Fable II Game Review – Long On Promise, Short On Delivery
Most games from Lionhead Studios, especially games involving Peter Molyneaux, remind me of an old political cartoon from the Clinton presidency. On the left, Clinton is seated before sheet music labeled “Promises” with his saxophone, a skein of notes visibly emerging from it. On the right, he’s seated before sheet music labeled “Delivery”, this time playing a kazoo.
And indeed, Lionhead has once again brought me way more sizzle than steak with their release of Fable II, the game Molyneaux swore up and down would blow Fable away.
On that point, he’s right. Fable II does blow Fable away. It has a whole new generation’s worth of graphical processing power to play with, a metric ton of mini games and several new characters inhabiting a storyline that will encompass decades in a world that will change visibly with every decision you make.
The only problem, of course, is that while Molyneux and company were building this massive world, they forgot that video games are supposed to have this thing called PLOT.
On the surface, Fable II looks to have plot in abundance, with you playing as a hero of legend who doesn’t know it yet gone in search of various other heroes of legend. They will in turn lend their powers to make you a kind of SUPER hero of legend. And once you have become this magnificent figure you will then go out and defeat the villain who killed your sister about ten years prior.
Said villain, meanwhile, is visibly trying to rebuild the Death Star. You think I’m kidding there, but I’m really not–Fable II’s big bad is out to rebuild a gigantic spire-like facility (okay, so it’s not the same SHAPE.) that has mystical powers sufficient to reshape the world according to his own twisted whims. He’s stocked said facility with a seemingly infinite number of identically dressed lesser baddies (if they were wearing white I’d swear they were stormtroopers), some of which you’ll have to fight for a few minutes.
The main plot of Fable II, and this is the game’s primary problem, should take you only a few hours to beat if you’re sufficiently motivated and you can ignore the alarming number of pop-up shiny things that will seek to distract you from the main quest plot. It’s like this game was designed by a team of ferrets desperately in need of Ritalin.
Side quests, featuring such mundanities as chopping wood, making knives and slinging ale for quick cash, will abound throughout Fable II, and this may be the game’s ultimate strength. The world of Fable II will allow you to become a bounty hunter, a slave trader, a real estate mogul, and a general jack-of-all-trades doing pretty much anything you want and altering the very world with your decisions, as long as you can ignore the fact that there’s a madman with a magic wish tower somewhere out at sea.
Indeed, this particular point leaves Fable II feeling somewhat schizophrenic. Yes, you may think, I own half of the downtown shopping district of every town I’ve been to and if I can just kill a few dozen more cockroaches I can easily buy the rest of it, but the whole time, you have to actually TRY and forget that there’s a lunatic who wants to destroy REALITY with his tower that grants wishes. Of course, he’ll never actually get the chance to USE it any time before you’re ready to take him on, but it just feels so very ridiculous.
Clearly, Molyneaux and company went for a game with huge replay value. You can play as good or evil, you can launch yourself into completionist heaven, or you can charge through the main plot for a truly lousy payoff (try the main ending sometime and see if you’re not disappointed by the “final boss fight”. It’s in quotes for a very good reason.). And because of this variety, you can’t call Fable II a BAD game. Sadly, due to its fractured nature and weak main story, you really can’t call it a GOOD one either.
February 10th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
[...] Anderson at Digitalbattle.com Reviews Fable 2 Video Gameand he is not [...]
February 11th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Can’t say I subscribe to this view of the game. Peter Molyneaux claimed that he wanted to make a game people would love, and I love Fable II. Aside from the astonishing beauty of the game, I found the storyline – which is pervasive – to be very powerful.
From the incredibly dark existential challenges of your first visit to the spire to the gut-wrenching decision at the end of the game; I don’t think I’ve been as moved as a player since Bioshock.
But it’s not all doom and gloom – seldom have I seen a game so rich in comedy. The descriptions of every item, the stories in the books, even the inscriptions on the gravestones are often laugh-out-loud funny. Maybe it’s a peculiarly British sense of humour, but a lot of love went into crafting those perfect, clever jokes and descriptions.
Maybe Fable II isn’t for everyone, but if it clicks with you then it’s the gaming experience of a lifetime – I’ve had literally days of delight from it so far and I don’t think Albion is through with me yet.
February 11th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
Simon–no, indeed…Fable II is not for everyone. I’d like you to bear in mind that I’m not calling it a BAD game, necessarily, it’s just not as fulfilling as I’d hoped. Surely you felt a bit cheated by that end boss fight in which you don’t actually DO any fighting? If not, well, that’s your taste and we all have quite different tastes. But I felt somewhat cheated by the whole experience. It left me rather flat. But what I DID play was quite enjoyable. I only wish there had been more of it.
February 11th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
I was dissapointed with the graphics of the game to tell you the truth.
February 13th, 2009 at 10:27 am
The problem with boss fights is that they’re just that – a fight. You can never really lose, you just keep retrying until you finally beat it. With Fable II you get something new – a decision.
I won’t spoil the end for those who have yet to get there, but there comes a point where things are taken out of your hands – but only as a preamble for one final choice.
I remember the cold, bittersweet feeling I had when presented with the ‘perfect day’ segment. I knew immediately what was intended by it. but I didn’t know what was coming next.
In the end you’re presented with a choice – and depending on how ‘in’ to the characters you’ve got, it’s really difficult. If you’re just playing a game, then it’s not going to deliver; but if you’re immersed in the story then you get to make the final choice and live with the consequences.
I did what I thought was the ‘heroic’ thing and acted for the greater good – and I was bummed out by that noble act for days afterward.
A simple boss fight wouldn’t have had anywhere near that level of power for me.
As I said, I got a lot out of the game – I went everywhere, did all the main quests and bought everything along the way. It delivered a lot for me.
Not saying you’re wrong, just offering another perspective.
February 13th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Simon–you raise a good point, but I can’t help but feel cheated. Your choice, as you describe it, is a small divergence in script. Really nothing more than a set of alternate endings. Yes, a boss fight is just a fight, but you have to practice, you have to keep at it, you have to persevere until the end and THEN you get that ending you’ve been striving for! I resent having the struggle removed from consideration because one of my uncontrollable cohorts pulled his gun first. It’s hard to say much more than that without spoilering, but when that cocky little prick asked you that last question, my answer was “Yes of COURSE I DID! Why do you think I fought all this way, to save YOU?”
Parenthetically, I’m glad you’re being so reasonable about this. This is the kind of thing that gets people up in arms many times, and I’m glad to see composure well in hand.
And Paul–that’s unusual to say that; I haven’t heard many complaints about the graphics and I certainly didn’t have any trouble with that part. I thought they were solidly next-gen caliber. What issues did you have?
February 14th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Well, I respect your opinion – I think we’ll just need to agree to disagree
If I’d been looking forward to the mother-of-all-hero-showdowns, I think I’d have been pretty disappointed too.
Personally, I was happy with the ending – it didn’t take the form of a playable end-battle, but it had a conclusion and for me it was satisfying. Maybe I’m in the minority here.
As for the visuals – I genuinely think Fable II has some stunning art direction. One of those games where I found myself just stopping to look around.
Vive la difference!
February 14th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Steven I don’t know but sometimes the characters on my tv didn’t appear correctly i think i just have a old tv thats all.