Fable 2 thoughts?

[rpgedgar]

So I read somewhere that Fable 2's main quest is about 12 hours, but if you do all the extra stuff it could be somewhere around 100 hours. I'd love to get some opinions from people here who have played the game so I can figure out if it's worth buying or just renting. Are the side quests good or just filler?

[Nuggsy]

The side quests vary. Some are "go here, do this" ad nauseum. I can't count how many slaves I've rescued due to that job. Many of the jobs are a good, quick way to make some money before you start earning gobs of loot after buying up real estate. I think that I managed to hammer out all of the side quests, including demon doors, weapons, and main quest in less than 100 hours but spending far more time than only 12.

The bottom line is that it's a good action-adventure title with a few flaws. What I liked about it was that it is a game that you can play to your style. If you only want to breeze through the main quest, then that's an option, if you want to take your time and go through every little thing in the game then that option is available to you as well.

[Morratut]

I liked Fable 2. Decent story, nice graphics, good combat. Quests are good too. However the game is way too easy. I beat it in about of a week and did a fair few side quests too.

In the end I couldn't imagine me going through it again because it was so easy the first time. So I traded it in even though I enjoyed it.

For me it needed a harder difficulty setting for the combat.

[Primus]

I was really disappointed with it.

First off the dog is useless: He has a utility for finding chests I would of found on my own. I didn't start dungeon crawling yesterday. I know there is always a chest behind that rock off the beaten path, but thanks for barking as I approach it.

He also occasionally attacks people you down, but you never really notice it develop much, as from level to level he just does the same thing but with more damage, as you are unloading rounds into the fallen foe, and doing much, much more damage.

The dog will also change colors if you are good or evil and pure or corrupt, but I have played both types of characters and it did not change the way he acted or give me any benefits in combat or with NPC interactions. It would of been cool to add some sort of dynamic that if your dog was good he would protect you in combat more or his aggresiveness went up if he was evil. Something! As far as I could tell, the only difference besides the cosmetic is that people would pet or kick your dog according to your/ his alignment (and why would someone kick the evil dog who is owned by basically the scorge of Albion?? Suicide wish I guess).

The reprimand and reward system for the dog is pointless. There is absolutely no reason to punish your dog, and rewarding him is just some tedious thing you will have to do.

He never misbehaves, and when I asked my friend the point of scolding him he said he heard that if you punish him a lot he won't find treasures for you. So what the hell is my incentive for doing it?? If somehow punishing him gradually turned him into an aggressive fighter, that would be cool, but as it stands it is just useless, and if what my friend said is true, actually detrimental to you. Why bother??

The reward system isn't much better, but at least they tried to give it a point. Basically, your dog will get scared when you enter a scary area. It's not like doing this will train him to become braver or a better fighter. It will just be a mandatory thing you will have to do as you enter a new area from time to time. No matter how many trolls and banshees you kill, your dog will be a pussy from beginning to end, despite him possibly being and evil maruauder with red, glowing eyes.

Your dog has a happy meter if you check him, which is effected by these actions as well, but if this somehow effects his combat, I do not know as either way, happy or sad, I was still doing a majority of the work. I never really felt he was fighting beside me all that much. He did however growl at all the enemies spawn points that I had traveled by a million times (the entire gameworld is pretty small, and only consists of a few areas you will backtrack often), just in case I forgot I guess.

Correct me if I am wrong/ missing anything on the dog mechanics, but I have yet to find a decent FAQ on the dog to answer my questions, and I suspect that it is because the mechanic isn't in depth enough to really require a FAQ.

On to combat: It was really easy, there wasn't anything tactical about it, no spells you could use to enhance your unique build (like multiarrow from the first one). In the end your character will basically be awesome at everything. Due to how easy it was to get everything maxed out well before the ending of the game, my character was a hulking fighter who was incredible with magic and guns, whereas my character in the first one was an agile assassin who excelled at long range attacks, was a decent utility caster, and a mediocre swordfighter by the end. If I had wanted to make my Fable 1 character godly, it would of taken some extra time, but that is not a problem in Fable 2. Instant rewards for the casual gamer.

It didn't help that in co-op (which was terribly implemented and I won't even dig into, just don't bother, trust me) you realize that everyone you play with will be just as good at everything as you are, taking away from the uniqueness of your character, or any possibility of using your character's strengths to cover your partners weaknesses and vice versa. I just remember being amazed at the difference between my characters build and my other friends' in Fable 1, cosmetically and tactically. Only the cosmetic uniqueness remains, and it was so disappointing to me.

I really just felt they really dumbed down the spells and abilities in the game from the first one. All the spells are the same tiered AOE attack with a different death animation. Why the hell would you dump all your experience into 6 different spells that all do that same damn thing?? Fire supposively does more damage to the undead, but I found no problem one shotting them with the vortex spell. I ended up maxing up one spell and rarely used it, as my gun would really thin out the charging AI, and anything that got through would be quickly mowed down by my strength in close quarters.

The "legendary" weapons are a joke. For some reason they decided that making hard to obtain weapons on par or weaker than the regular weapons was a good idea. They might have some limited utility like being more powerful against evil or good characters, but really if I take the time to do one of those demon doors you should reward me proportionally. I ended up skipping most of the unlocks because of the constant disappointment.

The whole landlord and clothing aspects of the game was really the only thing I really enjoyed. The jobs are fun until the landlording makes it pointless, and you realize there is nothing really to spend your money on except more real estate. I maybe bought 4 weapons altogether, and the various clothes can be found or bought for cheap.

I have yet to hear anyone argue that the story was all that great either. The ending has a really nice cliche to try and get you emotionally involved in the cheapest manner possible. I pretty much gagged and went on to Fallout without a second thought of any of the side quests I had yet to complete once I finished the main story. I am also starting to get sick of these good vs evil choice games. Why can't we have some more morally ambiguous decisions to make? Every decision provoking scenario is so extreme; i.e. slap your mother or donate ot the church?? The upcoming DLC will be out of the question, unless somehow the co-op gets patched and a buddy can coax me into it.

Overall I came away from it feeling that they took the old formula and tweaked it to make it a very casual experience. They really took a few steps back as far as the customization and combat if you ask me, and even the new additions seemed pointless and halfbaked .

[Wyrm]

I'll disagree with almost everything that Primus said. While he is right, Fable 2 is an extremely casual experience in some regards, (the glowing trail, the treasure finding dog, the easy combat) it's also an extremely rewarding game. And the world is actually pretty big and colorful, there are lots of quests, some interesting, some not, and there's a good chance they'll add more via DLC.

I think the skill progression was a little dumbed down, but the way you progress through each group of skills is pretty cool. The combat becomes deeper as you open up more abilities for each type of combat, and by the end of the game, you're destroying big groups of enemies with extreme efficiency. There are a lot of pointless additions as well, and the story is cliched.

The co-op, I also don't care for, but it's there if you want to mess with it. I much preferred running around in my own world, owning all the buildings, murdering whomever I pleased, sleeping with hundreds of hookers, and raising everyone's rent until all the towns became poor. Personally, I've had a wonderful time playing Fable 2, much moreso than I ever thought would have been possible, considering how average the first game was.

[Tel Prydain]

Fun combat.
Average story.
Great world.
Neat dog.
Stupid, NPCs.

.... Totally redundent as Fallout came out a week later.

[Isamura]

The reprimand and reward system for the dog is pointless. There is absolutely no reason to punish your dog, and rewarding him is just some tedious thing you will have to do.

He never misbehaves, and when I asked my friend the point of scolding him he said he heard that if you punish him a lot he won't find treasures for you. So what the hell is my incentive for doing it?? If somehow punishing him gradually turned him into an aggressive fighter, that would be cool, but as it stands it is just useless, and if what my friend said is true, actually detrimental to you. Why bother??

The reward system isn't much better, but at least they tried to give it a point. Basically, your dog will get scared when you enter a scary area. It's not like doing this will train him to become braver or a better fighter. It will just be a mandatory thing you will have to do as you enter a new area from time to time. No matter how many trolls and banshees you kill, your dog will be a pussy from beginning to end, despite him possibly being and evil maruauder with red, glowing eyes.

Your dog has a happy meter if you check him, which is effected by these actions as well, but if this somehow effects his combat, I do not know as either way, happy or sad, I was still doing a majority of the work. I never really felt he was fighting beside me all that much. He did however growl at all the enemies spawn points that I had traveled by a million times (the entire gameworld is pretty small, and only consists of a few areas you will backtrack often), just in case I forgot I guess.


No reward for beating your dog? Just what exactly are we trying to teach our children? Clearly, since there are SO MANY rewards for beating your pets IRL, that they should have given you SOMETHING! :rolleyes:

[Ozena]

I'm still waiting to get my god damn Limited Edition DLC code from Microsoft. I was one of the unlucky ones who got no card with the game, and I put in my GamerTag on Xbox.com's solution page a long time ago. Way more than 10 fucking business days.

Sorry for the language, it's just that if I paid for it, I should get it, no? I'm going to have to call but I hate, hate, hate 1-800-4-MY-XBOX.

Other than that, the game is a lot of fun. Builds on the old Fable but still stays, well, "Fable."

[Tel Prydain]

No reward for beating your dog? Just what exactly are we trying to teach our children? Clearly, since there are SO MANY rewards for beating your pets IRL, that they should have given you SOMETHING! :rolleyes:

A) You can shoot people's heads off, pro-create, murder people, sacrifice your partner and the game is rated 'M'.
If you are letting children play it, you're the problem; not the game.

B) The game is supposed to avoid punishing you for your choices.

[revelation]

So I read somewhere that Fable 2's main quest is about 12 hours, but if you do all the extra stuff it could be somewhere around 100 hours. I'd love to get some opinions from people here who have played the game so I can figure out if it's worth buying or just renting. Are the side quests good or just filler?

I've almost finished it, but I can tell you it's fun. I like it a lot, but I don't love it.

The main quest definitely feels short and 12 hours sounds about right if you run straight through, but I think it feels short simply because there's a lack of compelling story. It's nice enough and there are bits that tie-up from when you start the game as a child which are cute, but it's not something you'll be telling your friends about.

The combat is okay at times, but it feels really clunky at times. As for being too easy, that's true, especially as you get more powerful.

The side quests are fun (if you exclude the repetitive slave rescue stuff) and quirky, but 100 hours of gameplay? I don't think so. You have things to collect like silver keys, gargoyles, working out how to open Demon Doors, buying up real estate, mastering jobs or gambling, but I wouldn't say it has 100 hours of gameplay.

The world itself is fun, the engine is really pretty and has some great lighting effects, and you can play through as a good guy and a bad guy (though it won't affect too much other than having one path open to you in some places [Temple of Light / Temple of Shadows]) but again, nothing you'll be telling friends about.

There's the upcoming new area and quests coming up (DLC) which adds life expectancy to the game, and like I said before, you can replay the game as a darker sort.

Given how mixed opinions on this game are, it's probably best to rent it first to see which camp you fall into. As mentioned above though, Fallout 3 is your best bet if you want some long, heavy FPSRPGing (assuming you haven't already played it).

[Trickyicky]

I'd suggest renting it. It's the first game I've ever traded in within 2 weeks of buying it. And I rarely trade in games in the first place.

One playthrough will reveal pretty much everything the game has to offer. The only thing a second playthrough will offer is purely aesthetic (good character, some different lines from townsfolk, slightly different cutscenes). There really isn't much in the realm of story or gameplay that makes a second playthrough worthwhile, especially with all the great games out right now.

[Major Dan]

I liked Fable 2. Decent story, nice graphics, good combat. Quests are good too. However the game is way too easy. I beat it in about of a week and did a fair few side quests too.

In the end I couldn't imagine me going through it again because it was so easy the first time. So I traded it in even though I enjoyed it.

For me it needed a harder difficulty setting for the combat.

What he said, although it is fun to play through twice to do the evil stuff. :mad: (need a devil emoticon)

[Shela Monster]

I will say this.
Fable 2 is... Fable 2, if you enjoyed the first, you will probably enjoy this one.
Like most things with sequels, most people believe the first was the best.
There are going to be dynamics that have changed or been removed and even some added.
This may be a bad thing if you liked some of the things that were removed, but some of the new things may make up for it.
Here are some points I noticed....

Dog: Is he really that great? If you enjoy him there, sure. He barks from time to time and helps you find items that may be buried or obscured. And will growl when enemies are nearby. Is he as good as Peter Molyneux (PM) said he would be? No. I noticed that when he was scared or injured, his reliability to warn me or find things was non-existent. He will attack downed enemies as a finisher, which is good for the ranged guys. But at the same time if you are melee only, it is pretty much useless. PM stated that if there were two enemies and you engaged the first in melee combat, the dog would attack the ranged guy in the distance... Not so. So while he is useful at times, others he's like that little kid that just follows around for the hell of it.

Choices: Like all Lionhead Games, there are choices. Good and evil, and now, pure and corrupt. Pretty self-explanatory, bad is bad and good is good. There are more things to do as far as choices are concerned, but they all base from pretty much the same elements in the first Fable as well as other LH games.

Game: As far as the game (i.e. length, story...) the game is short. There are a few things to do, put you WILL reach a point where there is nothing left to do. If you are a perfectionist like me and want everything you can get in the game, then your play time will be a bit longer. But for most people you do the quests, finish them and that's it. I found a lot of fun playing with others (yes even with the shitty CO-OP camera) and I still do. I enjoy experiencing the game again without having to start over.

All in all, there may be that one thing you find that keeps it interesting. Or maybe not. I enjoy playing it still, but the game has its interesting little moments that keep me occupied. It is not Gears and not Fallout either. And I feel there is a lot of potential not met, and many promises not kept. But all in due time I guess, maybe in the DLC? Give it a good rent, and if you enjoy it, buy it. But if you beat the game while renting it, you will be less inclined to buy it to finish little tasks.

~Shela Monster

[revelation]

I think the dog really was made to capture the casual audience. When my mom walked in on playing it, the only thing she asked about was the dog. Ditto for my girlfriend who demanded I make it do tricks. Mission accomplished on that front.

I'm sure I kept reading that the dog was supposed to act as a replacement HUD. For me, that hasn't worked too well. Having the minimap in their terrible menu system is an absolute pain in the ass (why didn't anyone figure from the first Fable that the menu system was shit?).

[Primus]

No reward for beating your dog? Just what exactly are we trying to teach our children? Clearly, since there are SO MANY rewards for beating your pets IRL, that they should have given you SOMETHING! :rolleyes:

You are missing the point entirely.

Basically it is like they put two buttons in the game. One button gives you treasure, the other gives you nothing.

So who hit the no treasure button? Absolutely no one, that is who. So why the fuck is the option in there in the first place?

They put it into there to add to the entire "your life, your decision" aspect of the game, but it is very poorly implemented dynamic, as there is only an incentive for rewarding your dog.

Think about Oblivion. You can become a vampire in that game. Being a vampire has its pros and cons. Being a vampire you are evil and NPCs hate you, and you have to avoid the sunlight or you will die, but you are stealthier, stronger and more resistant in battle. The player will review the benefits and shortcomings of being a vampire or remaining a human and make a decision on whether or not to become one due to their playing style and personality. It was a great dynamic that many different people would react to differently.

The Fable 2 dog equivalent of this would be: you are now a vampire and evil and NPCS hate you, you die in sunlight, and that is it. Why the fuck would you want to be a vampire if the only thing you get out of it is death and restriction??

Do you see what I am saying?

[Vandenh]

I liked it a lot (still doing some quests now actually.. saving up money for that castle). It is a very relaxed type of RPG and has some really funny moments ("Remember your zombie-combat training lads!!!") and looks quite beautiful. It is just a very Zen game that flows really well. If you are into hard numbers and hard-core RPGing (well TBH I am but I like variety) this might not be for you but your 12-15 hours in Albion will certainly be entertaining and fun.

[MADxMrMike]

I had such a huge problem with ghosting in this game for some reason. No other game does it but Fable on my TV. Does anyone else have this problem? It just threw me off and I couldnt get into the game. Also other issues kept me from enjoying it. I really didnt like Fable 1 that much and I was hoping part 2 would fix some the issues I had with the first one. I did like the sword play though, but Primus was right on the money when it came to magic combat. It was so lame!! Nothing really changed but damage and AOE. Im still pissed that you had to load different areas of the game too. I was hoping it would just be one big world. I guess I was expecting more out of this game and it failed. I can still see why people like it though. It is charming. Just not enough for me to stop selling it to buy my copy of L4D.

Oh and if you are on Xbox Live and do not own L4D step into my office. YOUR FUCKING FIRED!!!

[Pluvious]

I'm not spending $60 on a game that is only co-op multiplayer. Even if it has zombies. Thanks anyway.

[Isamura]

You are missing the point entirely.

Basically it is like they put two buttons in the game. One button gives you treasure, the other gives you nothing.

So who hit the no treasure button? Absolutely no one, that is who. So why the fuck is the option in there in the first place?

They put it into there to add to the entire "your life, your decision" aspect of the game, but it is very poorly implemented dynamic, as there is only an incentive for rewarding your dog.

Think about Oblivion. You can become a vampire in that game. Being a vampire has its pros and cons. Being a vampire you are evil and NPCs hate you, and you have to avoid the sunlight or you will die, but you are stealthier, stronger and more resistant in battle. The player will review the benefits and shortcomings of being a vampire or remaining a human and make a decision on whether or not to become one due to their playing style and personality. It was a great dynamic that many different people would react to differently.

The Fable 2 dog equivalent of this would be: you are now a vampire and evil and NPCS hate you, you die in sunlight, and that is it. Why the fuck would you want to be a vampire if the only thing you get out of it is death and restriction??

Do you see what I am saying?

I don't think I missed your point. Your point is that they should have implemented some evil reward for being cruel, such is the case in other aspects of the game, as well as other RPG games where you can choose between good and evil.

My response was poking fun at the notion that you were dissappointed there was no reward for beating your pet dog. It just struck me as a disturbing gripe to have about a video game.

[Isamura]

A) You can shoot people's heads off, pro-create, murder people, sacrifice your partner and the game is rated 'M'.
If you are letting children play it, you're the problem; not the game.

B) The game is supposed to avoid punishing you for your choices.

1) I don't have kids, but I still have a conscience about what values we teach future generations.

2) The name of the game is "Fable". If you don't think there are kids playing this game under the age of 17, you really don't have your finger on the pulse of American youth. Did you ever watch rated "R" movies when you were younger than 17? I'm not one to boast, but I saw the Terminator when I was like 9, and that movie screwed me up. I still have a fear of cyborgs from the future...

[AspectVoid]

The game is "Fable". If you don't think there are kids playing this game under the age of 17, you really don't have your finger on the pulse of American youth. Did you ever watch rated "R" movies when you were younger than 17? I'm not one to boast, but I saw the Terminator when I was like 9, and that movie screwed me up. I still have a fear of cyborgs from the future...

Ha! My first R-rated movie was Terminator 2 at the age of 10. It took me something like a month to get over the nightmares from the scene where the T-1000 puts its hand through John's stepmom's head.

Anyway, the game! To me, Fable 2 is an outstanding casual adventure game. Its not hardcore at all, but its something I can toss in when I'm looking for an hour or so of quick fun without any pressure to move things along. For that, I find it a great game.

Also, I'm one of those who loves the dog. Of course, my own dog passed away only about a year and a half ago, so that probably has something to do with it.