Savior Or Tyrant: Become Your Heart’s True Desire in “Fable II”

Having never played the original “Fable,” I picked up the recently released sequel to see what all the fuss has been about and to give you, my loyal readers, an unbiased, outsider’s view on how “Fable II” stacks up and if it’s justifiable to spend your hard-earned money on it rather than a tank of gas.

In “Fable II” you are destined to become Albion’s greatest Hero, but your every action determines whether you will be a saint or a devil.

Kindly acts such as freeing slaves from their abusive masters influences your Good attributes, while deceitful deeds like stealing sways you toward Evil.

Good or Evil, it’s up to you; either way you’ll advance accordingly with unique acquired skills.

Abilities are categorized into three camps: Strength, Skill and Will.
Strength focuses on swordplay and power, Skill enhances ranged weapons and speed and Will boosts magic.

Take your pick and mix them up, there’s plenty of customization in abilities alone and it’s seamless to change among them on-the-fly.

Joining the hero on his journey is his faithful canine companion who serves as a treasure guide, an enemy alert and a helping-hand in battle.
It’s an innovative addition that works well, for the most part.

However, the D-pad serves as a short-cut for certain situation-dependant actions, such as interacting with your dog.

Just a few footsteps between you and the character you’re interacting will can change the D-pad-actions to display different ones.

Since your dog is constantly running around, things can be a bit tricky if you’re in a hurry.

I once tried to pet my puppy to calm him down from the intimidating surroundings.

But he decided to bolt off at the last moment and I ended up using my last health potion I was saving for the tough road ahead.

Too bad you can kill just about everything in this game except your dog.
Don’t think “Fable II” is all work and no play, though.

I was all set, ready to tackle the wide-open world in front of me: free the impoverished, pummel the thieves and make my name known and feared throughout the world.

So, what was one of the first things I did? I tried to get my character laid, of course.

Yes, you can get your groove on in “Fable II”, whether that be wholesomely or whore-somely.

You have the choice of wooing a courtly lass with gifts or hiring a hooker to do the nasty (which, surprisingly, increased my Good rating…).

But remember, always use a condom! (Yes, that’s not even a joke, if you seriously don’t use protection in “Fable II” you might get an STD… electric gonorrhea, the noisy killer. Ouch!)

“Fable II’s” humor is one of its greatest additions. Most of the game seems to be at least a bit tongue-in-cheek, perhaps a wink from Lionhead Studios not to take any of this too seriously.

Nearly all the characters sport a dry, British sense of humor which literally had me laughing out loud for much of the game.

Do you enjoy Monty Python and Simon Pegg films? You’ll love “Fable II,” then.

While “Fable II’s” main storyline isn’t the longest around (about six hours, give or take) side-quests and extras are rich and plentiful.

The number of things to do in the game is overwhelming at times: assassinate criminals, buy property, get a job, hunt down powerful weapons, get married, play bar games, the list is huge.

The world is ultimately what you make it.

And good news for all you Xbox Live fiends. “Fable II” supports Live co-op, so you can embark on heroic journeys in Albion with your friends, as well.

“Fable II” is a fun and rewarding experience with plenty of replay value, whether that’s with a friend or with a different moral affinity.

Its few flaws are easily overlooked for its amazing game play, stunning graphics and humorous overtones.

This is a must have for any Xbox 360 owner with an interest in the fantastical or becoming the hero or villain they always wanted to become.

I give “Fable II” for the Xbox 360 a 5/5.

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