Fable II

"The operative word in describing this game is disappointment"

Introduction

Fable 2 carries us to the fantastical world of Albion, a land filled with heroes and magic, as we embark on an epic quest as our hero attempts to avenge the death of their sibling and save the world from a diabolical madman. It is a game which takes many departures from the standard RPG format, becoming one of the few titles to offer real time combat in which it manages to break the mould. However, as innovative as the developers try, this otherwise decent game is dogged by deep flaws, which I will now explain.

Story -

The plot of Fable 2 is your standard RPG affair. Evil madman sets out to end the world, only one man (or woman) can stop him. Not everyone likes this sort of thing, but I do. It is a solid general framework and if it is done well it can work to great effect. The story begins with 2 children, a brother and sister and which one you will control depends on which sex you decided to play. For the purposes of this review, I will assume the character is male.

Upon hearing an inspired sales pitch by a travelling merchant, the children are persuaded by a mysterious fortune teller to buy a "magic" music box. Upon the purchase, they are told to make a wish, which they subsequently do. Shortly after this, word is sent for them to appear at the castle which overlooks the city. Upon arrival, the aristocrat ruling the castle grants them an audience. Much to the sisters delight, he tells them that they may be able to live in a castle, fulfilling the wish she made. However events take a sinister turn as he then proceeds to murder both children. The boy however falls from a window and is presumed dead. He is not.

Under the guidance of the fortune teller and the faithful dog he had befriended, he left the city to begin his training, so that one day he might have his revenge and fulfill his destiny. Textbook stuff, and excellently executed. I found it to be an interesting and often engaging story line. However, like most of the game, it is marred by faults, one which is fundamental - it is far too short. It doesn't take long to finish the main story, which was a massive disappointment as it is at times compelling and clearly written by people who know their stuff and it begs the question - why on earth did they ruin it by making it so short?

Score - 8/10

Characters -

As a more traditional RPG, much of the character development is down to decisions you make in the game, making judgement on the main character rather relevant. The game however is full of interesting characters of great diversity. Lucien, the arch villain, although rarely seen manages to cut an imposing figure. The fortune teller is draped in mystery and knowledge and the collection of Heroes that you encounter provide a sometimes entertaining departure from your standard RPG hero. The stand out character however goes to your dog, ever faithful and present companion, he really grew on me and heavily influenced my final wish at the end.

Score - 9/10

Combat and Leveling -

Combat in Fable 2 is real time and is almost excellent. The X button allows you to unleash your sword, the Y button tests your sharpshooting skills and the B button unleashes your magic spells. I went with a caster character, and for a while it was fun. However there was a lull due to the time it took to gain higher level spells, leaving me struggling in combat. Some of the spells do not seem to scale well as the game progresses, if oly for a short time. It is something which could leave some players feeling frustrated, an annoying flaw that could so easily be overcome with proper scaling.

You do not gain levels in Fable 2. It adopts a rather nice and refreshing system similar to Devil May Cry and God of War, where by foes drop orbs, which are then used to buy new spells and abilities, or upgrade existing ones. 4 types of orb drop, blue ones (strength), yellow ones (skill), red ones (will) and green ones (experience). Using melee attacks causes the foe to drop blue orbs, range attacks cause yellow ones to drop, spells cause red ones to drop and the green ones will drop regardless of which spell. You then buy an ability from each school (strength, skill and will), using the coloured orbs, in conjunction with experience orbs. So only red orbs and green orbs can buy will spells, blue and green for strength and so forth. This was an enjoyable departure from typical RPG leveling and a big plus on the scorecard.

Spellcasting however did have another flaw. You can only select one spell at a time, hitting B once will use rank one, holding it will charge it to higher levels. However you often need to cast many spells, and switching them can be done two ways - in real time, which involves a minimum three button presses, or pausing the game and switching. Both of these break the flow of the combat. Most real time combat games allow you to switch abilities using one button, to keep the combat fluent and the combat experience did suffer because of this.

Score - 7/10

General Gameplay -

Aside from fighting and the main quest, there are other things to keep you busy. Quests can be gathered and completed, some of these recurring ones, such as freeing slaves from slavers. They quickly however become boring and repetitive. Most of the other quests involve you simply going to point X, kill the baddies and done. There is no real variety in the quests which is deeply disappointing.

You may also get a job, there are several available. These too however become quickly repetitive and boring, perhaps too much like real life. With the money you earn, you can then buy new gear, gifts to give to villagers, or buy real estate. Spending the money can be fun, earning it is often not, which is a shame as it could so easily be fun.

Integral to the idea guiding Fable 2 is the notion of right and wrong. How you interact with people shape how they see you. You can be good, or bad, pure or corrupt. Actions here can shape your appearance, and how others interact with you. This is a nice idea, but could have been executed better. You can use expressions to interact with villagers, get them to love you, hate you or to fear you. However, if you want to change the opinion of just one, expressions effect everyone who is close, some might feel this is a good, realistic idea, however I felt it to be little more than a nuisance.

This could have been a lovely feature and again I mention my disappointment at it, I feel annoyed at the developers for not giving it any real depth. It is touted as a massive part of the game, and to be honest it never felt like it, almost an afterthought. That said, it does provide some enjoyment if only on a limited basis. It reminded me of Mass Effect, whereby the goodness, or badness of your actions can have an impact on the game and certain situations, and it is a very good concept. Before playing the game I had high hopes, as the fantasy setting provides an excellent breeding ground for such a concept to grow.

There are several side attractions in addition to this, getting married, starting a family etc. I was indifferent to this feature as it doesn't appeal to me. Whilst most of the side features are entertaining, they lack any real depth and the gameplay does suffer, reducing the lifespan of the game by a considerable margin. This is further hampered by the movement system, it felt very heavy and clunky. In short, it was disappointing.

Score - 6/10

Audio -

Let us begin with the voice acting. It was excellent, the voices were a good match to the characters and the dialogue was often entertaining. The voice acting really helped to enhance the characters, a special mention to Zoe Wanamaker and Stephen Fry as the voices of the fortune teller and Lucien. The voice acting enhanced the charm of the game, much of which is brought on with the visuals. Audio and visual compliment each other wonderfully and this did help to compensate for the many flaws embedded in the game.

As for the score, it can be best summed up in that it never grabbed my attention and made me think "This is great!" or "This is terrible", I barely noticed it. Music does have the power to enhance a game, normally it isn't a big deal but this game really needed something to distract the gamer from it's flaws and music could have done this, it didn't however and the saving grace of the audio is the voice acting.

Score - 7/10

Visuals -

The second I loaded the game, I though to myself "Oh no, I cannot believe I just spent actual money to buy this". Characters are very cartoonish, as are most of the surrounding landscapes. However it eventually began to grow on me, giving off an endearing charm. This could be a big turn off for players, however it is likely that on the list of faults with this game, the visuals will be near the bottom.

Score - 7/10

Summary -

The operative word in describing this game is disappointment. It could have been great, it could have left a lasting impression and provided the 360 with an all time great RPG. This is no Oblivion, but it could have been in the same league, but so much of the game is infested with faults, and with a pitifully short main story it leaves a slightly sour taste in your mouth. Frustrating short comings often hindered what is otherwise nice gameplay mechanics, they tried to be a bit different and to break the mould, they came close but tripped at the finishing line.

More than anything, all else is sidelined by the fact that this could have been so much better, to quote James May, it is as if they had the recipe for the perfect Sheppard's Pie, but made it with dog meat. That said, when it is good it is pretty enjoyable, short and sometimes sweet. The only singular flaw which wrecks the game is the length of the main story, you can have sidequests lacking in depth if the main story is epic. However all of those other flaws add up and conspire to tarnish the game.

If you like RPG's, go get it. It can be picked up pretty cheap, or rented. However if given the choice between Fable 2, Mass Effect, or Oblivion, do not chose Fable 2. There are better RPG's out there.

Overall Score - 7.3/10

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/18/09

Game Release: Fable II (EU, 10/24/08)