Played on:
Xbox 360
Fable II is the best game I've played this year. “Spah-ROING!” See? That's the sound of me, jumping on the Fable II love bus. There's room for everyone—you coming? You say you need a little more to go on before you lay your $60 down? You're one tough customer, but I hear you. Well then, sit back and let me tell you about one of the best action RPG's you'll ever play.
Fable II is of course, the sequel to 2004's Fable, and as good as the original title was, this one goes it one or two better. It bears a strong family resemblance to its predecessor. You start the game as a young orphan, living a harsh life on the streets of Bowerstone. You and your older sister Rose dream of living in the nearby castle owned by Lucien Fairfax, Lord of Bowerstone. One day, your lives are changed forever when a traveling salesman sells you a magic music box. This momentous purchase sets you upon the Hero's path. Guided by a mysterious blind seer who takes you to the mythical Heroes Guild, you become a warrior and set out to get your revenge on Lucien Fairfax.
Stopping Lucien is not something you can do alone, but Heroes aren't as plentiful as they used to be; to find the last three in existence—the Heroes of Strength, Will and Skill—you'll have to hoof it all over Albion. Luckily, the seer has some ideas about where you should look, and when she designates an objective for you, a handy golden trail points the way. This trail can be turned off, but let me warn you: Albion is big. I mean really big. You could be running aimlessly for a long time without some kind of pointer and what's the point of that? I say get to the good stuff as soon as possible. To keep you company on the road you have a faithful canine companion that can warn you of danger by growling, and if you accidentally stumble into a nest of assassins, he'll fight fiercely by your side. You can name him, put fancy collars on him, give him treats, play fetch with him, heal him with doggie elixirs, or if you choose, be mean to him. If you do though, may he bite you someplace sensitive.
Navigating the world of Fable II is quick and easy. You can run anywhere, and if you want to go faster, you can hold the A button down to sprint. For even faster travel, you can go by carriage, but the easiest way is by selecting regions in the Pause menu. Once you've visited an area, it's marked on your map and you can return to it at any time. Time passes when you travel, both in game and in real life; which brings up my one gripe about travel in Fable II—the loading screens. You'll want to be jumping from one location to another and whether you run between areas, or use the Pause menu method to get to them, you'll have to sit through a long loading screen. I suggest you use the time productively. Do some jumping jacks or learn another language.
Now don't think you'll be running around Albion willy nilly. You're on a Quest, by cracky! Actually, you're on a lot of them. In addition to your Primary quest, Fable II is full of funny and interesting Secondary quests that you won't want to miss. These quests often have an obvious moral alignment. Saving villagers from slavery for instance, is a Good quest, while sacrificing them at the Temple of Shadows is an Evil one. Depending on which type of quest you do, you'll increase your Good or Evil alignment; choose carefully because you'll have to deal with the consequences. Each type of quest adds to your Renown rating as well, which determines how famous you are in a given area. This means that good or bad, people everywhere will know what who you are and what you've done, and will react accordingly.
Alignment is the heart of Fable II's RPG system. You can play like a saint by aiding citizens in need, play like a devil by terrorizing everyone, or play both ends against the middle, depending on what's convenient for you. If you commit crimes when someone's watching, the guards will force you to pay a fine or do community service. If it's widely known that you're a criminal, people will not only hurl insults at you, they'll charge you more for items unless you can convince them to give you a “fear” discount. Oh, and even if they're scared of you, be prepared to pay top dollar for real estate.
On the other hand, if you skip around Albion doing nothing but good deeds, the townspeople will mob you, plying you with gifts. If you want to encourage that, press the right bumper to bring up the Expression Wheel and try doing a thumbs up or blowing someone a kiss. (Note: belching and farting isn't as effective.) Once someone's captivated by you, give them a ring and pop the question. To ahem...consummate the marriage, buy a house and drag your spouse into it. There, “use” the bed to have all the unprotected sex you want! But only if you're hoping soon after to hear the pitter pat of little feet. Yup, you can have kids in Fable II. (Funny though; I had husbands in several different towns, but I was never able to have more than one kid. Hrm....could it have anything to do with my tendency to sacrifice husbands at the Temple of Shadows?)
Aside from your behavior, your appearance plays a big part in the way people react to you. Improve your attractiveness rating by going to a salon, buying new clothes, or getting certain tattoos. Things that negatively affect your Attractiveness include a high Corruption level, too many scars (gained whenever you get knocked out in combat) or being too fat. The fat thing is crazy—I ate a total of three times during the first half of the game, ballooned up, and had to endure all manner of “fat” comments from passersby until I ate enough celery to work it off. I suggest using potions, not food to heal unless you dig having thunder thighs. Anyway, those guys at Lionhead have some interesting ideas about attractiveness, especially when it comes to clothing. To get the highest possible Attractiveness rating, my lady Hero had to wear a Three Musketeers-like hat, a pink cropped jacket, a corset, thigh-high boots and a pair of brown daisy duke shorts. Tall, muscular and covered with scars, she looked like a Pussycat Doll gone horribly wrong.
