Howlsthunder:
#fable_2 I was a bit disappointed with how quickly I blasted through the main storyline - and I'm one of those people who takes their time to level up their characters to make sure she's ready to fight whatever comes next. Even so, the end came pretty quickly. Luckily the game seems to go on, though I am not sure how much farther. Still, having beaten the main villain I don't feel there's much of a challenge looming over me anymore, which is kind of sad.
I enjoyed the game controls quite a bit, especially with the ability to hack/shoot/cast magic with just three buttons and without complex button combinations for any of it. They still manage to sneak in complexities with things like timing (when you press the button), duration (how long you hold it) and whether or not you were pressing in a direction - its very intuitive. While this means combat has the capacity for complex fighting, it can degenerate to button-mashing just as often.
The world itself is lush and pure eye-candy. The sunsets and sunrises are to die for! However, coming from a giant sandbox game (Fallout 3) I still felt hemmed in a bit. While some areas (Bowerstone Lake, Brightwood) are pretty wide open, you are pretty much bound to roads and paths in between locations. And the lack of an ability to jump can make even the open areas tricky to explore. Though if you're used to games like "Zelda: Twilight Princess" this should be familiar and forgiveable.
In some ways Fable II feels like only part of a game. The variety only goes so far. Things start out feeling vast (the assortment of clothing and weapons, say) but once your character is able to afford some items it seems the variety stops. Again, maybe I'm just used to playing Fallout. ;) It *is* fun that you can change individual items of clothing - pants, shoes, hat, etc. and even more fun that you can collect dyes to change the colors of said items, but I think by the time I beat the main game (which didn't take long) I'd ceased caring.
That said, this is a perfect game for casual gamers. My sister loves video games but shies away from most things more complex than MarioKart or Sonic the Hedgehog. Fable II is right up her alley; complex enough to hold her attention and suck her back in for more, but not so technical that she's scared off by something like steep learning curve.
I must say, though, that the ease of learning to play Fable II should not fool buyers into thinking it is a kids game - it isn't. Fable II is more like a fantasy cartoon for adults, complete with sex, STDs, prostitutes, drinking, earthy dialogue, and the eating of crunchy baby chicks. ;) For me this was refreshing, but parents take note.
Animal lovers/vegetarians should also note that PETA (love 'em or hate 'em) gives Fable II the thumbs up. Aside from chicken kicking, the game kinda promotes being nice to animals. There aren't many in the game; small woodland creatures, chickens, and your dog are about it, the former two of which are automatically protected from attack unless you turn off the safe mode. Also, eating meat and animal products can make your character gain weight as well as gain corruption points while eating veggies and tofu are slimming and have purity points.
Lastly I want to commend the game for its inclusion of a more realistic sexuality spectrum. I am not bringing this up for debate, I bring it up because it is important to me as a gamer and as a gay person. Things like this can make or break the amount I'm able to sink into a game world, especially one that is supposed to have tons of options. NPCs in Fable II have sexual identities (straight, bisexual, lesbian, gay, celebate) and your character can flirt with, sleep with, and even marry NPCs of compatible identity. This is to say, if you are a female character, all available straight and bi men, lesbian and bi women have the capacity to fall in love with you and vice versa. :) The proportion of gay-to-straight characters feels realistic, which can be frustrating to find a date but that's better than none at all and it ensures that more numerous straight players won't be inundated by personally incompatible crushes. ;)
Overall I really like Fable II, I just wish it were. more.
Dec 11, 09
