XBox Fable 2

You can abandon the dog from what I hear. It'll continue to follow you, but you can leave it in the dust...so it's almost like the thing doesn't exist. That's what I'll do probably.

Molyneux better make good on his words this time. I was very happy with the first Fable, but having promised features go missing is a bit bothersome.
 
OK...I found news! Albeit old-ish.

Sex in Fable 2 fades to black. Sorry to all of our horny readers hoping to see their hero or heroine bumping uglies. As with the original Fable, once you woo a mate and buttons start popping, the game goes black. As Lionhead top dog Peter Molyneux explains, "It's you Americans -- there's something about nipples that [sets you off]."

Though Fable 2 won't show sex, it is a critical part of the game. As many an IGN editor can tell you, unprotected sex leads to children. And once you start having kids, you've got yourself a family. It's this family that creates emotional ties to the world of Albion. It's that family Molyneux plans to use to make you care about Fable 2 more deeply than you may have ever cared for anything in a game before.

When you marry someone else (and yes, same sex marriage is allowed), you become part of that community. You may get a dowry, have a father-in-law in town. Wherever you may have hailed from and wherever you may travel to next, you are embraced by your new home. You may have a child who adores you, who wants to emulate you. Become evil and your child will turn into a bully. Be good and he'll be a choir boy. Either way, he or she looks up to you. You're their hero. Once you're hooked, once you care, the you and your family are in for a bumpy ride.

Fable 2 was modeled after European fables. If you've eyed the original Grimm fairy tales, you know that at least one child tends to die per fable. These are not the sugar-sweet moralistic Aesop fables. European fairy tales are dark and sometimes morally complex.

Molyneux has hints heavily at a family tragedy. "There will be a moment six hours into game where you walk into room and someone will ask you to do something and you will have to sacrifice something precious to you as a gamer. You will put down the controller and ask, what am I going to do?"

According to Molyneux, only about 10% of people who played the original Fable finished the game as an evil character. ""Only 5% of people playing Fable 2 will have the stomach to be evil," he guesses. But he also believes it's the job of Lionhead to force more people to tap into their dark side.

"I'm going to make it tough for you to be good," he says. "Being good is about sacrifice... that's going to test you."

For those who scoff at the idea that they could care about their child, consider the experience of playing as a female character. In the current build of the game (which may be forced to change due to "legal reasons"), when you become pregnant your body morphs. Your stomach swells (as do other areas). You carry the weight of a child while adventuring.

Your family, your town and Albion as a whole will react and change based on your choices during your adventure. Molyneux famously promised that in Fable 1 you could plant an acorn and return one day to find a tree had grown. That was a promise unfulfilled. But Molyneux now says they have a "golden acorn" and swears that the world is truly dynamic this time around. Early on in the game you are asked to do something that changes the structure of the capital in one of the cities. When you come back, years later, the small event has lead to a "major change."

One element that will help you on your way to changing Albion is the new HUD-free system. As we've explained in the past, your dog is points you towards enemies and other important items. However, there is another element. A breadcrumb trail exists, which points out the path you should take to find quests. It is color-coded and dynamically changes based on the interests you show as a gamer. It looks pretty cheesy. Just imagine a line of fairy dust sparkling from your feet, along a path and into the horizon. You dog's job, apparently, is to lead you off the breadcrumb trail.

"Mini-maps are [bleep]," according to Molyneux.

If the thought of a breadcrumb trail breaks your heart, know that there are plenty of good things promised in Fable 2. Albion is expected to be 10 times the size from the original game with 11 fully free-roaming regions and roughly 30 dungeons to explore. There are around 100 augmentable weapons, 70 augmentable clothes, and 20 different tattoos and haircuts. There are only eight basic spell times, but they are upgradeable to varying degrees, allowing for around 80 spells. Expect to hear more than 160,000 lines of "AI-driven dialogue" while adventuring through more than 150 unique quests and playing more than a half-dozen minigames. There's also a full economic simulation, as we've documented previously, and a dynamic community to boot.

Fable 2 is going to be big. Certainly bigger than the original. And, if Molyneux has his way, "It's going to be as good as any game out there."
 
According to Molyneux, only about 10% of people who played the original Fable finished the game as an evil character. ""Only 5% of people playing Fable 2 will have the stomach to be evil," he guesses. But he also believes it's the job of Lionhead to force more people to tap into their dark side.
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Nahhh, I don't buy that. I'd say most everyone who bothered with Fable went ahead and completed the game both as a good and bad guy.

Being evil is more entertaining, in my opinion.
 
Yeah, I agree.

I played as an evil guy first, then a good guy, beat that, then went on to create a gay guy....
So i don't think people just limited themselves to being good. In fact, most of the people I've talked to prefered being evil
 
Mister Poop said:
Nahhh, I don't buy that. I'd say most everyone who bothered with Fable went ahead and completed the game both as a good and bad guy.

Being evil is more entertaining, in my opinion.
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thats what i was going to say, ive talked to many people that has played that game, and I KNOW for a fact that most people that played, finished an evil character, just because it was easy and fun to do. I know I did. Plus the evil char. looks wayyyyy cooler than a good guy. haha.

Fable 2 looks like its going to be badass, especially if they make it co-op and make it a GOOd co-op then I will just be a happy little camper.
 
Uhhh...I've never played the original Fable, but I always wanted to. I don't have to play it to understand this one do?
 
probably not. Besides, if you DO, knowing fable type narrative, they'll catch you up on the story....

But I don't think it's a continuation...could be wrong, don't hold me to it
 
I've heard that you'll encounter a few characters from the first game in the second...despite the events of Fable 2 taking place 500 years after those in the first Fable. Locations such as Bowerstone will return as well.

I don't think it's necessary to play the first game in order to understand what's going on in the second, but it couldn't hurt.
 
Damn American's and their anti-nipplery!

I definitely hope this isn't as much as a cocoon as Fable was, what with all the hype involved. Brilliant game but we were promised much much more than what Molyneux eventually supplied. Here's to hopefully a great Fable 2.
 
I never read up on Fable when it was being produced so I was never disappointed when it came out because I didn't know what exactly was promised...as for Fable 2 it better bring some epicness with it :dry:
 
Dudes i cannot wait for this game to come out. Fable 1 was an amazing game, so you can dream for Fable 2. I also can't wait to go around with my father on it and killing everything with teamwork. And if town guards start to bother me a lot, i have a friend who can take care of it for me. Low on gold? not a problem soon as i reserve it. Pub games all set. Course, i suck at the pub games.
 
What pisses me off is that they're releasing it exclusively for the XBox, and not on PC. Majorly bad move, since they lose a lot of customers that way.

Either way, I would've looked forward to it a lot more if I could have actually played it >__>
 
I may get the collectors edition, I need to pre-order from my local Game store. Theyve already got boxes out advertising the normal copy. And thank God it does confirm you can be male or female. I was hearing mixed stories about that.
 
Fable 2's releasing midnight tonight in the states (not sure about Europe). I didn't reserve the collector's edition, but I imagine the game itself will be enough. :]
 
I have a slight itch to buy this game, but there's been a stack of games that were higher on the 'must buy' list, such as Dead Space, Silent Hill: Homecoming, Fallout 3,and Saints Row 2. And it's going to stay on the backburner until I've purchased GoW2, Mirror's Edge and Left 4 Dead.

I quite enjoyed Fable, but I didn't seem to enjoy it as much as everyone else did. The hype far out weighed the actual game play. And I guess that's a major reason I'm not rushing out to buy it's sequel. Well, that and the list of games previously mentioned.
 
You're not missing much. I'm a HUGE fan of the original Fable, but the sequel pretty much falls flat on its face. The world is "bleh," the enemy AI is painfully poor (they stand still as you blow them away with rifles from afar), there's a lacking of ways to customize your character (not enough clothes, weapons, hair-styles, etc), the story is pitiful (most anti-climatic ending in all of gaming), the quests are dull, and the game is even shorter and easier than the first.

Fallout 3 is way more deserving of your time. The same could probably be said for Gears of War 2 and Left 4 Dead when they release in the next week.
 
Thanks for the quick run down of Fable II! I thought Fable's ending was quite anti-climatic as well. Then again, I barely remember it. I think what really interested me with Fable was the amount of choice you were given. I was so into that that I think I didn't pay a lot of attention to much else.

I actually just got Fallout 3 in the mail yesterday! And Saints Row 2. Loving them both. And I'm impatiently waiting for Left 4 Dead and GoW 2's release.
 
No problemo! I'm told I'm being overly critical of Fable 2, so don't let me completely turn you off of it. Despite my complaints, it's worth playing.

But yeah, the original's ending wasn't much better...though when the expansion released, the "new" ending was a bit more satisfying. At least there was a clear final boss battle. Can't say that about Fable 2.

Oooh, and Fallout 3 is amaaaaazing. I'd probably be playing it into next year if not for Gears 2 and Left 4 Dead. Awesome line-up of games this fall.
 
I can't wait to get this game.
I love the way the job system works in the old one and how you can be evil or good. Always gotta love a game like that =]
 
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