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Should have been, could have been
Co-op has also been added to Fable II in hopes of turning this single player experience into something friends can enjoy together. Despite a few laughs, the co-op feels a little unnatural to me and an unnecessary feature. I would have rather enjoyed more development to be placed in others areas of the game. The way co-op works is by placing orbs around the game world that are actually other people’s games. You can warp into other games world and play along side them. Make sure you have your headset on because you might get a hoodlum who wants to upset the playing balance of your game. This really turns Fable II into a giant interactive game lobby which is an interesting take for an RPG. The flaw here is that you have to select a premade character when you jump into another gamer’s world. Also the acts you can use are restricted which makes you feel more like the dog, then the dog in the game. The main bonus is in combat for bonus experience which has already been exploited. Co-op could work in this style of game, and even lend itself to some new gaming ideas, too bad Fable II doesn’t really implement it with the ambition of the rest of the project.

Our new four legged friend
Fable II sure its has its share of innovative features that haven’t been approach before in gaming, out of all of them the most wonderful innovation comes from the most unusual addition, a dog. The dog in Fable II is your virtual pet who loves your character unconditionally. Your dog which can be renamed will help you win the hearts of children, warn you from enemies, and even find buried treasure for you to dig up. The dog never gets in the way of the action; it only adds a loveable friend for you to enjoy your adventure with. This uncontrollable, A.I. driven pet reacts perfectly in situations and even goes as far as reflect your personality in its own look. It’s surprising to say, but this dog might be one of the best NPCs ever made in a game. To truly understand the impact of the dog in Fable II you need to play the game. A lot of people including myself questioned the addition of this four legged canine, however once you start playing the game you fall in love with this little furry friend. This is only amplified when you are forced to part with the dog on select missions. The minute you see his wagging tale running towards you will realize how much the dog impacts your world in Fable II.  Of course, dog’s haters might call all this rubbish and curse Lionhead for making the dog a mandatory addition to the Fable II.

Let's get technical
Graphically Fable II hits a few snags in the form of framerate slowdown. This is experienced mainly during combat sequences when multiple enemies are on the screen at once, or during a few of the in game cut-scenes. Framerate slowdown isn’t always an issue, but it does bog down in a few important parts of the game including a long action piece that takes place near the end of the game. Continuing with flaws, when you take an up close look at your character or other characters they can look a little rough. The most impressive visuals come from the environments and the games overall artistic design. A few minor clipping issues will also happen from time to time, however given the nature of Fable’s open world design this is not much of a surprise.

As far as the overall look of Fable II goes, it’s similar to the original Fable caring over that overexagerated cartoonish style of art direction. Fable II does a wonderful job of making the game feel approachable and unique to its own. The effects have been improved when using magic in the game along with the lighting engine. Fable II can be rather beautiful during sunrises with impressive spurts that bounce up into the screen every once and while. Fable II main goal was to make a good looking game that carried over the feel of the original. In these terms Fable II hits their mark, however its not one that is overshot into a great visual game like a few other knockout games on the Xbox 360. Bottom line; Fable II is a good looking game that hits a few technical snags along the way.

"E"llow, how's the sound?
The audio production in Fable II is a huge undertaking with hundreds lines of dialog along with crushing sound effects and properly placed music. Fable II's European attitude is a great asset in the game and makes Fable II feel more like a distinct realistic world. The music adds the right ambiance touches whenever it’s needed from pitch shifted conga tracks, to the sweet turning melodies of child like instruments. Really, Fable II is pieced together perfectly making an outstanding impact on the games design. The only real downside to Fable II’s audio is a some repetitive dialog lines which is to expected in a world of this size. Overall, Fable II goes beyond our expectations creating a visually stunning game with a interesting art style and audio direction.

Even though I have covered a lot of features in Fable II there is so much content that you couldn't possible fit everything into a review short of a mini-novel. The best way to see what Fable II is like is to experience it yourself. Fable II should appeal to any type of gamer who enjoys plot driven sandbox styled action games. Fable II isn’t overly deep or challenging which also makes it more accessible then some other role-playing action titles.

The value is defiantly here as Fable II gives you more than enough activities to keep you busy for hours on end. In the main quest becoming a hero, or defying the laws of land and becomes a feared fiend, Fable II is yours to explore and play how you wish. Fable II inches closer to that perfect game we all want it to be, and as long as Lionhead keeps making them, we will keep playing. Fable II is one of the year’s best gaming experiences that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Reviewed by Downtown Jimmy | 10.28.08

		Impressive and realistic in-game infrastructure Unique game space that continues the feel of the original Lots to do before and after the main quest Interesting look into relationships and sexuality Good and Evil path has more room for variance Combat has been simplified and refined In game choices have real world consequences Interesting storyline and characters that continues Fable’s original lore The Dog; is a milestone achievement and a gamers new best friend Earn in-game cash when your not playing
		Death isn’t penalized Recurring framerate issues Not as customizable as other role-playing games Dialog development still feels unnatural Co-op feels like a failed experiment The world is larger, but feels smaller If you didn’t like Fable, you won’t enjoy Fable II Dog haters won’t be a fan of the four legged companion

Similar Games: Fable III (9.3) | Fable (9.5)