Fable 2 is an all action packed adventure game, that will appeal to even the Call Of Duty lovers out there!
If you ignore the previous game and look at Fable 2 on it's own you will see an wholly successful action adventure game that can stand on it's own merits. This builds on and expands on the conventions of Fable crafted by Lionhead games. That is a phrase that really applied to Fable 2, handcrafted. You can tell that this game was a labor of love by Sir Peter Molyneux. You know it is going to be good when it is a game designed by a knight of both England and France. The first game is not a prerequisite but if you liked the first game than you are going to eat this game up. It is going to be yummy. The world of Fable 2 comes off incredibly European but better than a trip to the renaissance faire while it manages to be medieval but not a not wholly Tolkien rip off. The game is structured around the concept of choices and consequences. You are quietly presented with choices of morality that are not quite so clear and how you choose affects the total outcome of your standing in the world. Unlike Grand Theft Auto that is willing to dispense forgiveness by a simple trip to the Pay N-Spray the moral choices you make in Fable 2 have lasting serious consequences. Choices of right and wrong are balanced with the quest for power and fame. Sure this game is rated for mature gamers but since it presents moral consequences for your actions I think kids could also enjoy this game. This game is not just about going on quests and little bad guys but a simulation of social human interactions is a central concept of the game. This is as much The Sims as it is Lord of the Rings. Unlike the first Fable game you can choose either a male or female hero and over the course of the game you can engage in romantic relationships. You can get married, buy property, have children along side your quest to save the world. All a little Sims like? Yes, that's what makes this game really shine. The graphics are evidence that they had a small army of well trained graphical artists and animators at Lionhead who spent years to develop a rich breathing world that is just as alive as Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto 4. The gameplay controls are designed around the concept of context sensitivity. That means that the functions of the buttons will change given the situation that you are in and once you pick up the game interacting with the rich world should be second nature. It really is intuitive way to cram a bunch of controls possibilities on to a standard video game controller. The combat nearly approaches a single button game play control placing timing and context over shear button-mashing or complex combos. This game advanced the implementation of magical spells and introduced firearms and crossbows instead of the bow archery of the first game. The amount of powers and weapons are limited though, and don't expect anything new. Think Oblivion, but with better graphics! I sort of thought that there was too much hype made around the Fable 2 Pub Games XBLA game but then again I never liked gambling and would rather earn treasure by going on quests and killing goblins than rolling the bones. The work that was invested in the audio of this game really comes across. The musical score and sound effects help to build a fantasy world without getting too Hollywood. The voice acting is actually pretty good and greatly contributes to the enjoyment of the game. One of the main features of this game is a simulated dog that will accompany the hero on the quest. You don't control the dog directly, you interact with it. You can give it affection or scorn based on it's actions and it really ties into one of the core central concepts of the game and that is love as well as morality. Sure the Companion Cube of Portal loves you but the faithful companion dog of Fable 2 really seems to care about the trials and tribulations of the hero of Fable 2. The other core concept of the game is complex social interactions including sex and relationships. You don't actually see a pornographic depiction of sex but you can meet people, fall in love, propose, get married, co habitate and move in together and have and raise kids together. This is one of the first games that you can choose a female hero that can actually get pregnant and have kids. Actually I have a hunch that female gamers can fall in love with this game. Or any gamer infact!
One of my girlfriends close friends is a woman named Jessica that has spend countless hours playing Fable on the Xbox and she loved it enough to ask for it for her birthday by name. She does not really play video games but she loves the social interactions mixed with a realistic gothic fantasy medieval world. So in January 09 we got her one. I didn't know why she wanted one, in this day and age, but she did. Then she discovered this game, as I told her about it yesterday. She came around, with my girlfriend and played for hours. Now, that's how easily Fable 2 can take you over! It's that good! Anyway, back on track! Fable 2's openness in story helps make it more enjoyable to a wide swath of gamers that have not previously had games that match their gender and love life. Actually I am surprised that more people are not complaining that you have to be a European and there are no racial customization options in Fable 2. Sure you can be good or evil, boy or girl, straight or gay but its the exploration! I think it is a great development for the video game industry that they finally realized that there is a whole generation of millions of females that use computers and tech and their money is just as green (or what ever color your money is) as the guys and perhaps they should start to make games that are not just solely targeted to 12 to 24 males. But, again, as I said earlier, this game appeals to anyone. The gamers that love Killzone 2 and anything with guns, give this a try, because it's a wonderful piece of gaming, and you wouldn't want to miss it!
---------------------------------------
Good Points: Great visuals and gameplay, amazing sound and voice overs, great freedom and objectives, good Sims feel to it, wonderful fighting elements, appeals to everyone!
Bad Points: Some bugs and clipping issues, lack of weapon variation.