The greatly anticipated Fable II was released on October 21. Many have been looking forward to this epic fantasy game since its predecessors, Fable and Fable: The Lost Chapters rocked the original XBox. Is it as good as the hype would have us believe? I believe so. Besides the obvious improvements in graphics and variations of random characters, the story line and playable world is far broader. The player also gets to play either as a boy or girl, and the resulting stories differ accordingly.
Fable II is set about 500 years after the first Fable, but the setting remains in the fantastical kingdom of Albion. The storyline is similar to that of the original Fable. The player begins as a young child, running around his or her home town trying to collect gold pieces in order to buy something. After the player then survives a tragedy, gameplay fast-forwards a decade. Having been saved by a mysterious benefactor, the player’s character is taken under her wing as she gives assistance on the journey to solve a mystery.
True to the Fable tradition, you may do whatever you want, and each decision continually sculpts the player’s character and defines who they are, be it good or evil.
While the option to get married is not new, the option to have children is. The player has the choice to have an entire family. The option of co-op game play via Xbox Live is brand new. Players have the option to play through the story with a friend. Another new element is a canine companion. When the character is still a child, he or she saves a puppy from abuse, and it becomes the character’s loyal partner. The dog will bark to warn the character of danger and to alert him or her to the presence of treasure or some other useful objects.
This is a good adventure game for those wishing to escape reality, if only for an hour or two.