Fable II

Just when I try to wean myself off of role playing games, Fable II comes along and reminds me why I love the genre. Peter Molyneux, the outspoken developer who is notorious for over-hyping his games and under-delivering when the time comes to put up or shut up, has finally delivered on his promises, and anyone who plays RPGs should be glad that he has come through.

The game that Fable II will inevitably be compared to is Oblivion, Bethesda’s 2006 masterpiece. The two are similar in nature­—they both place the focus on player choice and the dynamic relationship between the avatar and an ever-changing environment. But Fable II is infinitely more accessible than Oblivion. It is rare that you get that feeling of utter confusion and being lost (which some considered a good thing) that you got in Oblivion, and the entire game is built around ease of experience for those who want it. The most obvious example is the optional glowing trail that appears on the ground to lead you toward your objectives.

While some may consider this babying, it does come in handy sometimes, as does the ability to always check up on what your main objective is if you get sidetracked by any of the numerous activities you can take on in the world of Albion. That’s not to say that the game lacks the depth of past sandbox RPGs. The world is full of hidden loot that your dog companion can help you search out, side quests, and optional activities such as jobs and gambling with which you can waste time.

More importantly, Fable II delivers an alignment system, which allows players to customize their avatars’ inclinations for good or evil based on their actions—much improved from the system of the first game. While the first game was badly compromised by a final choice that threw every choice the player made before out the window, Molyneux solved that problem this time around. From what I can tell, Fable II features a much wider range of choices that, like last year’s Mass Effect, simply don’t boil down to good or evil, which really makes the game worth replaying. These choices have exciting repercussions for your avatar and the world around it. I can’t wait to replay the game and experience as many endings as possible.

The second biggest improvement of the game comes in the combat system. The most incredible feature is how customizable the experience is. You can mix melee combat with ranged spells and status effects or just go the brutish route and pummel your enemies. Variation also comes in the form of items that add special effects to your weapons. The fun of the system comes in the ability to use melee and magic simultaneously, creating dynamic combat situations. Combine this with the fact that the game largely eschews complicated rules and menus, and you’ve got something special and accessible.

That’s not to say that the game isn’t without its flaws. Like similar western RPGs, it is prone to glitches (the world doesn’t always react properly when you try to engage it, for example) and ridiculous load times. For me, though, these problems pale in comparison with the amazing strides that Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios have made with this franchise. Hats off to them.