Fable II, Limited Collector's Edition Reviews

• Still an Action RPG?

  
  By A2YQK97A7XA3KD on 2008-10-23
  Before I begin this review, I would like to say that I have made my first run through the game (completed, from beginning to end), own and have played both the first Fable and Fable: TLC from beginning to end, and that my review may or may not contain some minor spoilers. I won't give away particular happenings, but I may hint at some events. This review will focus on some aspects of Fable II, but will mostly be a comparison between both Fables I and II and made for those who have played both.
  
  I am a dedicated fan of Fable, and have been avidly awaiting this title ever since I finished with The Lost Chapters. And perhaps I hyped myself up far too much for this game because I loved the last so much, but I somehow felt very unsettled and disappointed after completing the game. I have done quite a bit of exploring, though perhaps not as much as I should have (I'm not certain yet, though I have done a fair few quests). And in regards to the storyline itself, I didn't like it that much. I found that while they repeated some aspects of the original Fable, which can only be expected, it really did fall short. I wasn't as interested in the events, and after a while going about the storyline just wasn't really that enlightening. The characters seemed hollow to me, and while interesting and eccentric in their own ways I just didn't connect to them, though the voice-acting was once again brilliant. The villain was the biggest disappointment of all to me. The previous villain was a mystery, and while his motives remained uncertain that was what gave him his charm and made him memorable. With the Fable II villain I kept expecting something interesting. I understood his motives, yes, but instead of that giving him depth (which had so much potential) he ended up seeming bland and cliche in the wrong sort of way. And the ending felt very anti-climatic to me. For anyone who plans on playing Fable II due to the grandness of the original Fable, don't expect too much here.
  
  As far as the options for clothing and weaponry goes, I found that while there was plenty, none of it really appealed to me that much, and the items that did appeal to me were much too expensive for me to afford when I was focusing on gathering up a stock of potions when I found that perhaps I'd need them more than I expected. It's great that you can have jobs in this game and such, becuse earning gold in the original Fable was a bit too easy and therefore a bit boring, but I found that earning gold in Fable II was just as boring and more a hassle than an 'enlightening' experience. I enjoyed the simple repetitive activity of working when I found I'd rather wait around for shops to open, but when I'm playing a video game I don't want to sit there for seemingly endless amounts of time. The lack of making gold on quests also seemed to make it less exciting when I finished running around to do whatever task had to be done, and this leaves me feeling that an aspect of the good/evil thing was lost. What about a hero who doesn't necessarily care about renown, but would rather do quests for the gold? While that was never an actual moral issue when it came to the game, it was also a reason to do more quests and that thought just makes it more realistic. Quests weren't as fun anymore, and I didn't feel the need to go about fulfilling them just for renown. And rather than seem fun, they were just another chore. They had a repetitive feel that I didn't always experience when playing the original (and yes, I am well aware that Fables I and II are different games and a grown up world, but I am also dicussing improvement). It's wonderful that you can own so many buildings and buy so many new things, but where, pray tell, is this gold coming from? I found that I had an abundance in the original Fable with nothing to spend it on, and quite a lack in Fable II with much more available to purchase. I also don't have Xbox Live as I don't enjoy online play, so while I preordered I did not have the option to play any pub games, and felt no desire to play them when I actually owned the game. There's an augment you can get for your weapons that allows you to earn gold for every kill, but I didn't encounter that until much further into the game. And to be honest, I didn't find a point in doing quests unless I wanted to get through the storyline. Just about everything in Fable II requires gold, which you cannot earn by completeing quests... a bad decision there, I think.
  
  As far as family goes, I found the courtship process to be very similar to the previous Fable, as well as the marriage process. Having a child was no large feat and not all exciting, and I found that the family became a bit of an annoyance. They repeated the same dialogue while I roamed around the house, and both the husband and son nagged at me about having an even nicer house (their's was mediocre; not poor not rich) everytime I came around. I can only imagine the headache I'd have if I'd decided to have more children or have another family (well, there's the realism for you, but I do mean this negatively and not in a cliche manner). Also keep in mind that now when you marry and have children, you are expected to give gold to them daily (it will be automatically drained once you set the amount to give them), and I'm pretty sure that for each member of your household the amount of gold you are expected to give goes up. I found this to be irritating when I had to make a large drain on my funds in order to upgrade my equipment.
  
  The good or evil aspects that Fable is so well known have seemed to remain the same, so I'll spend no time focusing on that. What I do want to mention is the dog. I found this to be a unique and enjoyable aspect of the game, though it did sometimes get in the way (not so as to slow you down too much or prevent you from doing something, but he did get in the way when you are in a tight space and wish to get out). This dog will show you where to dig and where to find treasure chests, and while that is also a good thing it also is a bad thing. I found that because of the dog telling me where to find items I didn't feel as much of a need to go out and explore things. However, I did enjoy the dog. And when he wasn't around because he got stuck somewhere (another slight glitch) or was off for whatever reason, I discovered that I (being a little nerd) missed having the dog running alongside my hero. That is an accomplishment in itself. But I also must mention that while you can train your dog, teach him to fight, and get him to find better items for you (oh yes, see, those nice items aren't going to be that easy to find) it will likely cost you money. You need books to train your dog to do these things, and unless you can find them you'll need to buy them.
  
  What I do wish to say here is that I believe that the developers spent far too much time focussing on expanding the amount of items available to you and enlarging the world rather than focussing on the storyline, which really needed improvement in my opinion. I also found it to be very depressing, and again, anti-climatic. I was stunned when the storyline ended, and sat there through the credits wondering "is it over? is that really it?" I can't get over my disappointment there. It seemed even shorter than the original Fable, and to be honest I never had a problem with what was available there and felt that they delivered exactly what was promised. I expected a more enhanced storyline, and I was also irked that I didn't get to know more about the characters. And while there is much more available to purchase and to explore, you really need to work at it, and now it seems to me that Fable is becoming more of a Sims game (sorry Sims fans, but I like action RPGs and I find the Sims to be horrendously annoying) than an action RPG which is the genre it is supposed to be part of. For people who don't enjoy repetitive tasks, I suggest you think carefully about purchasing this title.
  
  In the category of the creatures you face, I found that there wasn't a large improvement here, and that they brought back most of the old creatures with little variations (not a negative thing). But I also found that it seemed like they had less creatures to fight than in the previous title, and while I don't care either way I did expect something new and more creatures to face. The change in the troll creatures was annoying (a good idea, but annoying) as you have to attack certain tendril-like parts of the troll, and I did this with a gun and found that I'd be there for ages trying to get rid of the troll while I was being smacked around with rocks and the like. I enjoyed the combat much more in the previous title.
  
  I hope this assisted any readers in some ways, and that my thoughts weren't too all over the place. I personally find that this title falls short of the original Fable, and wasn't exactly an improvement. The graphics are beautiful and the world is quite intruiging, but I found that the action aspect of this RPG title was lost somewhere and became just another aspect of the game. Because of this, I give Fable II a 3.5/5 rating.
  
  

• Great improvement on a great game

  
  By A265SLVARR9G2L on 2008-10-21
  I'm a huge fan of the original Fable. So, when fable II came out, I actually bought a 360 just to play this game. Fable II definitely takes everything that's great about Fable and improves it. The dog, the combat, the new story line are all great improvement to the already great fable. The only issue I have with Fable II is the map is not easily accessible or easily read. This makes navigation much more difficult the original.
  
  

• Fable 2 Limited Edition Under Delivers

  
  By A3TIC8O2EXL2NP on 2008-11-03
  I picked up this game because I enjoyed the first Fable and found it to be an easy to play game. The gameplay mechanics work for me and the easy controls make playing an RPG a good experience. But my review is not about the game. It's about the Limited Edition.
  
  You get a card with a Code you can enter and get some Halo clothes and a weapon. You also get a bonus disc that comes with a 30 minute making of documentary that really doesn't go into the experience of making the game. Some video of a troll looking character in different places the artwork gallery.
  
  I have picked up other Limited Editions. Halo 3 for example had a great making of that was fun to watch. Seemed like they had great production value.
  
  I recommend buying the game but the limited edition extra's are not really worth the extra $10 to me. I was reading in a few reviews you can get them for free. So pick up the regular Fable.
  
  

• A Fable Not Worth Your time...

  
  By A1JBUC90U37I2J on 2008-10-21
  This is quite absurd, that Lionhead Studios has the audacity to call this video game a RPG. What rubbish is this?
  
  It seems every character in the game has a role and character development EXCEPT YOUR CHARACTER.
  
  What is he, a mute? This is the same nonsense from the first Fable; the main character has absolutely NO emotion at all. Everyone speaks to him and all the beautiful or horrible things that happen to him mean absolutely nothing because he's expressionless and mute.
  
  Perhaps the bald director of Fable should have asked the story writers to mention both main characters from both Fables are intellectually disabled and have no capacity to utter a single word.
  
  Without your character able to relate to the world he lives in I cannot possibly grow to care about him. For that, I can just go visit a mentally challenged hospital and find that hero.
  
  If you want to play a genuine game where you can actually come to appreciate the character you play as, then try Mass Effect. No matter what it is you choose--being good, evil or neutral--the character always responds emotionally with character development; not to mention the fact that he or she has a past as well.
  
  Don't waste your money on this garbage. It might have exquisite graphics and dynamics, but a game without a genuine story for your character to express his or herself in is nothing more than an economic purchase of vacuity.
  
  
  
  

• Great game

  
  By A2FRTXJ0MSIQ2D on 2008-10-21
  Well worth the time and money. Great story, and an amazing rpg. The decisions you make have a large influence- a must have for the 360.
  
  
• Very good game
  By A2CM43CPOX8TVP on 2008-10-21
  This game is awesome, ithas great graphics and a great story. Being a boy or a girl is a good adition to it. Plus the family you can make is a nice addition. The story is unexplainable. It is Magnificient. It sucks you in and never lets you go. Great game.
  
  
• A boy and his dog
  By A3IDBWT605PTL7 on 2008-10-22
  For those of you that didn't like the first game then you may not like this one. I enjoyed the first one but found this to be more of the same. I think they should have used a better game engine because it's making my 360 work overtime by constantly reading off the disc. There's also frame rate problems, bugs and glitches. There's even slowdown when using the in game menu screens which really bothered me. The character animations are choppy and the voice acting is just okay. The graphics can be quite beautiful but shading will pop in, weird water effects and you can see through some characters. Another major problem is the onscreen text and health meter are off the top of the screen and I can't read them. I looked for a way to adjust screen size but couldn't find it. The dog is a nice touch but interaction is limited and takes some of the fun out of finding treasure. When you have the dog sniffing out treasure and glowing lines showing you where to go I lost interest in exploring. I was disappointed in the bait and switch with the limited edition, this is more of a collectors edition. I'm sure diehard Fable fans will find much to enjoy but I just couldn't get into this adventure.
  
  
• Do NOT buy the Collector's Edition!
  By ANH4SSC0JZ7DT on 2008-10-29
  I am about 15 hours into the game and like it very much. I have only experienced one bug, but it was not a show-stopper.
  
  BUT --- Microsoft just announced that EVERYONE can get the "Bonus In-Game Content" free of charge, even if you just purchased the normal version of this game!
  
  They owe me a $10 refund! This collectors edition has be a disaster!
  
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  Just finished the game and would like to change the fun rating DOWN to a 3 and the overall rating up to a 3...
  
  I still think the collector's edition should be completely avoided. The extra content, a Halo sword, Halo Suit, and extra dungeon are all usless. The dungeon comes late it the game and I was able to complete it in 10 minutes. (Pretty much like all the other dungeons in the game.)
  
  Overall, the game was way too easy. By the mid-point in the game I had the best weapons I was going to get. I never even came close to dying for the whole second half of the game!
  
  I think this game was WAY over-hyped.
  
  
  
  
  
• Refreshingly Promising
  By A3L5M0JJG3522C on 2008-10-22
  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.
  
  
  
• Choices and consequences
  By A17SUUAXJQUH6T on 2008-10-31
  All you 360 fans can finally exhale....Fable II has been released. After the wildly popular Fable became a classic this has been the game most of us have waited a long time for. If you missed the first Fable...this became the game you had to check out to see what all the hype was about. But once the hype machine calms down, we're left with a game with many flaws.
  
  Story:
  
  It won't take you long to realize that Fable II isn't going to revolutionize the genre. You have two choices: you can either be the stereo-typical hero or the stereo-typical villain. Horns or Halos...your choice. In this realm you're ability to decide how to build your character will emerge you into this fairy-tale. In the less-than-fortunate-part-of-town, as children dream of what lies beyond, a trader with mysterious wares comes to town. You acquire a strange item that grants you one wish. Of course, that wish is to explore the great castle that dominates the skyline. At this point, it seems as though your choice has been made for you...you are a hero. That is, unless, the ruler of Bowerstone, Lord Lucien, has his way. But before you go thinking that this is going to be an endearing game of revenge, the game gets annoying and counters with comedy. Every aspect of the game strips away the player's identity and fills it with humor. This makes the game incredibly shallow...albeit...quite humorous.
  
  Gameplay:
  
  Being an RPG you'd expect going around and hack-n-slashing your way up the proverbial ladder of experience...but Fable II tries to lead the gamer away from the typical RPG by incorporating spells and ranged attacks. You gain levels by collecting orbs from the monsters you just slain. Now, you may be thinking that walking around and collecting these orbs sounds tedious...well, this problem is solved by holding down a button and having these orbs come to you. Which in itself makes no sense...why not just have the experience orbs be collected automatically? Especially when you're preoccupied with fighting your enemies.
  
  Targeting these enemies is almost hit-or-miss. If you're fighting a large group flicking the left stick doesn't always work. Of course, if you're using magic it's best not to even touch the left stick. Moving your character also takes some getting use to as there is a delay in movement. Let me explain it like this: If you move your character in one direction, it will take a second or two for your character to actually move. Albion, the world you inhabit, has an abundant of NPCs that you can interact with by using a variety of interactive choices. Likewise with the missions. Most have a "good" way and an "evil" way of completing them...and before you ask, it's not always clear which decisions will impact what.
  
  Graphics and sound:
  
  The game starts off strong. Fable II does has some of the best CGI released thus far...yet once the CGI wears off you'll notice how dated the graphics really are - but most of this is due to the in-game camera angle. The audio, on the other hand, is nothing short of spectacular and does an incredible job conveying the emotions of the scene.
  
  Final Thoughts:
  
  Don't buy Fable II thinking this is one of the greatest games..or that it will revolutionize the industry. Just buy (or rent) it for what it is: a fun, light-hearted romp through the magical world of Albion. There is a lot here and it will keep you busy for some time.
  
  
• Everything was as it was hyped up to be.
  By A8BRDRKLC1XVZ on 2008-10-21
  An in depth storyline and the ability to dye clothing gives loads more fun and customization to your character than in the original Fable! The only discrepancy I have with the game is that I did not receive a 48-hour Xbox LIVE Gold Trial Card as promised inside the box. I didn't really mind that though because 2 days of Xbox LIVE Gold is worth nothing to me. I did however, receive the card to download the key to unlock the exclusive in-game content only available to Limited Edition. Since it just downloads a key and the extra dungeon and armor is just locked on the disc, it saves me space on my Hard Disk Drive.
  
  
• Worst. Limited. Edition. EVER.
  By AF5RNZG08GGWN on 2008-10-31
  Worst. Limited. Edition. EVER. When it comes to dumbed down before launch (released the soundtrack & fate cards to everyone, no premium box) and releasing the exclusive Limited Edition contents code to everyone.
  
  
• Well Worth the Wait for the Sequel
  By A2MR9S3GK99J6O on 2008-10-22
  The cinematics and animation is much more beautiful thanks to the capabilities of the Xbox 360. I have only been playing for a few hours, but the story is already captivating. The battle combos flow flawlessly and the new one-button system is great. When the creators said that the new moral system was more in-depth than just good and bad, they weren't exaggerating. To be "good" throughout the game means sacrificing more than in the previous game. Now you have to sacrifice the amount of money you earn when you own businesses as well. I can go on for hours about the many positive aspects of the game but I will not. If you liked Fable, you'll LOVE Fable II.
  
  
  
• Peter Does It Again (With Only A Few Flaws)
  By A28T6THV75B47Q on 2008-10-23
  First off let me say this incredibly over hyped game delivers almost everything that Peter M. promised us.
  
  You've got the selection of a male or female protagonist that can follow the path of good or evil or even deeper yet, purity or corruption (two separate scales). The emotions and expressions in dealing with the non playable characters are amazing, as is dealing with your trusty sidekick the dog.
  
  The environments are vast and gorgeous with the sun shining in your eyes at certain points on a cliff as you spin the camera or watching the rail fall in a dark forest. The game just flat out looks beautiful.
  
  The only disapointments to me so far are the fact the LE had items cut and while you get the Halo armor/Plasma sword (which both rock and look awesome) as well as an extra dungeon, this wasn't what was promised to us and then at the last minute it was gone. The LE also had 5 real fate cards, a collectors tin to hold the game, a bonus disc dvd (which is still there) and a collectible Hobbe figure. I am not a collector by any means but come on MS, don't do that to people who pre-ordered.
  
  Also an issue I heard was the codes for the down loadable content/Halo armor, etc... while I received my copy of the code, many others didn't. MS said they will have them by the 28th of October, still a blunder with the launch again.
  
  All the mishaps aside this game is incredible and it is recomended not just for RPG fans, but for anyone who loves a great action game. You can get married, murder, steal, have a kid, explore, find treasure, play with your dog, work at all kinds of jobs, rent houses to people, shoot guns, swing swords, do magic, the list goes on and on.
  
  GET IT!!
  
  
• The Fully Realized Concept
  By A1TPXS3X3QJIEO on 2008-10-23
  Peter Molyneux has been infamously known for his high caliber attempts to reach for the stars when it comes to gaming... and while most of them, and I'm talking alllll the way back to Populous and Dungeon Keeper, they were hit or misses, somewhere inbetween or lie in the context of being a concept not fully realized (and hoping game developers would take note...)
  
  This is ot the case with Fable 2. While I'll admit to a point that this still feels somewhat like the original Fable in relation to story, I would imagine there was a reason behind that. While this is a 'sequel' and the time shift has occurred some 500 years later in the world of Albion, this actually feels more like the fully realized world of Fable as it was meant to be. With that in mind, here's down to the basics of how the game works out.
  
  Story-wise, you're a no one, a street urchin, a nobody whose past is not really laid out for the player to be aware of but all more emphasizing as far as story goes to make you feel like you deserve to be who you are as you develop in the gameplay, and really, you will feel a sense of notoriety or grace in your actions as you see fit as there are ALOT of choices to be made and every single one of them do have consequences, "no good deed goes unpunished nor does any bad one go unnoticed." As the story develops, based on how you play it of course, the world changes accordingly, the people you dealt with in the past make up for future events and moves the story along very nicely. Some people may not admire the fantasy, almost children's book fairy tale aspect of this game, but that's more for personal preference rather than overall. If you didn't like the original Fable, chances are you might not like this, or perhaps this may change your mind.
  
  Gameplay is smooth motivatingly engaging. There are no 'cutscenes' as Peter Molyneux describes cut scenes as being an old hat technique to gaming to basically fill in the gaps and have the gamer spectate, not is the case in Fable 2. While cut scenes would have been nice, it actually would have hindered the experience because the game makes you aware that you aren't just taking a break because in Molyneux's philosophy, the minute you take your hands off the controller or put it down, such is the case with particular cut scenes in games that may take several minutes at a time, Fable 2 challenges you to stay involved and pay attention. In most cases, you will need to because it will affect what happens later on though the game's initial story placement is somewhat 'linear' but that's for story's sake, not the game's.
  
  The game is unbelievably vast. In all it only takes just about or over 12 hours to beat the game if you play it through and through without any menial tasks inbetween such as taking up jobs, building relationships with the citizens of Albion; and really I can't see how that could be done because the game is extremely challenging if you don't interact with the game completely-- there is no level building as is noted with the original Fable, probably why it stands so interesting with me to how this game works, but rather, it's character building. Essentially there is no wrong or right way to build your character. You aren't restricted by some swanky ## level in order to use said weapons but the way you develop your character will cater to your preference: So if you want to be a magic user and focus on that, go right ahead, just be sure you have plenty of health potions and build your toughness up. If you want to be a straight up archer/ranger, go for it! Warrior? Beef up the physique and get the biggest thing you can swing around with sheer fury!
  
  The game doesn't punish you for doing what you want, while there is consequence in your actions, there is no bias such as the previous game. If anyone remembers, anytime you killed a creature or bandit in Fable, it essentially rose your good-factor, so in reality, no matter how hard you tried (at least how I experienced it) it was MUCH harder to be evil than it was to be good, where really, it was like the game catered to being good through and through. That's not the case anymore-- creatures don't affect who you are anymore (thank goodness) but its more directly through the actions and decisions you make so now you really feel the impact of your choices to deliver your character's representation.
  
  Then there's the coop aspect... I've yet to hook up with a friend via XBOXLive but I have gotten the chance to try the 2-player mode where you get to use two characters at once on the same console. Traditionally, this feels like the old school method of gaming as some people may remember it, two people playing a game together on the same screen without it being split into two screens but as one where you move around in the world together through a fixed camera angle. There's a drawback to this however. The game still suits to one hero so the other player actually acts as a 'henchman'. You do this by admitting your own gamer profile with the person playing now, however it won't be your own character that's the henchman. What it does is it's more like taking the attributes of your character developed and linking them into world you brought them into. The concept sounds more confusing than it should but dealing with it first hand settles it nicely. There's no other way to try and explain it-- even the wording in the instructions almost make it sound impractical.
  
  Really, the game has so much to offer, even when the game is 'finished', there is still loads and loads of stuff to do afterwards; personally for me, just venturing through the landscape is almost good enough for me because the world is just so vividly rendered (not realistic, not that it should be... this is a fairy-tale aspect of course) and the game has been delivering not more than a good time playing it. Once again, if you aren't into Fable, for whatever reason, Fable 2 may not convince you otherwise, or it can, it's really up to you isn't it? If you're looking into this game, chances are you've already gotten it. If you're still wondering whether Fable 2 is the game for you, rent it then and find out if you really want to own and take advantage of the world of Albion, I however have been convinced further than Fable remains one of the greatest games conceived and has now been given privilege of a fully-realized concept put to the test.
  
  If anyone's been keeping track of Peter Molyneux's interviews about the development of the game and his notes about the ending to Fable 2... as he says, "I think most people will be surprised about the ending of Fable 2." I won't give away the ending... but it really was something I didn't expect.
  
  Great game, great fun, I'm not here to try and convince you this game is the greatest game ever made, my own preferences withheld, but I will say that out of the savvy collective of games known today that take things too seriously, too out of context, too 'extreme' or too brash in bordering mature-content material or consist of a brutal gaming community... Fable fits just between people who enjoy gaming, perhaps a good story and characterization, and those who really want to take their experience to another dimension that reminds you how it must feel to really enjoy gaming.
  
  Lastly, this is the limited collector's edition... it doesn't come in anything fancy. No tinbox of the sort, a figurine or anything like that. It comes nothing more than a couple of downloadable content featurettes, a cardboard sleeve to bind the game and about a couple extra dollars out of your pocket 'wasted' if you feel that way. Like I said, if you're into Fable, you know what you're getting yourself into. If you're a collector's/premium/gold/limited/whateverswanky edition collector like myself, then you should be all for this.
  
  
• Fable 2
  By A3S6N383YNH9AB on 2008-10-25
  I have been playing Fable 2 for about 15 hours now and it is a fun game! I have not gotten really far yet, but that is mainly because I am having such a good time running around and making money and doing side quests. The multiplayer is limiting but I still have a lot of fun with it. During multiplayer the fart expression has yet to get old, especially when used at the most dramatic and inappropriate times in the game. The graphics are great, cool story, lots of replay value. I am not even done and I already want to start over to be an evil SOB and play again. This is not a game for the hardcore RPG fanatics, but it is a lot of fun to play and it is very addicting. Here is how I rate it.
  
  Graphics = 8
  Replay = 10
  Story = 6 (So far)
  Fun = 10
  Multiplayer = 5
  Un-protected Sex = 10
  Pooping pants after holding fart expression for too long = Priceless!
  
  
  
• Don't buy unless bugs are patched
  By A3F88A3BJRKWHI on 2008-10-27
  I want to love this game, but after 20+ hours of play my game won't load. I am not alone in experiencing a game ending bug. A quick visit to the Lionhead forums will show you the extent of the major bugs that this game contains on release, and I'm afraid that despite the quality of gameplay I couldn't recommend Fable 2 to anyone at this point. Lionhead seems to not be addressing these problems in any forum yet. If bugs are not fixed soon I will never buy another Lionhead product. As it is, I have wasted many hours on a horribly broken game. Don't buy it unless the problems are fixed.
  
  
• A colorful, fun RPG that just missed the mark
  By A37LMYI6J77I87 on 2008-10-26
  I loved the original Fable, and I thought it was one of the best RPG's on the original Xbox.
  Fast forward to the present, and Fable 2, and what we have is an extension of the original Fable in some ways, and a step back in others.
  I'll break it down by category.
  
  Graphics - 9/10:
  Luckily, Fable 2 forgoes the current (and ridiculous) trend of desaturating the colors of the current generation of games and gives us a bright, colorful and beautiful world with an amazing color pallete.
  I am so sick and tired of EVERY single current-gen game being the same browns and grays.
  It's really refreshing to see bright colors pop off my HDTV. What's the point of having games play in HDTV which are capable of displaying MILLIONS of bright colors, if your games only output 4 of them???
  Colors aside, the game looks very good, with a unique and interesting art-style that I find attractive.
  It may not be the BEST looking 360 game available, but it's one of the more visually pleasing.
  
  Sound - 7/10:
  The voice-acting is EXCELLENT, and is the shining star of the sound, as well as the excellent (if familiar-sounding) music.
  The music certainly sets the mood for each situation.
  There were times though that some ambient sounds seemed to go missing, or were muted, but overall they were good.
  My biggest gripe, especially in this day and age, is the odd choice for the hero to have absolutely no voice whatsoever.
  I loved Oblivion, but that also annoyed me.
  I want my character, the hero to have a voice! I would have liked to have seen Lionhead take a cue from Saints Row 2 and have you pick from a selection of different voices to apply to your character.
  That would have scored the sound a 10/10.
  But, they didn't, so it's a 7.
  
  Gameplay - 8/10:
  Ok, if you liked the first Fable, you will like this one. It's nearly the same game, but with one significant improvement. The combat system.
  Lionhead did a great job by mapping the weapons/magic to different buttons.
  This just makes sense, and plays out very fluidly. It's a GREAT combat system.
  I don't know about anyone else, but give me THIS combat system over the TERRIBLE turn-based combat of most JRPG's. I HATE them.
  THIS is how you do combat in today's RPG.
  There are a bunch of fun quests to go on, and the differnt jobs you can take to earn money are simple, but oddly fun. I particularly liked the Blacksmithing game.
  The Pub games are also a fun diversion, and my favorite is Keystone. I know Fortune's Tower received all the praise, but I found Keystone to be fun, and exciting.
  I would have given the gameplay a 10/10, if it weren't for one of the most annoying parts of Fable's gameplay.
  That is the interaction with NPC's. Since your character doesn't speak, the only way you can interact with NPC's is by using expressions.
  This was interesting in the first game, but it was also limiting.
  I like the idea, and I'm glad they expanded on it, but I would also have liked a true dialog system in the game as well. Playing the lute in the market-square to entertain people to gain reknown is a good idea.
  Interacting with EVERY character in the game using NO DIALOG, is not such a great idea.
  I wish they had included both expressions AND a dialog tree.
  Another annoyance is there is definitely slowdown, and having slowdown when going to the menus to take a potion, or change outfits, is ridiculous!
  Also, there is no true armor system as the original Fable had. There are clothes and outfits that you can buy/find, but they are not interesting at all, and not very varied, and none seem to provide any extra protection during combat. They only seem to affect your character's attractiveness to the NPC's.
  This is a missed opportunity. I loved finding or buying Chain Mail, or Plate Mail, or cursed, or enchanted armor in the original game.
  That has been completely scrapped here, and that's another reason the gameplay scores an 8/10. It's an odd decision by Lionhead to go this route in an RPG.
  
  Summary:
  
  PROS:
  1. Bright, colorful, detailed graphics.
  2. Great music, and funny voice-acting.
  3. Fun, classic Fable gameplay.
  4. Excellent combat system/controls.
  5. The game truly makes you feel like a hero.
  6. You can buy EVERYTHING in the game.
  7. Jobs are a cool way to earn money.
  
  
  CONS:
  1. No voice-over for the main character.
  2. Some sound bugs.
  3. Slowdown, even in menus.
  4. LONG load-times.
  5. No armor, only clothing with no apparent combat benefits.
  6. Expressions are the only way to interact with NPC's. No dialog trees.
  
  Bottom line:
  Most of the cons are fairly negative to me...but they may be deal-breakers for some.
  I feel like some of this can be addressed with a patch, like the slowdown, and the load times will probably be non-existent when the NXE launches in November, and we can burn this game to our HDD's.
  Overall though, the game IS FUN. It looks GREAT.
  Isn't that what we want from our RPG's?
  I don't think this game is better than Oblivion, but it's one of the great RPG's on the 360.
  If you don't have 200 hours to put into a game like Oblivion, this is THE RPG to get.
  It's got a good story (not as great as Molyneux promised), it's accessible to anyone and everyone, it looks beautiful, you can play co-op, and it has one of the best combat systems of any RPG I've ever played.
  
  Overall, I would say 8.5/10.
  
  
• Fable II is the reason you play video games
  By A3QB9SZUTTYGKX on 2008-10-22
  Fable II is beautiful, charming, and funny. It's everything you could possibly ask for in a spouse, -er I mean video game. The humor can be somewhat childish (farting in public) but can also be laugh out loud hilarious!
  
  What motivates you? Is it love? Is it revenge? Is it a desire to protect all that you hold dear? Is it the desire to acquire more things, money, and respect from others? All of those can be very powerful motivators, and you can find all of them in Fable II.
  
  Fable II is everything you loved about Fable I only more of it. (If it ain't broke don't fix it, right?) You can still buy shops and houses, only now you can set the price of rent and goods. (and get good or evil points in the process) You can also buy and upgrade each individual piece of furniture for your houses. You can still get married, but now you can turn any house into a marriage house. The towns look familiar, but are much bigger. You could spend a lifetime just doing all of the side missions. The choices are endless.
  
  You get out of it what you put into it. If you really work to keep your wife happy, she will keep you VERY happy. ;) (and give you children if you so choose)
  
  Not only can you buy every piece of property in the game, but you can also rename every townsperson who isn't a main character. Your creativity can run rampant here. I already have a well endowed, cleavage showing woman named [...] McGee and a bisexual cultivator of crops called [...] the Farmer.
  
  Online and offline co-op is a nice addition from the last iteration as well. You can drop in and drop out almost as seamlessly as in the Lego games. Like the Lego games you share the same screen (offline, haven't played online yet). One of the biggest frustrations with sharing the same screen is when the 2 players go 2 different directions. This can be easily remedied by player 2 pressing the back button to warp up next to player 1.
  
  Graphics: 9.5 Artwork in motion, characters are a little cartoon-ish though
  Gameplay: 12! You could spend hours acquiring land, spouses, and children, hunting treasure and playing with your dog!
  Story: 9 Clichéd yet intriguing
  Music: 10 The background orchestra music fits perfectly with the setting
  Voice Acting: 9.5 Very well done, yet most voices are the same as the last Fable, who knows maybe you sound exactly like your ancestors from 500 yrs ago
  
  The bottom line: if you're willing to invest the time and effort into Fable II, it is VERY rewarding.
  
  
  
• Fable 2 is er... Fabled
  By AMC1ECSRL9K9J on 2008-10-23
  This game has proven to be one of the most enjoyable ones I have played.(and I play a buttload) The way I see this game is a world first and a game second. Before anyone thinks that is a bad thing let me explain, the world is immersive and flows very well and every action does have a consequence. I'm not talking about plot actions here(they have consequences as well) but I am talking about things like the full blown economic system in the game.
  One of my favorite things about the first game was finding my way to owning every building in every town and becoming a massively wealthy homeowner(it was difficult as you had to trick guards into shooting villagers). In this game the system is a lot more fleshed out to make this even more enjoyable. You can buy up shops for food, alcohol and weapons, etc. And you can jack up the prices to earn more profit and limit the number of items that flow into the market. However you can also lower prices and then items start running out of stock more frequently and it becomes harder to get what you want. All of these activities have economic effects and for instance if you start rampaging through a neighborhood, home values tend to take a dive as crime is not fun for ordinary citizens.
  Now that I talked about the fun of that, the combat system has been altered to be much more fun and balanced. Magic no longer consumes mp, as there isn't even any anymore, now it just takes time to charge and use a spell and you can cast different spells depending on the amount you charge them up. Some of the later skills(from physical, skill and will) are really cool to use and add a new element of strategy to combat. One skill enables you to aim and shoot peoples weapons out of their hands is one particularly entertaining to me. As for melee, you can focus on getting new abilities as well such as the ability to block or to perform a charged attack.
  You have a pet dog that makes exploring around a lot more fun and entertaining. Most fights you have some warning of as the dog growls and barks. The dog also helps you find items buried and find treasure chest lying around. This makes exploring a lot less checking every nook and cranny, and just more fun in general.
  You can raise a family and have children. Also trying to manage adventuring and a family requires some effort but if you do it, you get gifts often from your wife.
  Different villagers have different personality traits, and some are "raunchy" and "unchaste" which I found particularly entertaining. These traits aren't just random though, you can tell which people are raunchy as they act it. People have places and food they like and if you can take them on adventures with you.(just make sure you can protect them) A safety feature has been added to prevent you from accidently killing a villager by pressing the wrong button which is a very nice addition.
  Expressions have been revamped in this game and now you can extend them for more potent results, however, if you fail to time the little minigame associated with it right, the consequences can range from making yourself just look stupid, or to do something completely nasty and mortifying.
  Also you can play co-op on one console and soon online.(it was apparently buggy, I never tried it online) This is really fun and if you work together you can pull off some cool team dynamics.
  Anyway what I want you to understand from my review, is that the game is like a sandbox world to play in, which is a great one at that. You can experiment to see the world fall into a chaotic mess or prosper as a result of your actions, go on adventures and solve particularly amusing riddle doors, or you can play the game in a more traditional way and go straight through the quests in the game. Its just good and somewhat immature fun.
  
  
  
• A fable that surpasses all expectations....unexpect the expected
  By ASJARQCPN5J9Y on 2008-10-25
  I really don't know what to say to add to the positives listed in the other reviews. This game is fantastic. So much work and development went into this masterpieace of a game. The graphics are breathtaking, every detail has been noticed and made aware of, the voice dialogue is superbly acted and often hilarious. The dynamics of the game are well put together. The one button fighting style is a welcome addition as opposed to the previous fable. There's literally a million and one things to do in this game, you will find yourself off the designated path in no time at all, experiencing the world of Albion instead of progressing through the game. Get married, have children, open atmosphere at it's finest. The dynamic of every action has a consequence is really well woven into the game. Be good or evil, everything is up to you and the world is yours. I really enjoy the added value of being a property magnate also, literally everything in the game is available for purchase. (property wise)
  In no time you will gain a moderate amount of money and are well on your way to kingship. There is so much to explore you just have to put the main objectives on hold and explore the world for yourself! You have a companion (dog) which helps you out in various ways, finding treasures, alerting you of danger, fighting alongside you..etc etc. Forgot to mention, you can play online with a friend or locally at home with a friend. Also the ability to play as a male or female is quite welcomed. Definately a game you can play through several times and get different results EVERY single time you play.
  
  There are some technical issues but they do not affect the playabilty of the game significantly.... the lack of an on screen map makes things quite tedious at times. Traveling is a bit of a pain as a result. There are some minor issues of load times, (pulling up the menu, making adjustments to your character, traveling, several enemies on screen at once etc).
  
  By far this is one of the best RPG's available on the
  360, if you don't have it get it, if you can overlook the minor shortcomings the game will open it's self to you, catapulting you into a world of infinite possibilities.
  
  
• A disappointing Sequel
  By ANWIVJ8MHHRCT on 2008-10-26
  I'll try to write an inclusive review, but the short of it is that the storyline is very narrow, the game is glitchy, and the last guy (Lucian) can be defeated by pressing one button.
  
  First off, I was waiting for this game for years and was very excited about it. The game itself is vey similar to the first and claims to be 10x larger in terms of the map, but it certainly did not feal that way. The addition of firearms and have a dog as a sidekick was entertaining, but other changes were irritating. Now, you can change the furniture in houses you own to increase the rent and your spouse's opinion of your home by purchasing new furniture in stores. The problem is that when you enter "refurnish mode" it is very glitchy and I had a notice about furniture changing at the top of my screen for about ten hours straight. After beating the game I was instructed to go back to my family (based on one of three choices you make) but unfortunately my wife divorced me while I was away and I had to family to go back to. So, effectively, I can't go any further because my family no longer exists.
  
  The story itself is ok but I felt it was extremely short. There are no twists, no major bosses (you could include the commandant in the spire, but he was a joke). When you finally get to the villain of the story, Lucian, you literally press X once to beat him. Totally anticlimactic. There are a laundry list of side tasks that are really unnecessary because you don't need to complete them to build your character. There's only five levels for everything in the game- spells, swords, skills, etc.- and the range of weapons and other things to buy was really slim. Speaking of slim, if you accidentally hit the right button at time you will eat fatty food you have in your inventory inadvertently and then your character gets fat. The only way to get slim again is to run around to vendors and buy a bunch of celery which is annoying, but so is walking around with a fat character.
  
  Honestly, if you are on the fence for this game I would hold out. In all likelihood they will come out with a Fable II Lost Chapters and fix the craptacular ending and make the main storyline longer.
  
  
• Almost perfect RPG
  By A30HAGYXB3WZ1E on 2008-10-24
  Everything they said it would be and more. You can play through as a straight-forward linear RPG. then you can add in all the good and bad aspects, the spousal enhancments and buy/sell properties if you like. the game is very dynamic in that respect. Its easy to make money. You can add in a ligh path so you never get lost. It provides navigation to whatever quest your working on. The graphics are excellent. What really steals the show for me is the voice overs. Probably the best voice acting of any game to date. Best RPG made for the 360.
  
  
• great action rpg
  By A26RYRPDEJLUB3 on 2008-11-01
  i never played fable 1 but i love fable 2. this is a very fun game with several diffrent things to do. graphics are good game play is awsome my only complaint is the screen glitches or i would of givin it a 5 star. if you like lost oddessy and infinite undiscovery you will love fable 2
  
  
• Fable 2 Rocks!!!!!
  By A6ZPRAWEQ6Z4B on 2008-11-04
  I pre-ordered this, and didn't think it was going to be any good because I had major problems with the first one for xbox. When I got it, I played it for about 4 hours straight because it was so great. I have not noticed any glitches yet, nor any parts that are ridiculously boring, or take away from the games fun value.
  
  There are minor problems I have with it though:
  1)When you play it for extended amount of time, and you get tired, the load times between cities and such make me get a little angry as it happens a lot when you want to go straight through a quest, especially the ones that require city jumping.
  2)Once in a while the path marker may not display, leaving you ultimately dumb founded (some times its not supposed to be displayed, but in places where it isn't needed). this seems to happen once in a while to me when I am going on a quest that uses it, then get sidetracked from the path, and complete something else, or work a job, etc. and when I want to go back to the quest, it doesn't display. I have fixed it before, but i can not remember how, I think it had to do with reloading a point, or going back to a point in the quest you have just completed.
  
  
  Over all it is a fun game, with great content (especially the DLC for Limited Editioners), and am looking forward to exploring the entire world before officially completing it.
  
  
• FABLE II LetDown
  By A24Z3MVXSIBP22 on 2008-11-07
  First of all the only good thing about the LIMITED edition is the downloadable content. But was it worth an extra $10? No! Also if you get this game i don't think everyone will get this glitch but if you do BEWARE of it LOCKING UP... I have probably spent two hours playing this game with anticipation. But it has locked up on me 7 times as of this review. It is frustrating when you get somewhere try to save and it locks up before you can get to your menu. The worst thing about Fable II is that in the DVD Making Of Video all they talk about is how many glitches they have and how much time they take to make the game and how if your watching this it means you got the game and we fixed all the glitches.
  
  For now i think i am going to put this one in the shelf until either they fix the glitches or the give people who bought the limited edition Fable something worth $10. Don't get me wrong if you can play this game it is OK. Not the best, not the worst but OK. It feels Cartoony and it is nothing New.
  
  All in all if it wasn't for this Glitch which not everyone is experiencing it would be a 8 or 9 out of 10.
  
  By the way i don't know if it is locking up because i run my new 3 month old 360 on 1080p with surround sound? But on the FABLE Forum on Lionhead i am not the only one in the LOCKUP thread. Plus it doesn't freeze up with any other games... like Fallout 3 which i bought along with this game.
  
  
  
• Only one problem
  By A1Z6KY0CW1PKWD on 2008-11-07
  This is the most fun, addicting, game out for the XBOX 360 right now!!! Loved every minute of it and it has become my favorite game. I won't get into details cause there's plenty of reviews for that, but I had one and only one problem with the game, (SPOILER ALERT-SPOILER ALERT-SPOILER ALERT-SPOILER ALERT-SPOILER ALERT-SPOILER ALERT-SPOILER ALERT) There is no end boss fight. Would've been nice to use all those skills I've developed for one big showdown at the end but it wasn't there. And if you listen to everything Lucien has to say, you don't even get to be the one to blow him away. Oh, well. Still have things to do and people to kill so it's ok. Get this game, it's worth the money. I'd suggest just getting the reg edition though cause the limited edition doesn't have enough to justify the price increase.
  
  
• Great Game!
  By A3Q79IF90Q5UXY on 2008-11-08
  I will start by saying that Fable 2 is a great game and is worth the money. It is truly addictive and just a great time to play. Don't expect to be challenged too much though. This is one of those that you play to relax after a long day.
  
  What I loved:
  The Dog!!! - Easily my favorite addition to the game. He helps you find treasure and even fights with you. He is also adorable. You can punish him but honestly I couldn't bring myself to do it except for a few times by accident.
  
  Keeps many of the good things from the original Fable. The music, art, and characters are wonderful and the game really sucks you in! The game looks fantastic!
  
  You can buy anything. Economy system has been drastically expanded. Also, the mini games are awesome.
  
  What's not so great:
  The storyline feels short. This might be because you will play it all the time but at the same time there is a lot to do even after the you beat the storyline. You can complete any quests at the end of the game. The ending to the storyline feels abrupt in the sense that just when you feel like you are getting good at it it ends.
  
  The Weapons - I have to say that the ranged weapons have been vastly improved and you will actually want to use them. However, the magic while it looks great is difficult to use especially in the heat of battle. Melee will still be the top choice but it is actually easier to use ranged weapons then magic. Also somewhat disappointing is the lack of cool weapons. I was expecting to find crazy ancient weapons in dark corners like in the original Fable. This is not the case in Fable 2. Weapons along with armor and clothing have been de-emphasized. Its easily possible to make it through the story line without augmenting your weapons and with simple weapons that you can get from any shop. Also, clothing no longer provides protection which I thought was cool in Fable. The worst thing is that you expect throughout the entire game to find these things but you never really do.
  
  Free Roam - You can see the changes but you can't feel them! So yes, you can explore the regions a little more and hop over fences but there is not much motivation to do so and you definitely find yourself frustrated when your hero can't climb a knee high ledge. Don't expect anything like Assassins Creed!
  
  Overall: Well worth it since its highly entertaining. You can definitely play through it multiple times since you can be both evil or good BUT the story line, just like in the original Fable, is linear. There is no alternate ending. In the end, this is evolution not revolution.
  
  
• Another "Lost Chapters" Scam?
  By A1Q16KP6L8HCSK on 2008-11-13
  After purchasing the limited addition for the additional downloadable content, I found that I should have stuck to the standard version. A couple of freebies plus two features that, get this, you have to use points for. Paid extra already, now I have to use points too? No thanks.
  
  As for game play, the graphics are a marked improvement over the first game. Some really stunning visuals and landscapes, although they did not work out all of the bugs and glitches. Pant graphics bleeding through your coat, making it look like there are holes in it. Already dead hobbes and bandits begin flying around. Hard to think the developers didn't catch these problems and disappointing that they did nothing to fix them.
  
  There is a lot more ground to cover between area changes. The game itself though is boring. I find that I miss the fun and character of the first game. I'm only about halfway through this game and I want to shut it off and go back to the first. If I didn't have so much time invested already, I'd probably do so. I even went the length to purchase the game companion guide figuring that there's got to be something I'm missing...I was wrong. So, Microsoft and cronies have gotten their [...] out of me.
  
  The quests are lacking, the jobs are boring and dull, the clothing choices are even not what I'd expected. No armor, just more ornate garb aimed at putting you into a different class level. The dog is a nice enhancement and helps find hidden objects and treasures.
  
  It just seems that with all the time that they had to develop this game, there would be more to it. There's no real fun or background aimed at moving things forward. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that they didn't have enough time to do what they wanted with the game and find another lost chapters version come out of this, just like the first version.
  
  The game is not completely lacking. I did have high expectations based on all the preliminary hype. The game falls short in a lot of ways. I liked the original enough to buy the Lost Chapters version and was happy that I did. I appreciated what was added. I can't see myself doing the same with this release unless there is something significantly groundbreaking that is added.
  
  
• Terribley Dissapointing
  By AFHUPWEKGDT83 on 2008-11-13
  I had been avidly awaiting the release of Fable II for over a year and must say that I am incredibly disappointed. This game was way below xbox 360 standards; my experience was incredibly glitchy and bug filled. Peter Molyneux promised so much and fell very very short. The overall storyline is incredibly short and anticlimactic. To be honest the game just sets you up to drop another $60 on Fable's 3,4 & 5, with little to no entertainment in between. This game is not worth money at all. I recommend buying something better for your kids this Christmas and maybe picking up Fable II in a couple years from the used bin at your local gamestop.
  
  

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