40 of 42 found the following review helpful:
Your Health Is LowOct 26, 2008
By R. Reining
"Armchair Acitivist"
I didn't have a problem with the game freezing up my XBOX, and I'm sorry to hear it happened to (seemingly so many) others. The story isn't the best, and the inventory system is clunkier than the original. But a lot of improvement has been made. And you have to play it for a while to notice the better differences.
The good
There is no Mana bar anymore. If you are a primary Will user, this will be a godsend. No more having to worry about how much juice you have left. If you have the spell, you can use it as much and often as you want. I loved that. To extend on this, Magic is better balanced against melee weapons, so you don't feel like I did in the first one, that the spells were a nice addition, but not typically too practical in a difficult fight.
The game has a fairly complex economy system. Much more complex than I've seen in any other game. You can buy nearly every building in every city. There are exceptions...but not many. And when I say that, I mean it. You could probably count the buildings/structures you cannot buy on one hand. Which leads to the next thing I liked: When you rent out houses or buy vendor stalls and shops, you accumulate wealth without having to work for it. And, as is normal, you can regulate how much you charge. More than the town average will corrupt you, less with make you more pure.
After the main quest, there are still jobs and quests available that take a while to complete. I've probably put a good 30 hours into the game, and I still have a lot that can be done.
You four-legged friend. I think it's the coolest addition to the game. He will help you somewhat in fights, he will sniff out treasure for you to dig up, and he will growl when you approach an enemy, before you see them. As well, he/she has a number of expressions to compliment your own...which are adorable.
The graphics are really great. They are similar to the first game in terms of coloration and...well, Fableness. It's colorful and there are lots of ambient noises out in the open.
The leveling system is improved by default. Since in this world 500 years after the first, the Heroes Guild is utterly destroyed. The Chamber of Fate is the most intact piece that us left. But this means that there are no experience portals for Skill, Will, and Strength. So as soon as you build up enough experience, you can immediately go to the Abilities section in your options and upgrade you skills.
The music is pretty, and similar to the first. It's a perfect compliment to the environment. No long explanation needed. It's just well used.
The Okay
To be honest, I was disappointed in the guns. The rifles/pistols/crossbows. I didn't find them as evenly balanced against all of the others. They are nice from long range, but I didn't find them as useful as I found the bows in the original game. Not bad by any means, but I think if they caused more damage in relation to the other types of skills you possess, I would have used them more.
The "free roaming." On the back of the box it's said that "Roads are for suckers" accompanied by a picture of someone hopping a fence. Well yes, this is possible. However, what is not possible is multiple paths to the same destination. There is more substance -around- the roads, and there are more caves, but you cannot, for instance, leave the road and go up and over the mountain to get somewhere faster.
The new mapping system. I remember about a year ago, Peter Molyneux told us all that the original Fable was too easy. You could play the game by looking only at the displayed Mini Map. And he was right. But their solution? Now instead of a Mini Map, you have a glowing golden trail to follow. You -can- turn it off, but to be honest, I didn't really see this as a solution. It's just a different version of the same thing.
The bad
The story, I have to say. It's not that great, and it's not actually that long. But, I suppose I couldn't expect something on the scale of Oblivion or Lost Odyssey after the first one was so short as well. There were really no twists. The beginning really had me intrigued, with the box and such. But then it kind of went exactly how I expected it to go. There was no...substance, to any of the characters. Except between you and your dog. At the end of the game one of the characters calls your characters the best friend she ever had...and it's meaningless. You don't spend that much time together, and are absent for a long time. You don't know that much about them.
The Inventory system. Like the last game it is nicely divided into subsections. Weapons, Clothing, Food, Potions, Trophies, Books/Documents, etc. However, when you choose, for instance, to consume a potion that will give you more Strength Experience, it closes the menu and you go back to the game. So if I want to lose weight by eating celery, I have to press Stars>Items>Food>Celery. And then repeat it. It just gets to be a hassle. I wish you could do what you need to do, and then unpause the game yourself.
Weight. If it's your first playthrough, you will probably, like me, end up overweight. I didn't even realize it was happening, because when you first play through you probably don't have that much money, so you buy whatever will heal you. This seems necessary because, 1. If you get knocked out (killed), you get a new scar, and 2. Potions and Food are a lot less plentiful than in the last game. So when you get badly injured, you eat whatever comes up on the D-Pad. There are lots and lots of things that can make you fat. Cheese, meat, pie, some beers. The only normal item that makes you lose weight is celery. The ONLY. It took me about 5 hours of interactive game play to finally get back to even with my weight. Sleeping for weeks at a time to give the produce vendors time to restock on celery, buying and eating it, sleeping again. It got tiring, very fast. So my recommendation to you if you haven't bought the game yet and are reading this...stick with potions, apples, and carrots.
(Too long didn't read? The game is worth your $60.)
78 of 99 found the following review helpful:
Refreshingly PromisingOct 22, 2008
By Jay I never played the original Fable because I was living Warcraft 7-days-a-week :) I heard the original was pretty good though it was short (content-wise) and might have been a little over-hyped? Well this time around I completely ignored the hype and early reviews and just bought the game. So far, I am not disappointed. I'm out of the training area, have my first spell, beat my first mini-boss, and showed off my first trophy. This is a really good game so far.
The combat system flows really nice once your get used to it and it's super simple - one button for Melee, one for Ranged, one for Magic.
Everything you expect in a good RPG is there : XP, Levels, Skills, Weapons Upgrades, Socketed Items, Gold, Loot Drops, Condoms, and Babies.... Umm. Yes, did I forget to mention it's rated M for mature. So make sure the receiver of this game is mature enough. It's all in good spirit and there aren't any secret nude cut scenes that I'm aware of. Of course this can lead to the responsibilities of a family, having children, buying houses, providing for them which sounds like a ton of fun but I'll save this part to the end after I defeat the world and wave fireballs in the air first!
Otherwise, one of things I like about this game is that there are so many different types of content. Talking statues, random items, magic books, treasure chests, treasures to dig up, you have a pet dog that you can train, you can swim above water, you can even buy and rent houses as well as own shops for income; or head down to the pub and gamble your way to riches.
There just seems to be a good amount of things you can do in the game - and of course the graphics and storyline are pretty darn good.
I think they did a good job with no bad surprises so far. So if you think you might like this game - there is a very good chance that you will.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
Not bad, but missing that Fable feelMar 15, 2010
By Nocturnal I would've rated this a 3.5, but since you can't I rounded down.
MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
What I liked:
- Less scarring. In the original it was much too easy to get scarred up early on
- Buying real estate (and not having to keep running back to collect your profit)
- The option to be a woman
- Having kids (although I could've lived without seeing them pick their noses and rear ends)
- More expressions
- Naming my family... too bad they were just "nicknames"
- Everyone having names and their own likes/dislikes. Made it more personal
- No more aging when leveling up (Not enjoyable to have to decide to be old and strong or young and wimpy)
- The "loose" citizens. Yes, my character was a ho
- Graphics
- The slo-mo shots in battle
- Gargoyle hunting
- Ties to the past/original
- Dying clothes/hair
- The jobs and sidequests
- Missions involved more work, often sending you to several different places
- Experience potions
- The women's voices didn't sound like old hags when they asked for wedding rings, ala Fable
- More variety in people. Although most of them weren't exactly lookers
- Stealing. My favorite hobby
- The dog. I had more of an attachment to my dog than to my family
What I did *not* like:
- The aiming system with guns/bows sucks. In Fable 1 it was so easy, just double click to zoom in and decapitate bandits. Another favorite hobby, and missed it here
- I much preferred the medieval setting in the original
- Playing as a woman was fun...until you leveled up and she became a hideous Amazonian she-beast. I ended up concentrating on Will so as not to look so much like a transvestite. But then the glowing Will lines all over weren't pretty either
- Stolen items were mostly junk, and you didn't know what it was until you took it. There was no way to drop something worthless. Who wants a rotten apple?
- Missed the old lightning spell where you could zap several enemies at once
- Inability to hurt or kill Reaver. I so wanted to
- Kicking animals is not funny
- You never got to see Rose again
- Your kids constantly on your a** so you can't get a moment alone with your spouse
- Trying to gain the affection of just one person draws a crowd, and they're all affected by your actions
- And the absolute **WORST** thing in the entire game: you're followed EVERYWHERE. I cannot say enough how much I **HATED** that. It actually took a lot of enjoyment out of the game for me. When you're well-known you have mobs following you down the street, all asking to marry you. Sometimes the crowd is so thick you can't get through and they repeat the same things in unison until you want to rip your hair out. They even follow you into your house like they own the place. Out on the streets is bad enough, but in your BEDROOM? Ridiculous. I wanted some quiet time with my family; next thing I know there are strange kids dancing around the room along with a few adults chatting me up. Wtf, go away! There's no way to get rid of them. Trying to scare them also scares your family. They really need to let you shut your front door to keep these idiots out
..Okay, rant over
By the way, what does it say about a game that, while playing it, you yearn for the original?
All in all though, this game has its problems but is still worth a playthrough if you liked Fable.
36 of 47 found the following review helpful:
"What is history but a Fable agreed upon?"Oct 21, 2008
By M. Roberts The 2008 season of great games has officially begun.
Fable 2, as it has been advertised, is all about choices and the repercussions of those choices. From the start of the game, these choices shape the very world around you, whether a town turns into a slum or a glorious economic stronghold.
The combat system is remarkably simple, and remarkably fun. It's simple in that 3 buttons control sword, pistols(and crossbows,etc), and magic. But it turns out to be an amazing amount of fun and flows rather fluidly between the three.
The overall feel of the game is excellent, much better than the original fable. The graphics, as you can see if you look at any gameplay videos, is top shelf. The music is also great, and really sets the mood of the game.
The only downfalls of this game are in co-op and expressions. Co-op doesn't allow for you to drop your character's weapons or looks into your friends game, only your experience and skills (hopefully this will be fixed in an update). The expressions wheels, while interesting and simple, are strange since it makes for zero words said for your character (just a lot of farts).
All and all though, excellent game, definitely worth the wait. Pick this one up.
16 of 20 found the following review helpful:
Entertaining, but falls shy of excellence.Jul 09, 2009
By Christiana M. Kirkham
If you enjoy casually playing games you will likely find Fable 2 to be worth the money. If you tend to be professional or "serious" about your gaming habits you will find Fable 2 too easy and would be better off renting it and completing it within the day or less it will take you.
The game itself is a stunning display of modern graphics, interesting story, entertaining combat mechanics and amazing freedom of player choices that have different effects on the outcome of the game.
The game also adds a multiplayer feature which is useful if like mine your spouse gets very tired of watching you play RPGs without any option to join in.
But... the game has enough balance issues to keep it out of the category of the truly great. For starters the game essentially has no death penalty. If you die you get temporarily knocked out and then get right back up to vanquish the threat. You do get a permanent scar if this happens which detracts from your beauty but as you can easily buy attractive clothing the villagers you attempt to woo will never know the difference.
Another significant problem is that amassing gold is absurdly easy and the best items in the game are proportionately absurdly inexpensive.
Even with these gritty flaws pulling the game off the pedestal of gaming greatness this game is still highly enjoyable if you don't take it to seriously. Instead of rushing the story give yourself limitations. Make it your goal to never die or to win without ever upgrading weapons or skills. Or see how benevolent you can be and then see how long it takes you to go completely evil.
Bottom line: With a little imagination on the part of the player this game is superb, unfortunately as it is traditionally the developers responsibility to provide the imagination this game cannot be considered the final word in RPGs.
based on 350 reviews
( 350 customer reviews )
