Review: Fable 2

Fable 2 actually lives up to the hype. Read our review, complete with video supplement, to find out why.

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What, you didn't snag Peter's number on caller ID so you could phone him and apologize all personal like? ;)

There was a missed opportunity here. I, for one, will find it hard to forgive you for not deflecting the issue of your Fable II impressions comments by sidetracking Molyneux into explaining why Populous HD isn't the hottest XBL/PSN title this xmas. See what I did there?

Excellent, Susan. Glad to hear that your (and my) misconceptions of Fable II were erroneous!

Also, welcome to the video club :P

Someone please tell me there's a plan to eventually release this thing for PC...
Every new piece about the awesomeness of Fable II makes me even more depressed that I can't afford to buy a new console just for one game...

This is making me even more eager to get a hold of Fable 2.

They should have this on the case: Escapist Approved, followed by a Yahtzee imp giving a thumbs-up.

Jagyr Ebonwood:
Someone please tell me there's a plan to eventually release this thing for PC...
Every new piece about the awesomeness of Fable II makes me even more depressed that I can't afford to buy a new console just for one game...

The original fable was ported to the PC a year or so later, so your best hope is to wait a year and then start investigating.

After seeing that video review my interest in this game went from "I want this game" to "I WANT THIS GAME!" it looks great, it also look like they toned down the bloom this time.

I like.
Everything besides the fact it's not yet on PC, that is.

Beowulf DW:
This is making me even more eager to get a hold of Fable 2.

They should have this on the case: Escapist Approved, followed by a Yahtzee imp giving a thumbs-up.

lol but this fable looks good if i have enough time after far cry 2 then.......

Upon re-reading/re-watching, Susan, I have to admit that I'm disappointed that you didn't answer the single most pressing question about Fable 2:

Does it give free blowjobs and pudding?

_Nocturnal:
I like.
Everything besides the fact it's not yet on PC, that is.

Ditto, but I'm encouraged by what Bored Tomatoe said. I didn't realize that there was a year between Fable's console release and its PC release.

Notice to Microsoft and Lionhead: The sooner you put out a good-quality PC port for this game, the sooner you can light your cigars with my dollar bills.

Well you shattered the tiny doubts I had for this game. Now I have to wait three more days while all you lucky Americans get to play and laugh at our late release dates.

Also

CantFaketheFunk:
Does it give free blowjobs and pudding?

The man makes a good point. Does it?

I doubt this will be in stock when I look for it today, but I'll be the first one with my hands on it among my poor friends.

I was worried, this eases my nerves, glad to hear Fable is not a let down.

Susan Arendt can get virtually every denizen of Bowerstone to have sex with her except her husband.

I lol'd

Also I like that your female character looks so beefy (befitting a warrior). Is that because you have higher skills in str and such, like how in the first game you'd get bigger when you buffed certain stats?

Also- wewt!

The video convinced me the game is worth buying, so thanks.

Man, that video was a serious tone shift from most game reviews. I felt like someone was selling me a lovely cottage out in the mountains and offering me fresh cookies at the end of the tour.

Hmm, I find simplistic combat could get a little bit tiresome, but with enough spells and gun combat, should be enough to keep people entertained. It also sounds like they kept the same musical score and voice actors as well.

Nice review. I've tried to stay ignorent to this game until I rent/buy it, but I enjoy whatever the Escapist offers.

Also, I noticed you were playing good. Were there any real options for evil present? Do you think you would be able to go to town on a killing spree? Does your dog grow spikes and black fur?

Video reviews are always nice; I'm glad that The Escapist is indulging in a little video fun, while keeping actual words in the newsletter, which not all newsletters seem to have these days.

I agree with L.B. Jeffries that the video was also a very pleasant one; it's nice to know that being a gamer doesn't make everyone into caffeine-addicted, teeth-chattering nonsensicals.

Another big plus is that I finally know how to pronounce Arendt!

Ok, to address a few questions!

I think my character looked bigger because of the shirt she's wearing. I don't think she's flung that sword around quite enough yet to get truly beefy, so I'm guessing it's just poor tailoring.

There are both good and evil choices present (and yes, your dog will change just as you do), but there are also pure and corrupt choices. Eating meat, for example, is corrupt, because that meat was once a happy little chicken or big-eyed cow, or whatever. Going the vegetarian route is more pure, as is not drinking alcohol. So you can be a good but corrupt person, or an evil yet pure one.

As for the blowjobs and banana pudding...the main quest is decidedly linear, and there's plenty of stuff to distract you along the way, but Oblivion, this is not.

Susan Arendt:
There are both good and evil choices present (and yes, your dog will change just as you do), but there are also pure and corrupt choices. Eating meat, for example, is corrupt, because that meat was once a happy little chicken or big-eyed cow, or whatever. Going the vegetarian route is more pure, as is not drinking alcohol. So you can be a good but corrupt person, or an evil yet pure one.

Awesome news with the dog, but as for the meat thing? So if I go down to the pub and have a healthy diet of meat, you'll grow horns and have the grass cower in your presents?!

EDIT

A reread, made me realise it's another thing together. So what outcomes are corrupt and pure as oppossed to Good and Evil?

I think my favorite part of the video review was the praise for the bread crumb trail and the other features that help to establish your progress in case you haven't played for a while. I remember this concern from "The Long and Short of RPGs"

I'll let you know how far I get into the game before I inexplicably stop.

Oh! And I guess when I start up again, I'll be rich!

That was a woman in the video? Man I need to get my eyes checked. But I'm surprised people are actually praising Fable 2 to be a good game, but I am still curious about the choices one can make but I'm sure we will all find out when the co-op comes into play.

Great job with the video but I'm curious Susan Arendt, to capture your footage did you make it yourself via video capture card(Dazzle, Blackmagic, etc) or did you just go with game trailers and other video game footage available?

Tenmar:

Great job with the video but I'm curious Susan Arendt, to capture your footage did you make it yourself via video capture card(Dazzle, Blackmagic, etc) or did you just go with game trailers and other video game footage available?

That is my very own character and my very own character's dog, complete with pink collar (which is supposed to help with ranged attacks, just FYI.)

So Fable II delivered enough on what it promised to impress you--that's good! Now I just have to wait for you folks to review F3 to decide which timesink to install in my living room first.

Cheeze_Pavilion:
So Fable II delivered enough on what it promised to impress you--that's good! Now I just have to wait for you folks to review F3 to decide which timesink to install in my living room first.

Meet us here this time next week, and all shall be revealed.

_Nocturnal:
I like.
Everything besides the fact it's not yet on PC, that is.

That's right, dammit! Port it already, MS! You know you want to!

unangbangkay:

_Nocturnal:
I like.
Everything besides the fact it's not yet on PC, that is.

That's right, dammit! Port it already, MS! You know you want to!

I'd give it 6-12 months. I enjoyed fable on the PC, perhaps because I didn't know much about it apart from what a few of the Xbox tards kept babbling about before its release.

You found a Tuna underground

WHAT THE F***

smallharmlesskitten:
You found a Tuna underground

WHAT THE F***

Heh.

So if it supposedly goes out on PC, will there still be online coop? If there is, getting revenge on a consoletard of a friend I have will make me smile demonicly.

PurpleRain:
So what outcomes are corrupt and pure as oppossed to Good and Evil?

I read about this the other day;

Good and Evil are far more about how you wish to be seen - you can commit good deeds all around because you wish to be loved, but this is not a particularly great way of testing your morals.

The Corrupt and Pure mechanic is much more about the actual morals; the example I was given is that this fair maiden is about to be cursed by a witch, removing her beauty with many scars across her entire body. You have time to jump into the path of this, taking the curse yourself, or you can stand and watch.

Obviously the Pure thing to do is to sacrifice your own looks to spare the gal in distress, but not many people want their character to turn into Freddy Krueger.

So this is a genuine, moral choice - not about how you wish to be seen, but about the actual morals of your character.

I was worried, because a lot of reviewer websites say that the game doesn't quite live up to it. But now that I've read what Escapist has had to say, I'm definetely getting this.

I'm very glad to hear the combat was better when you approached it from the beginning. And it was very strange to hear a direct apology to Peter M., but that was also quite ... awesome. I'm very surprised that he directly contacted you. Cheers, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the game.

Based on all the reviews I've been seeing, I stopped and bought the game on the way home from work last night. I was planning on holding off until post-Fallout 3, but I am weak and caved.

I played for a few hours, and so far have really enjoyed it. My main complaint from Fable, the constant loading screens, is well addressed. There's still some loading, but it's far far less frequent, and the explorable 'zones' are quite large.

The dog is a brilliant mechanic, helping find treasure chests as well as buried caches. Particularly because the treasure chests have a tendency to blend into the world even if they're in relatively plain sight. Chests outdoors in the woods, for example, frequently have vines growing up over them.

And the combat, at least as much as I've experienced, is quite entertaining. It's 'hero quality' actually reminds me a bit of Crackdown, though without the leaping over tall buildings part. I'm a sword-swinging, pistol-shooting, tornado-throwing badass. I haven't gotten to any of the 'second-level' combat techniques though.

Overall I've been impressed - I was rather neutral on Fable, but Fable II feels like a significantly improved game after a few hours of play.

Also, I tried to give Landslide an Assassin Coat over Xbox Live - co-op is definitely in - but I think he was still in the child/tutorial stage and couldn't accept. I'll probably try jumping into co-op tonight just to see how it works.