Building Block to Greatness?

2008 brought with it a whole range of events, from the media frenzy on the recession, to the “Police” reunion tour, and the all important slashing of the price of the XBOX 360 Elite. But the date to stand out on the calendar of XBOX 360 gamers was the long awaited release of “Fable 2”.
Announced in 2006, the sequel to Lionhead Studio’s hugely successful 3rd person RPG “Fable”, Fable 2 was set to be one of the greatest games to come out of the Guildford-based gaming studio until the release of the third instalment of the series next year.
Fable 2 takes place 500 years after the first instalment of the series. Once again you start as a wide-eyed child facing adversity until you are cast into a whole world of torment and misery for you to mould as you see fit.
Screen Shot 1 Through its use of superbly rendered graphics and intricately illustrated environments the game succeeds in creating a completely immersive world. Music also sets the mood of each and every section of the game, from the light and airy soundtrack used in Bowerstone Market, to the dark, bleak and oppressive area of Wraithmarsh. Lionhead once again employed the skills of composer Danny Elfman to create such a high calibre soundtrack.
The much boasted moral choice system builds dramatically from that of the one from Fable. Whereas in Fable the choices have an impact on your opinion, the choices in Fable 2 affect everything from your appearance, to that of your dog, and even the environments of various towns. But the same criticism occurs with Fable 2 as with all other moral choice systems, all you achieve is a new skin, a slightly different title, and different reactions from the simple townsfolk.
The other main talking point about the game was your furry four legged constant companion. The idea of having a dog as your sidekick was to add a character you could grow attached to. Training your dog to learn tricks, find better treasure, and finish off downed opponents makes the animal more a friend in the game instead of another faceless partner.
So as a whole the game incorporates all the elements of a superb game, from storyline to character development. But the whole game seems more of a building block for the storyline of “Fable 3”.
-By Ryan Gardiner