Let me be the first to say that this is not a game for the casual gamer who wants to just pick something up and button mash. It's a mix of action & role playing with an added twist...moral consequences for your actions. Meet people, find treasure, start a family, gain power, customize your appearance, learn new abilities, become loved as a hero or feared as a villian....there are limitless variables which accompany the main storyline. Granted I didn't play Fable on the original XBOX, but I've never played anything quite like this. I really like the fact that despite the games complexity, you don't need a strategy guide....things are intuitive and the game will lead you in the right direction (using the "golden trail".
I'd guess I'm currently over halfway through the main quest. I have maintained a fairly moral path. I look forward to playing the game through again making immoral choices and gaining renown through villiany. Yes, I haven't completed the game yet and am looking forward to playing again.....high replay value IMO.
The Platinum Hits edition comes with both expansions, which make it the best value for someone who doesn't own a previous release of the game. This one has been worth every penny.
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Fable II for those who don't know is an Xbox only open world RPG which sends the player through the beautiful peaceful yet corrupt kingdom of Albion.
For starts the Game play is very fluid yet youll have to get used to it.
unlike most RPG titles your character does not "level up" , but instead using another system of doing so.
after killing any kind of target victim in the game they will leave behind orbs of experience which you must accumulate by holding RT.
Experience is divided into four categories : Strength , General , Will , And Skill. Strength improves the usage of any melee weapon , Skill improves the usage of any range weapon , will improves use of magic , while general helps with all kinds of combat.
skill and strength experience is used to buy new kinds of talents for melee and ranged weapons while will XP will be used to buy new magic talents , any kind of talent has more than one level.
Combat being a big aspect of the game if your traveling is pretty simple and straight forward.
the X button stands as your melee attack which if mashed continuously your character will perform basic swinging attacks , The Y button stands as your ranged attack , Hold or press B to use Will (magic).
like most RPG games Fable will have a line of main quest along with many optional side quest.
one major aspect of fable is the simulation of true life in the game think "The Sims" meets W.O.W.
For starters your player has an expression wheel ranging from Social , Fun , Flirty (not available when interacting with children) , Scary , and insulting which will affect how people look at you make some hate you others love you , expressions can be used during any point of the game.
your character will also be able to become fat or stay physically fit by eating certain kinds of foods (Steak pies against tofu fish celery) being fat will make you appear ugly to most people making it harder for them to like you.
through use of the right expressions your character can fall in love with another one which you can marry and start a family...which will involve SEX pretty simple don't wear a condom you might get an std or get your wife pregnant so for the sake of my character i always use a condom.
lastly the graphics of this game have their own look almost makes you think of Shrek cgi while the graphics are very good they still have a less realistic cartoonish side that makes the game look awesome.
the world of Albion while very beautiful and rich..i never had the ambition to explore it freely as i would in fallout or elder scrolls
overall this game is well worth twenty dollars and is an awesome addition to anyones 360 collection I would highly recommend buying this whether or not you have or haven't played the first one.
P.S. hope i wasn't to boring!
Best Deals for Fable 2 Platinum Hits -Xbox 360
Pros: To start with the game is beutiful. the style is the closest you will get to playing a charles dickens novel. and except for the abrupt ending the game has a pretty great story that manages to hook you in the beginning take into account your actions through the game. the way your characters appearance changes based on how you fight, moral choices, the type of food you eat is pretty awsome.
Cons: secrets tend to hide worthless items. Money is so easy to come by that you won't struggle buying anything, and vendor equipment is typically better than the legendary equipment you find out in the world. bassically the game gives you all kinds of optional puzzles to solve, but all they give you for finding and completing them is a Pie or a gold necklace. The game is short for an RPG.
Honest reviews on Fable 2 Platinum Hits -Xbox 360
The title of the review says it all, Fable II was a massive achievement for the Xbox 360 community in many ways more than just a few improvements. This is a must have action/adventure game that deserves more than it has earned(pertaining to the retarded 4 star rating this game has gotten on Amazon.)
And before anybody gets their pantys in a wad, let me clarify something; This is NOT an RPG(Role Playing Game)
It may be listed under the RPG genre category, but in order to not be let down by the pedestaled expectations that everyone had for this game in 2008; you have to think of this game as an Action/Adventure with some RPG elements sprinkled on top.
But enough of the Yada Yada's. Once again, lets get into the meat & potatoes.(No spoilers)
Graphics: 10/10
Let me just say, that out of all the games I have played in my life, not one oozes style as much as Fable II does.
This game is absolutely gorgeous, from the lush grass in the fields of Albion, to the creatures & enemies that roam the lands. This is one of the many upgrades that has improved from the original game ten fold.
Combat/Gameplay: 9/10
Melee: The melee system has greatly improved in my opinion. less clunky, more swift & agile like movements than the previous games combat system. Augments to improve your weapons also make a return from Fable.
Range: Range combat has a few new additions to the weapon selection. Bow & Arrows have been scrapped and replaced with Firearms, rangeing from Pistols, Turret Rifles & Muskets. Crossbows however have made a fully upgraded return from the original game.
Magic: The magic is the most improved out of the three combat category's in my opinion. Personally, I rarely used magic besides the healing power in the original Fable. But in Fable II, They made it so magic was actully useful and not a chore to use regularly in combat.
Story/Plot: 9/10
The original Fable's plot and inspiration was based off of folklore & fairtytale story's.(hence the name Fable)
Fable 2's story is based off of the period when technology was beginning to take off, a.k.a Then Industrial revolution. This period is known as the Age of Enlightenment.
Familiar towns from the original game have erected into full fledged cities & community's.
The story however, Doesnt have the mystic & enchanting feeling as the original game had. This is not necessarily a bad thing, this is just a different direction of storytelling LionHead has come up with. Instead of the abundance of cutscenes as seen in Fable 1, Fable 2 barely has any. Example: if your having a plot related conversation with a character, you have the ability to skip the dialogue or spin around your Hero, making the game feel less restricted.
The plot starts out fresh and keeps a steady flow of Drama, Action & a sense of exploration throughout the entire game. With the exception of the lackluster ending, which can be overlooked due to the many side quests that are available along with the up to par DLC's available on this version of Fable II. Above all else, a well rounded & entertaining plot and story.
Music/Sounds: 9/10
The legendary Danny Elfman makes a return as the orchestrator of the games soundtrack. The music fits the game like a glove and adds atmosphere to the beautiful lands of Albion. My only grief I have towards the games music is that it can get repetitive at times. I also found myself longing for Fable 1's music truthfully. I don't know what it is but, I found the soundtrack from the original game to be less repetitive to the ears.(my opinion)
Voice Acting: 9/10
The voice acting this time around has been slightly improved, The story driven characters give top notch performances. The citizens voice work however, have been completely upgraded but can get really tiring & old after hearing them a thousand times. And all male & female citizens seem to sound the same depending on their genders. Nontheless a great improvement.
Co-Op/Multiplayer 4/10
And this is where the one big issue of the game comes into play. The awful, awful nauseating co-op mode.
We were promised a well balanced story we could share with a friend. Invite him/her into our world and shape it the way we wanted......Well we got the well balanced story, but what we didn't get is a well balanced co-op mode. The guest in your world is forced to select Pre-set characters, allowing only the host to show off his Hero. And the main issue with the mode is the camera angle. The guest has no camera angle, the host has complete control over what the guest can see and where he/her can travel to. Only allowing about 10 feet of separation from each other before an invisible wall pops up.
Replay Value: High
Game Size: 10/10
The map size has been confirmed to be 10 times bigger than the original game's.
if you want a game to roam and wander, this is your kind of game.
THIS IS A WARNING: If you are confused about which version of Fable II to buy, It is in yours and your wallets best interest to buy Fable II Platinum Hits edition. Or you'll be forced to spend extra money on the games Downloadable Content. Below are the names of the DLC's that come on the disc, not a code on a piece of paper next to the instruction guide; actual on disc content.
1. Knothole Island: a well sized plot extension w/ tons of extra content.
2. See the future: Also a well sized plot extension w/ tons of content. But you are given a small sneak peek to the plot of Fable III.
Fable II is a gorgeous & entertaining game that deserves more recognition then it has been given since its release date. Whatever problems the original game suffered, Lionhead has made it a goal to improve those issues and more. Aside from the Co-op issues, This game is a must have for anybody who likes games that make them feel in control of the world they're exploring.
I rate this game a 5/5
And it remains one of my favorite Xbox 360 games of all time.
Thanks for reading.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Fable 2 Platinum Hits -Xbox 360
To put things concisely I loved the look and feel of Fable II and enjoyed the moderate complexity of the combat but was a bit disappointed by the role playing aspect.
Looks. Goodness is Fable II beautiful. The scenery and buildings are gorgeous. The lighting and change of light throughout the day and in different weather is amazing. The whole experience is stunningly atmospheric. The npc's and enemies are fairly diverse though more variation in facial features (particularly of the female characters which don't benefit from the wide assortment of facial hair varieties) would be nice. As for customizing your own character, Fable II rocks. Furthermore your character's looks change based on what skills you develop and how you behave. Brilliant. It's a little annoying that getting stronger just means getting huge rather than getting more cut and lean muscle and regardless of whether you play a male or female character, but overall this is a really innovative and fun feature.
Combat is fun. I'm not a big video game combat junky and I don't like to have to carefully aim or time everything I do in order to survive a fight. If you like that you have the opportunity to focus on skills that allow it, however. I, on the other hand, enjoyed using easily targeted or area effect will (magic) combat. Overall it's rather satisfying.
Then there is the RPG element. Granted, it's the best I've seen other than Mass Effect and Dragon Age, but those two games seem to blow every other RPG out of the water as far as interactive storytelling goes. Those RPG's feel like a video game choose your own adventure novel. You get to actually have conversations with people and the choices you make can have a huge effect on how people treat you and how the game plays out. I was hoping for something similar with Fable II and didn't get it. I guess that is the difference in what I'd term a 4 star and a 5 star RPG. Certainly worth playing nonetheless.
