Fable II - Great game, annoying aspects.
Review By Klear Aquanas
Four years ago, Lionhead Studio gave us a game known as Fable. It was
filled with empty promises that the director, Peter Molyneaux, made, but
even still provided an exceptionally amazing action RPG. Some even say
it was the best RPG on the Xbox (I sure did). Even with what it lacked,
the game provided the player with countless possibilities as their Hero
wandered through Albion, creating his own story, with every choice
having its own consequence. Four years later, after long wait, Lionhead
Studios has provided us with the sequel to the amazing Fable, and what a
sequel it is.
What Fable II provides is a game where you control how the story flows.
With every choice your character changes his/her appearance, aura, how
others see him/her. That is what makes Fable, Fable. Each choice made
affects everything, and the freedom of this game is unbelievable vast.
You can do anything from begging people for money to having sex with
strangers, male or female, with or without a condom. There is very
little that cannot be done in this game. What Fable did to this freedom
four years ago, Fable II has nearly perfected in most every way.
The story for Fable II is nothing great and amazing, sure, but it still
has its own charm. The story starts as you and your sister, Rose, search
the town in search of five gold coins to buy a music box. This music
box is said to grant anyone person's wish, and when your sister obtains
it, it seems her wish comes true. The rich noble of the town, Lucien,
has asked you and your sister to come to his mansion. Afterward the wish
does not turn out as your sister had hoped, and ten years pass, which
is when the adventure really begins. The charm is how the story changes
depending on your decisions made and it is possible to never have the
story go the same way twice.
The music of the game is incredibly well done with plenty of old and new
tracks that play very well in each given scenario. The voice acting
definitely improved though, dramatically. Though plenty of AI will be
spitting off the same corny lines from time to time like the first
Fable, it is far less often than before. On top of that, the voice
actors are definitely much better than the first game that when corny
dialogue is used, it doesn't seem that bad. When story line characters
speak, the voice acting is brilliant with a well written script.
The graphics in this game are beautiful. The environments are incredibly
colorful with incredible lighting. The character models may not look
"realistic" but have their own lives with the endless number animations.
Then there is the protagonist, which has so much customization, it's
difficult to know where to begin. Everything that is done affects his or
her appearance. Getting hit and defeated in battle can leave battle
scars that seem unattractive to others, working on certain exp can make
you taller, more muscular or more mystic looking, eating can make you
fat, and how you act (good, evil, greedy, selfless, pure, currupt) also
plays into your overall looks. Top all of this with dozens of
customizable outfits, haircuts, etc. and there is endless customization.
More so than anything else, it will be impossible to have the same
looking character no matter how many times you play replay the game.
This is what Fable II is all about, as it is what makes the game
amazing. Everything about the gameplay is done so amazingly well. The
combat is very simplistic, yet offers enough customization to not be
overly easy or boring. (X) attacks with your melee weapon, (Y) shoots
your ranged weapon, and (B) charges up and eventually casts your magic
spell. It's simple, but fun. A definite plus is that magic is no longer
overly powerful and instead is perfectly balances with melee and ranged
fighting. As you fight, you gain exp to spend on level ups in four
categories depending on how you fought, as well as general exp, which
can be spend on any category. There are also minigames to earn gold
which are fun and addictive, endless sidequests (almost as endless as
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, almost), and so much else to do outside of
fighting, this game may easily be keeping you busy for 100 hours in one
play through. Then there is the co-op mode (which can be done via two
profiles on the same console or online) which adds even more to the fun
as a friend helps you along the way on your quest and reaps the benefits
for his or her character for their game. The gameplay is as perfect as
an action RPG can get.
Fable II has fulfilled it's promises left by Molyneaux and more. It is
so addictive,with so much to do that it makes me proud to own an Xbox
360. It is more than just the some of its parts as it easily becomes the
greatest game currently on the 360. If you love RPGs, free roaming
games, or just something incredibly unique, try this game, you will love
it.
NAME: FABLE II
SYSTEM: XBOX 360
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