Fable 2

When you think of open world games, you probably cast your mind back to the 2010's era of gaming, when the movement really gained traction. However, there were games long before this that technically offered open world games which blazed a trail for the phenomenal RPGs and action adventure games of today. One such franchise was the original game, and Fable 2 in particular is remembered fondly for it's incredible world, it's rich lore and its humour.

This game plays like other RPG's set in mystical lands such as The Elder Scrolls series, Dragon Age, Pillars of Eternity, Avowed, Dragon's Dogma and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. This game was a Xbox exclusive title that done a lot to win over RPGs players to the console. However, does this game hold up to scrutiny today? We find out in our review of Fable 2.

Fable, Willing and Able

Let's begin with the visuals for this title. We would argue that even in the era of incredible, super high resolution graphics, that Fable has its own distinct style that still holds up today. The lovely palette of colours, the rich environments, the well-rendered characters and the slick animations do a lot to allow players even of this era to jump into Albion and have a blast.

Then as for the gameplay, we loved the sheer amount of content on offer here. The combat and the gameplay mechanics are okay. However, they serve a greater purpose and that is, allowing exploration. The game has an abundance of quests, an abundance of places to explore. However, what we will say is that the game is a little imbalanced and players will find money making a breeze and will equally find the good versus bad playthrough as one in the game, which doesn't exactly breed replayability.

Then lastly, the story. We really enjoyed the overall plot and the main quest line. Plus, some of the side quests were excellent too. However, there is a certain level of inconsistency here. Not to mention that the characters themselves are boring and lifeless. We mean come on, give them some sort of personality, they are your main characters for goodness sake, and invest in some better voice acting while you are at it.

The Verdict

Overall, we would say that thanks to the exploration, the great writing, the phenomenal humour and the graphics that are still great by today's standards, this game is well worth revisiting. Some players may find the characters lifeless, they may find some of the game mechanics easy to manipulate and abuse, and you may find that the voice acting isn't all that either.

Pros:

• Great graphics
• Humorous writing
• Exploration is rewarding
• You can pet the dog

Cons:

• Some game mechanics are broken or underwhelming
• Characters are dull

Fable 2 is going to be an unprecedented life simulator, one that lets you grow your character from a small, impressionable child into a complicated adult (complete with emotional baggage) who affects the world around him or her in ways big and small.

Riiiiiiight.

Gamers may remember that the original Fable (XB) promised something quite similar but ended up being mostly an action-RPG--heavy on the action and fairly light on the roleplaying and simulation elements. Yes, you could run through a town and people would cower in fear if you were a bad guy or gaze admiringly if you were a hero. But it hardly qualified as a revolutionary videogame representation of the passage of time and life as we know it--as the game was touted during its years in development.

Lead Designer Peter Molyneux, however, is nothing if not ambitious, and he's again promising great things for Fable 2. With so-called "dynamic regions," you'll be able to control the evolution of the world. Nurture it, and your small camp will grow into a booming metropolis. Strike down its inhabitants at the outset, and all that will remain at the end of the game are the hills as nature left them. The combat will be more realistic, too--no more wildly swinging your battle-ax with no consequence. You'll be able to accumulate wealth, real estate, and belongings--or live life as a pauper. And this time around, your character can be male or female. You can now procreate, and your kids will love you no matter how evil your character gets.