Fable 2 (XBox 360)

Gamecow’s Price	RRP $59.95     Save $6.00 $53.95
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Genre	Role Playing Game
Platform	XBOX 360
Release Date	23/10/2008
Rated

Fable 2 has everything; sword play, adventure and a dog.  You companion for your journey is a boy’s best friend (or human’s if you want to be political correct).  The other amazing part of the game is the way your appearance changes depending on your actions.  Being good or evil, eating fatty foods or eating healthy and how you treat people will all affects you.

Fable 2 is a great adventure game with something for everyone. 

Fable 2 (XBOX 360) Product Information

Fable II is the highly anticipated sequel to the wildly successful original that sold more than three million copies, offering even more choices and building on the core game-play theme of Fable, where your every decision continually defines who you become. This action role-playing game (RPG) allows you to live the life you choose in the newly expanded open world of Albion. Set 500 years after the original, Fable II delivers an epic story and innovative real-time game-play, including a massive amount of freedom and choice to explore a vast collection of dungeons, catacombs, and taverns in the world of Albion.

• Choices, consequences: Fable II expands upon the scope and depth of the Xbox® classic by creating a wider, more complex kingdom of limitless choices and consequences. Players can play as a man or woman, get married, have children, and live a life of their own design—all leading to different consequences.
• A hero's best friend: Your canine companion acts as friend, compass and protector. Feed your pooch and he will love you unconditionally, creating a bond that sets up emotion-filled journeys throughout the magical world.
• Experience the world together: For the first time in any next-generation RPG game, experience the expansive and immersive world with friends, using the new and exciting Dynamic Co-op Mode, bringing the long-awaited multiplayer function to the world of Fable II.

Fable 2 (XBOX 360) Review

Fable II begins more than 500 years after the events of the original. You don't have to know a thing about the first Fable to enjoy the sequel, but there are numerous references to the past. There are plenty of surprises waiting for those fond of the first Fable; consider it a reward for having played the original. In Fable II, you play as a new character -- either male or female -- who begins life as a street urchin and eventually becomes saviour of Albion.

Coming along for the journey is your dog. A dog is a hero's best friend, as we all know, and your dog is no exception. He loves you unconditionally. You can scold him all you want, leave his wounds unhealed, or never pay him any attention whatsoever. It doesn't matter. You are his master and he will always be on your side -- even if you're a total jerk. Play with your dog or give him treats and you'll probably feel better about yourself. Either way, your dog is a welcome ally.

The dog is a success. I can't say that you will fall in love with your dog and keep a special place in your heart for him even after the disc's stopped spinning in the drive, but some will. And the rest can at least appreciate a canine companion who is helpful and almost never gets in the way or acts as a nuisance. You never control the dog. It acts independently and wisely.

If you take the time to explore, you'd discover Albion is an interesting world with some really odd characters in the mix to lend personality. Lionhead moved away from the storybook look of the original, settling on a grimmer world. While areas around Bowerstone are lush and beautiful, many of the later areas such as Wraithmarsh and Bloodstone are depressing. Even in Bowerstone, there is a distinctly Dickensian feel. Dickens, by the way: not the most uplifting of writers. The charm and whimsy of the original is lost in Fable II. Modernity encroaches on fantasy.

How you act not only affects how others view you, but also alters your appearance. The truly evil will grow horns, while the saintly earn a halo. Your level of corruption also alters your appearance, as does what you eat. You can get fat in Fable II. Orca fat. Most drinks and food have fat content. Some vegetables can help you lose fat and most meat and alcohol will add weight. If you want to stay slim, you might reconsider eating a big slab of meat to heal yourself when out on a quest. A moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips.

Closing Comments
I have been waiting a long time for a return to Albion. The past four years were well spent by Lionhead. Fable II has a great combat system, some excellent atmosphere, a smart experience system, and lots to do. It’s only when you start exploring the social aspects that things take a downturn. The expressions system is too goofy for the more serious tone of Fable II and almost every interaction feels artificial. The sandbox elements aren’t nearly as enjoyable as the adventure aspects.

Full review IGN