FABLE 2 REVIEW

Played on Xbox 360

Reviewed by Cody 

For a fan of RPG games, it really doesn’t take much more than watching the opening cut scene in Fable 2 to know that you’re about to start playing something special. For fans of the original Fable, well, we’ve known that Fable 2 was going to be special for a long time. Lead developer Peter Molyneux promised a great deal to fans of his original Fable title, and for the most part he has more than delivered on those promises. Fable 2 takes place 500 years after its predecessor, in a world since evolved from its days of Magic and Heroes. As such, the once thriving world of Albion now seems stricken with a layer of grim tidings and debauchery, giving it the feel of something Tim Burton may have conceived. This new style however has given Fable 2 a fresh and exciting feel, while still retaining many of the features made famous in the first.

GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME 

Because of this, Fable 2 is a sequel in the best possible way, expanding and bettering the original title almost perfectly. This is noticed the most in the sheer size of the world, boasting over 10 times the size of the original. The new graphics and largely increased draw distance do this wonders – showing you right from the beginning of the game just how big, and beautiful it really is. Navigating it however, is a little harder to enjoy. On one hand, you have the ingenious inclusion of one of my favourite Fable 2 features – the golden trail – which simply leads you to your targeted destination, on the other – the lack of any real map leaving you often confused as to where you are.

The gold line is magnificent most in its simplicity, and is useful not so much in helping you find your next goal as it is in exploring the world of Albion. Countless times I strayed from the beaten path, ignoring my golden saviour for a moment to explore a cave or hidden path – and could do this without fear of becoming lost as no matter how far I strayed my golden breadcrumbs would always follow behind.  However, as helpful as the golden breadcrumbs were, the lack of a mini-map – or any map at all made it difficult to really know where I was. The inclusion of the fast travel system (like Oblivion) unfortunately only added to this, allowing you to quickly travel to any already visited location at whim made knowing where exactly you were un-important. Of course, by choosing not to fast travel the lack of a map allows you to really get to know the land – a sneaky addition that I enjoyed greatly.

OLD AND NEW 

While traversing the great world of Albion, you’ll soon notice that fighting and levelling feels both different, yet familiar too. Combat in Fable 2 uses a simple yet effective system, giving the three styles of combat – melee, ranged and magic – their own button each. Melee combat is done using [X], ranged with [Y], and magic with [B], and by having them all so easily accessible at once encourages mixing different styles together. As such, it’s made incredibly easy to unleash an impressive sword combo with a few timed presses of [X], then with one quick tap of [Y] you are able to whip out your rifle and peck off an enemy in the distance. However, this doesn’t work so well with the use of magic. It’s easy enough to change from sword or gun to magic, but magic comes in many forms and without allowing you to assign spells to different buttons, and with changing spells in the heat of battle a near impossible task (done with a combination of the right trigger and the D-pad) using more than one type of magic in battle can be a chore. You do however have five different levels of magic, which can be accessed by charging your spell for longer, and each level can hold a different spell. On the brighter side, each spell can be cast both directionally, and in a circle around you allowing even more options in the thick of battle.

Upon killing an enemy you will receive experience in the form of orbs, that littler the ground upon your enemies demise. Killing an enemy will award green orbs that can be used to level either melee, ranged or magic. However attacking an enemy is also rewarded with different orbs depending on how you have chosen to strike. Melee attacks award blue orbs, ranged yellow and magic red – with these orbs being restricted to gaining skills of their specific category.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS 

While you are always able to move Fable 2 forward by completing the main story, there is a great deal to be offered in many other forms as well. Upon reaching your first city you will be presented with countless ways to fill your time, from getting a haircut and buying clothes, to getting married, investing in real estate (literally everything in Fable 2 is up for sale) or completing one of the many side quests or jobs. All of which, is affected by your morality alignment. Like Fable before it, one of the defining elements of Fable 2 is the ability to be whoever you choose, and to choose, you must simply be. Kill an innocent bystander and expect to be hated for it, save a village from bandits and you are sure to be held in high regard. To add more to the table, Fable 2 offers decisions not simply in good and evil, but also in purity and corruption too. While raising the income on your property may increase your corruption, lowering it will raise your purity. And so on and so forth throughout the many different parts of the game.

Overall:

Now while there are literally hundreds of features in Fable 2 that I have yet to mention, explaining them now could take years and would only detract from your experience of the game. Some things are better left unsaid, and in the case of Fable 2 this could never be truer. This is a game that while failing in some areas, has excelled in others a great deal more, and has earned a 9/10 or its efforts. Fable 2 is definitely worth your money, fans of the original and newcomers alike.