Fable II | 
 enlarge
| From: Microsoft
Category: Video Games
List Price: $59.99
Buy New: $53.99
You Save: $6.00 (10%)
New (14) Used (15) from $45.00
Rating:  133 reviews
Sales Rank: 41
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: role_playing_games
ESRB: Mature
Media: Video Game
Edition: Standard
Batteries Included: No
Age: 17 - 20 years
Operating System: Xbox 360
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0
MPN: 9CS-00002
Model: 9CS-00002
UPC: 882224694179
EAN: 0882224694179
ASIN: B000FRVAD4
Release Date: October 21, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Features:
| • | Action RPG for Xbox 360 picks up 500 years after the first Fable and offers wide-ranging open-ended gameplay | | • | Players can assume the role of either a boy or girl | | • | Combat system allows for short-range, long-range and magic attacks | | • | Currency earned in minigames on Live Arcade can be used in the game | | • | Online multiplayer mode lets you bring other players into your world |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Fable 2 is the anticipated sequel to the popular original that sold more than 3 million copies. Created by famed game designer Peter Molyneux, Fable 2 for Xbox 360 features an epic story that picks up 500 years after the first game. It offers an open world environment giving players a massive amount of freedom to explore and play as they please, with every decision made contributing to the game itself.  | Fable 2
Players:
Offline: 1-2
Online: 2
Gameplay Modes:
Single player, offline cooperative multiplayer, online cooperative multiplayer. |  | | 
The new combat system lets you master different fighting styles. View larger. | 
You are free to roam the world of Albion any way you like. View larger. | Every Choice Has Its Consequences
Fable 2 provides players with a truly immersive experience where a virtually limitless number of choices can be made, all of which have their own consequences, making each game unique. When you start the game, you choose either to play the role of a boy or girl, and depending on your choices, the hero will grow up to be tall or short, good or evil. Players can get married and have children; female player characters will become pregnant, which will then be reflected by their physical appearance. Early in the game, players are presented with a stray dog for a best friend, who will need to be fed and loved, and will accompany the player throughout his or her life. Depending on the player, the dog will change appearance and assist him or her in various ways, such as alerting of impending dangers and attacking enemies. Players inhabit the world of Albion and are free to roam the land to as they please. Players can use different expressions to communicate with others, such as taunting and laughing, and even belching or farting. As the players grow, so does Albion, reflecting the choices that were made earlier in the game. Every house, hut, castle, and dungeon can be purchased if the player wishes. Players can buy up all the land in a town and can become mayor, king, and even emperor of the entire land. Fable 2 presents a dynamic and free-roaming world that doesn't demand a player to take any one set path. At the same time, players seeking a plot line will find an epic story and quest that they can follow if they wish, along with many side adventures. Fight Using Different Weapons and Magic
Fable 2 introduces a new combat system that allows for mastery of hand weapons, such as swords, long range weapons such as cross-bows and guns, and, of course, magic. Players improve at each discipline with time, and can combine different combat styles when they fight. Other advanced design features include tactical positional advantages that can bring new strategic elements into combat. Bring Other Players into Your World
Fable 2 has a multiplayer mode that allows you to bring other players into your own world. Consistent with the rest of the game, the actions of these other players can be permanent and affect your world. You can explore and fight together with these other players, share treasures, and even fight each other. Note: Fable 2 will not ship with Online Co-op mode. An update with this functionality is rumored to be released shortly after the launch of the game. Xbox LIVE Arcade Mini-Games
Gamers can play minigames through Xbox LIVE Arcade and earn currency that can be used in Fable 2 to purchase weapons, armor, and other items for the hero. Fable 2 is rated M for having mature content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older.
  
Depending on your choices, the protagonist can turn out wildly different -- male, female, good, evil, and more.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 Refreshingly Promising October 22, 2008
J & C (California USA)
35 out of 44 found this review helpful
I never played the original Fable because I was living Warcraft 7-days-a-week :) I heard the original was pretty good though it was short (content-wise) and might have been a little over-hyped? Well this time around I completely ignored the hype and early reviews and just bought the game. So far, I am not disappointed. I'm out of the training area, have my first spell, beat my first mini-boss, and showed off my first trophy. This is a really good game so far.
The combat system flows really nice once your get used to it and it's super simple - one button for Melee, one for Ranged, one for Magic.
Everything you expect in a good RPG is there : XP, Levels, Skills, Weapons Upgrades, Socketed Items, Gold, Loot Drops, Condoms, and Babies.... Umm. Yes, did I forget to mention it's rated M for mature. So make sure the receiver of this game is mature enough. It's all in good spirit and there aren't any secret nude cut scenes that I'm aware of. Of course this can lead to the responsibilities of a family, having children, buying houses, providing for them which sounds like a ton of fun but I'll save this part to the end after I defeat the world and wave fireballs in the air first!
Otherwise, one of things I like about this game is that there are so many different types of content. Talking statues, random items, magic books, treasure chests, treasures to dig up, you have a pet dog that you can train, you can swim above water, you can even buy and rent houses as well as own shops for income; or head down to the pub and gamble your way to riches.
There just seems to be a good amount of things you can do in the game - and of course the graphics and storyline are pretty darn good.
I think they did a good job with no bad surprises so far. So if you think you might like this game - there is a very good chance that you will.
A game of the year contender that's well worth your time! October 22, 2008
Tarantino Fan
21 out of 29 found this review helpful
Fable II is a serious contender for game of the year. As soon as the game begins, you're pulled into an incredible fantasy world where you can choose to do good or evil. I'm only a few hours in, but apparently your choices will shape the fate of your character. If you choose good deeds, you'll be shaped into a hero. If you choose more aggressive or hateful behavior, you'll be shaped into something darker.
Fable II has some of the most jaw-dropping visuals I've ever seen in any game, period. The cut scene animations are on par with Hollywood blockbuster movies like Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. The music and voice acting is of the highest quality and the gameplay graphics are vibrant and detailed. From a sound and visual standpoint, I can't imagine anyone having anything negative to say about it. The game controls are intuitive and simply put they feel right. With an RPG, controls are very important. You never want any button placements that make it difficult to play, and Fable II has the controls laid out in a way that make the game a pleasure to play.
You can play as either a male or female. You'll begin as a child and go all the way to old age. You can be a loner, get married, have multiple lovers and have a family. You can have a family in one town, a lover in another town and another family in yet another, but if you neglect your wife, or she finds out about your other lovers, she will divorce you! Also, if you play as a man, you can pursue men and if you play as a woman you can pursue women. So any sexual preference you have can be played out in the game.
The game is also co-op! At any point a friend can connect a second controller and jump right into your Fable II game. This is my favorite feature. I really wish more games would take advantage of this.
Replay value is going to be huge for this game. I read where the game contains 38 hours of recorded dialog alone, making it impossible to hear the same dialog twice during multiple plays. Plus, you can play once as a male and be a hero, then again as a villain. Then, play as a female hero and then again as a villain. And that doesn't even begin to touch on the fact that you could do other things such as raise a family, just have multiple lovers or stay alone. Each play thru can truly feel like a whole new gaming experience.
I wish I could share more, but I'm only a few hours in, but in this short span of time Fable II has completely captured my imagination and I can't put it down. This is the best RPG I've played since last fall's Mass Effect, and I'm going to enjoy this just as much if not more.
In this crowded holiday season of hit games (and we still have Fallout 3 and Gears of War 2 coming) Fable II stands out as one of the must buy games of the year.
Fable II is the reason you play video games October 22, 2008
J. Semsch (Wichita, KS United States)
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
Fable II is beautiful, charming, and funny. It's everything you could possibly ask for in a spouse, -er I mean video game. The humor can be somewhat childish (farting in public) but can also be laugh out loud hilarious!
What motivates you? Is it love? Is it revenge? Is it a desire to protect all that you hold dear? Is it the desire to acquire more things, money, and respect from others? All of those can be very powerful motivators, and you can find all of them in Fable II.
Fable II is everything you loved about Fable I only more of it. (If it ain't broke don't fix it, right?) You can still buy shops and houses, only now you can set the price of rent and goods. (and get good or evil points in the process) You can also buy and upgrade each individual piece of furniture for your houses. You can still get married, but now you can turn any house into a marriage house. The towns look familiar, but are much bigger. You could spend a lifetime just doing all of the side missions. The choices are endless.
You get out of it what you put into it. If you really work to keep your wife happy, she will keep you VERY happy. ;) (and give you children if you so choose)
Not only can you buy every piece of property in the game, but you can also rename every townsperson who isn't a main character. Your creativity can run rampant here. I already have a well endowed, cleavage showing woman named T**s McGee and a bisexual cultivator of crops called F*g the Farmer.
Online and offline co-op is a nice addition from the last iteration as well. You can drop in and drop out almost as seamlessly as in the Lego games. Like the Lego games you share the same screen (offline, haven't played online yet). One of the biggest frustrations with sharing the same screen is when the 2 players go 2 different directions. This can be easily remedied by player 2 pressing the back button to warp up next to player 1.
Graphics: 9.5 Artwork in motion, characters are a little cartoon-ish though
Gameplay: 12! You could spend hours acquiring land, spouses, and children, hunting treasure and playing with your dog!
Story: 9 Cliched yet intriguing
Music: 10 The background orchestra music fits perfectly with the setting
Voice Acting: 9.5 Very well done, yet most voices are the same as the last Fable, who knows maybe you sound exactly like your ancestors from 500 yrs ago
The bottom line: if you're willing to invest the time and effort into Fable II, it is VERY rewarding.
Amazing game if you put in the time. November 13, 2008
T. Paslay
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I see a lot of mixed reviews for this game. The problem is that this is a new era of games. Open environments, optional paths, side quests are becoming the norm in gaming. What this means is, you can finish a game in 10 hours if you want, or you can opt to explore all of the "optional" content and put in as many hours as you can spare. Fallout 3 is very similar to Fable 2 in this regard. If all you're trying to do is beat the game and move onto the next big title then you're probably not getting a lot out of the game. You can beat Fable 2 in about 10 hours if you just follow the main quest and do just enough to get passed you enemies. Or you can do the side quests, build your characters abilities, seek out treasures and secrets, gargoyles, silver keys, demon doors, buy out towns, max out side jobs, play the evil hero or the good hero. There's seriously SO much to do in this game and the best part is, it doesn't seem like a chore. Well, Blacksmithing does... but most of it doesn't seem like a chore.
You start off with VERY limited abilities. You can swing a weapon, cast one low level spell, and auto shoot your gun. This is where most people seem to get hung up and give up because they think the whole game is going to be like that. The problem is I don't think a lot of people understand that this isn't just an action game, it's an action RPG. You start off as a young man/woman who has barely ever been in a fist fight. You're not going to be an expert swordsperson, sharpshooter, or archmage from the begining. The more you fight the more you gain experience, allowing you to build your abilities. Like the original Fable, you can achieve all the abilites from all the categories.
-Your spell library can be expanded and improved by putting experience points into it. Spells are aoe by default but pushing your analog stick towards a target will focus the damage. Spells range from fire balls to slowing time to raising the dead and many more. Each spell has 5 tiers of potency. The higher the tier you wish to cast, the longer it takes to charge. However, the more tiers you unlock the faster your spells charge. Charging your spell leaves you open to receiving damage from enemies and possibly being interrupted. It's good to get an idea of the range of your spells and whether the damage you can cause with them will outweigh the damage you will take while charging them.
-Building your skill points increases your weapons speed, allows you to aim your gun (via crosshairs in nearly first person view), zoom in on your target and eventually target specific areas of your target's body. You can take off your targets head, disarm them or take out their leg as they're charging towards you. You'll find that once you start building these abilities up you can take out the majority of the bandit camps before they even know you're there.
-Strength points increase your hitpoints, weapon damage and melee skills. You'll be able to block attacks, string together combos, counterattack and perform devestating unblockable attacks by the time you're done with this tree. This is vital because as the game progresses you're forced to face multiple enemies at a time who will block and flank and fight much more intelligently than at the beginning.
Money comes by either stealing or taking jobs. Jobs are basically mini games designed to make cash and keep your morality in tact. Basic jobs are Woodcutter, Bartender and Blacksmith. You start at 1 star and receive promotions after you've made a set amount of money all the way until you reach 5 stars. Every time you receive a promotion you get more base pay and your pay increases exponentially as you chain together strikes of the hammer, swings of the axe without missing and pouring beer without spilling. It's an easy way to make gold fast and take a break from the main quest.
There are tons of side quests all with fairly interesting stories some pertaining to events and characters from the original Fable. These are a large part of the meat in the game and are well worth completing. I'd give you examples but I don't want to spoil them.
The Demon Doors are back from the original game as are the silver keys. New additions are Gargoyles that insult you until you find and shoot them. Every ten gargoyles you shoot unlock another section of the Gargoyle trove with a chest as a reward and all 50 unlock the final treasure. The other addition are statues whose expressions you have to mimic flawlessly and reward you upon completion. You only get one chance so if you mess up, too bad.
Other things to do in the game are buying real estate. Pretty much every building in Albion is up for sale at some point in the game. Buying a house allows you to move in or rent it out. You can upgrade the furniture piece by piece to increase the value and your spouses happiness with the house if you choose to make it your marital home. If you buy shops you collect rent and if you're a good landlord you'll receive discounts. This is a great way to make money. Unlike the original, the money goes straight to you periodically. No going to every home you own to collect your cash. You'll receive a lump sum every time you load your game based on the amount of time you were away too. You can marry in this game, much like the first, the new addition is that you get to have kids should you choose to have uprotected sex with the opposite gender. These children will grow up (to around the age of 10) and will have opinions of you just like your wife. If you, or a friend, happen to kill your spouse your child will be taken away to the orphanage.
I'm sure there's more to talk about, but at this point you've probably made up your mind. If you're going to put the time into really exploring all this game has to offer, then it's more than worth it. If you just plan on barreling through the main quest and throwing it back on the shelf then save your money. There were times when certain aspects were frustrating to me. For instance I would think, "Why can't I do this?" or "Why didn't they do that?" 99% of the time a couple hours of play later I would either have my answer, or have the ability to do whatever it was I couldn't do before either through obtaining new skills or progressing the story. Give it a chance, take your time and enjoy the ride, have a little patience and you will be GREATLY rewarded!
Fable 2, a casual gamer's dream game... October 25, 2008
Tim (MO USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
...A welcomed perspective for Hard-Core gamers.
I believe this is a ground breaking game.
Other ground breakers:
Pong
Donkey Kong
Super Mario Bros.
Zelda
Street Fighter 2
Duke Nukem 3D
Half-Life
Fallout
It's a long list and different for everyone, but basically games that many future games are derivative of.
Why is this game Epic?
It's as easy or difficult as you want it to be.
It strikes that balance of being the perfect challenge to 99% of the world.
Clear your mind of any gaming preconceptions and enjoy the journey.
If you have the time, GET!
|
|
|
