Tuesday, 2024-05-07, 10:12 PM
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"Creativity"

Fable II Review

Genre: Action RPG

Developer: Lionhead Studio

System I played on: Xbox 360

Year: 2008

One of the first games I truly experienced while growing up was Fable. I loved it to death, and as of this writing, it is my favorite exclusive for the Xbox. So, you can only imagine my excitement for the second Fable. The first time I really got a look at the next game was when my cousins brought it over, and to see the world in that form made my jaw drop. After my cousins left, I was dying to play the game. I begged my mom, and she just wouldn’t get me the game. I had been waiting on the game for years if you thought about it, but she just wouldn’t listen to me. But after awhile, I finally got the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as I expected. As a child, I wasn’t used to many RPGs, so Fable was good for people like me. Fable II felt more sloppily open, and the world seemed more dull rather than close to detail. I just couldn’t keep going, and the game sat on the shelf for a few years. Some time after the whole Fable III experience, I thought to try again. I had come accustomed to more of the RPGs, and this time I was a collector/gamer. My objective was to finish the game as soon as possible, as I knew if I got sidetracked I might give up. So I ran through the story, and thought it was all right. Recently, I felt like going again, slapping on a few achievements, and getting a better experience. This time I played as a female hero, which I had never tried to do in any of my playthroughs of the Fable franchise. I made good choices, and naturally my hero became good. She was a will user, and yes, grew the blue tattoo like glowing skin. This time I could really appreciate the characters, actually listened to the dialogue, and actually customized my character. Seeing my Hero evolve was even more entertaining than in Fable one, as this you actually get to see the whole growth at the end of the game, and you can drastically change. I still think Fable one is the best in the series, but I have to say Fable II is a close one now. I wished they paid a little more attention to detail, but then again not every game has to. It’s nice to know I can pick up a epic RPG, finish it, and then move on so easily. But the game still has faults. The loading screens come a little too often, and the trail to follow is uneasy, especially when you know a mini-map would just end the problem. The map itself is a problem also. Its hard to explore every nook and cranny, and in a game like this you’ll want to do that, as you get silver keys and your dog will find average items buried in the ground. The story itself I wish acted more like cut scenes, as this walk freely in game thing doesn’t work for my style of storytelling. Also the game’s resolution no matter which ending is provided, is a little faulty. In terms of story it matches wonderfully, but the point of games is to interact. Sure a movie ending where it did the story justice would have been all right, but if a movie showed the character at least obtaining what he wanted, it would be better. In a game your stuck within an eternal resolution once you hit the end, and if all you get is the bare minimum, then it feels undeserving. But I still love Fable II, and unlike the third one I felt the effort, and I felt the love. I could feel where they were trying to just add to the game’s quality, and it did just that. Making heroes, using the combat, it all sucks you into the world of Albion, a feeling I haven’t truly felt since the original Fable. I doubt it will happen, but I would love a ending game to this franchise, one that tied a pretty ribbon around the trilogy, and gave reference to the past, like Fable II did to one. If this game could be done right, it might be the best in the franchise, but until then, we can know that two of the three so far are spectacular.

Fable II gets a 4/5

Spoilers: First off, I thought the element of choice seemed obsolete in the ending of this game. I would say the entire game, but many missions, and the beginning where you shape Bowerstone proves me wrong. The end however doesn’t make much of a difference. In one, you get a cool statue of you, the other you get your dog back, with a note from your sister, and in the other you become rich. On terms of story, this makes a difference, but once your done with the game there’s almost no reason to continue. But that’s no reason for the game to take a serious blow, it’s still full of great moments. I love where you captured and have to take orders from the commandant, and also I really liked when you actually came home from the spire. When I got back the feeling was awesome, and when I got back my dog’s fur color had turned into it’s benevolent version, which I thought was really cool. Also, the whole time your kind of dead, but not dead, I thought that was really interesting, I only wished it was followed by a boss battle.

Badges

Fable II gets THE CHARACTER BADGE

Fable II gets THE CREATIVITY BADGE