Fable 2
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Fable 2 doesn’t stray far from the formula that the first game established. Humor, combat and the overall feel of the world remain intact in the newest entry, but a renewed focus on socializing and relationships drives this game in a slightly different direction. Although the game is flagged as an RPG, don’t expect hardcore level grinding and detailed stats. The game is an RPG more in the sense that you start the game with a blank slate and your style of play and decisions tailor the experience.
There is a lot to do in Fable 2. For starters, you can take quests and rampage through the world killing monsters for various reasons ranging from a farmer’s beetle infestation to the kidnapping of your own child. You don’t have to look very far though to see the plethora of other activities available to your hero (or villain). You’ll be chatting up the NPC’s, taking odd jobs, getting married, having kids, buying and micromanaging property, exploring the world, and ordering your dog to dig for treasure. There seems to be a solid system in place for just about anything you can think of. This may annoy some players who just want a good old fashioned RPG. Know this: the various systems I mentioned are a huge chunk of the game and, while it can stand on its own as a sort of action RPG with plenty of quests and beautiful locales, you’ll be missing a significant portion of what makes the game Fable if you aren’t interested in the extra fluff.
There is a lot to do in Fable 2. For starters, you can take quests and rampage through the world killing monsters for various reasons ranging from a farmer’s beetle infestation to the kidnapping of your own child. You don’t have to look very far though to see the plethora of other activities available to your hero (or villain). You’ll be chatting up the NPC’s, taking odd jobs, getting married, having kids, buying and micromanaging property, exploring the world, and ordering your dog to dig for treasure. There seems to be a solid system in place for just about anything you can think of. This may annoy some players who just want a good old fashioned RPG. Know this: the various systems I mentioned are a huge chunk of the game and, while it can stand on its own as a sort of action RPG with plenty of quests and beautiful locales, you’ll be missing a significant portion of what makes the game Fable if you aren’t interested in the extra fluff.
Fraternizing with the NPC's is half the fun.
From a design standpoint, the feel of the world is spectacular. The humor is consistent, the music is catchy and the graphics would be superb if it weren’t for some pop-in. The art style, music, and NPC’s seem to flow together to create the strong backbone that supports the rest of the game. The NPC’s carry on conversations with each other and you’ll hear some hilarious stuff. You can jump in to any conversation with a polite introduction, a flashy dance move, or a disgusting fart. Everyone reacts differently to different approaches, so you may woo someone by playing instruments, while the fart will do just fine for others.
Combat, while passable and fun at times, is a bit lacking. It boils down to hacking away with the X button and holding B to cast spells. The spell system is practically broken, with one button handling every spell. Thinking about using more than 1 of your high level spells? Good luck, you’ll have to hold the right trigger and use the D-pad to switch in the middle of combat before using the spell button to charge and cast your newly assigned spell. Seriously, how could they not think of a better system? Perhaps use right trigger as a modifier that allows each face button to be a spell? It’s beyond me. Don’t worry though; there isn’t much incentive to use the different spells anyway. I found myself using the time slowing spell lv4 and the fire spell lv5 - even though I had both at lv5 - just so I wouldn’t have to switch during combat.
In conclusion, while some design choices are odd, the great humor and atmosphere will hold your attention even if the combat alone and the bare-bones RPG elements won’t. I personally loved the game, but those looking for a strict RPG might want to direct their attention elsewhere.
Combat, while passable and fun at times, is a bit lacking. It boils down to hacking away with the X button and holding B to cast spells. The spell system is practically broken, with one button handling every spell. Thinking about using more than 1 of your high level spells? Good luck, you’ll have to hold the right trigger and use the D-pad to switch in the middle of combat before using the spell button to charge and cast your newly assigned spell. Seriously, how could they not think of a better system? Perhaps use right trigger as a modifier that allows each face button to be a spell? It’s beyond me. Don’t worry though; there isn’t much incentive to use the different spells anyway. I found myself using the time slowing spell lv4 and the fire spell lv5 - even though I had both at lv5 - just so I wouldn’t have to switch during combat.
In conclusion, while some design choices are odd, the great humor and atmosphere will hold your attention even if the combat alone and the bare-bones RPG elements won’t. I personally loved the game, but those looking for a strict RPG might want to direct their attention elsewhere.
