Review: Fable II (360)

It's because of that reputation that the question here isn’t so much "is Fable 2 a good game?" but "is Fable 2 as good as it’s SUPPOSED to be?" Luckily, the answer to both those questions is a resounding "yes", even if the game isn’t perfect.

Fable 2 is set once more in the world of Albion, many years after the events of the original Fable. People have generally forgotten all about magic and heroes and the world is a dangerous place. The main game involves trying to stop a lord from rebuilding a magical tower and destroying the world. Doing this requires the player to unite three heroes from each of the game's different disciplines: skill, strength and will.

Yes, it's a little clichéd and yes, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out how it ends, but much like just about every element of the game, the beauty is in the detail. The main plot itself can be completed in no time at all (although it does clock up at longer than the original game), but the delivery is second to none. Dialogue, pacing and quests are all of an excellent standard and move the game along at just the right speed that the boredom and repetition normally associated with RPGs is never really an issue.

RPGs, though, aren’t simply about being moved through a story - they're about making one, and Fable 2's success as an RPG really depends on your definition. For those who haven’t played the original, the choices in Fable revolve around reputation and how people perceive you, both physically and through your actions, and you'll find that these choices really do change the game world. Unfortunately, the actual chances you have to make these choices are quite limited black and white morality issues, and Fable tends to lead you by the hand far more than seems necessary. There are some great exceptions to this rule, however, and it's during those quests where we found ourselves really thinking about the right course of action to take that the game really shines.

Fable 2 is set on a very linear path, and although plenty of side quests exist besides the main story, there's little here to satisfy gamers that have gorged on the likes of Knights of the Old Republic or Oblivion. Even the environment of Albion tends to consist of a single road between different towns with little real room to explore. There is still plenty to do, though; real estate, family life and working jobs all play out as interesting minigames that actually feel like part of the real quest and part of the environment as opposed to something pulled together to distract players from the point at hand. Furthermore, the rather more defined structure of the game means you're never lost for what to do or where to go. An excellent quest system combined with a useful (if somewhat too easy to rely on) GPS-style trail means you spend your time is spent actually playing a game rather than running from one place to another.

Combat and levelling are both fairly solid, stripping away any idea of stats and numbers and replacing them with real, physical differences and game styles. The main choice of the game, aside from whether to specialise in melee or ranged, is the amount of spells. There are no class systems and no weapons you can't use, so you have freedom to become what you want to be, even if there's clearly a wrong and a right way to go about that. Magic doesn't feel as smooth or as enjoyable as melee combat, but it's visually impressive and spells like 'time stop' enable you to use your magic as a backup for normal fighting. Importantly, you never feel like you're just getting arbitrary upgrades; levelling feels more like natural progression of a real person as opposed to just bigger numbers and faster attacks.

Graphically, Albion looks stunning and the visual effects and changes in your main character add an extra dimension to the world. It would have been nice to see some more variety in the environment, especially in the indoor areas, but the day/night cycle originally promised in the original game has finally been realised to beautiful effect, and the lush woodlands and bustling cities really stand out. The game does suffer some very occasional pop-up and frame-rate issues during heavy combat, but in general it's smooth sailing. The rather unique voice acting has also returned, with Zoe Wanamaker doing just as much, if not more, for immersion and character than Patrick Stewart did in Oblivion.

There are a million other aspects of Fable 2 we could talk about: your instantly loveable and incredibly well-animated canine companion, the juxtaposition of a childish world set upon a very dark theme, the emotion system used to express feelings of delight or anger or fear... What's important, though, is that Fable is an amazingly well-crafted and polished world that has traded the typical sandbox route of western RPGs for attention to detail and true character development. If you were left wanting more and wishing that the childish anticipation for the original had been rewarded, you've just had your wish granted. If this if your first run in with the series, you won’t ever have to be disappointed.

Rating: 9 / 10

Words by Francis Clarke