Fable II Review

Fable II is one of my favorite RPGs around. Why it isn't talked about more, I don't know. It has the same sort of mechanics as Mass Effect but with it's own, new mechanics, and the amount of detail is outstanding here. So here's my review.

The story is simple, minor spoilers here. You play as Sparrow, and your goal is to save Albion from evil, 5 centuries after the defeat of Jack of Blades. You buy a magic music box for 5 gold from a merchant and your sister makes a wish; you are then woken at night to visit the castle. You both get shot and your sister killed, but you survive, to avenge your sister's death. Hell, that makes for a short game, but Fable II is actually around a good 15 hours, trusting you don't rush it.

Characters are good. You can even care about the unimportant villagers, as you have the option to either love them, hate them, or become friends. It's a really good system. The main characters are also good, your sister is likeable, so is the woman who helps you defeat the Lord. They are all great and you get to develop how much you like them. It's a great system.

For those that care, the graphics and sound are good for 2008. Graphics are about as good as those in Bioshock 2, and sound is good. SFX is pretty suiting for the game, and voice acting is also nicely done. I like it.

One thing I should mention is that your dog is one of the best video game companions ever. It can find places to dig, and treasure, as well as bark to get your attention. He also follows you everywhere, and looks cute. They way you get the dog is also sweet too.

Combat is fun. Whilst X for sword, Y for gun and B for magic may seem ideal for a button masher, it actually turns out to be a blast of fun. You can combine each to get powerful self-made combos, or just spam them and yet get a satisfactory result from it. I am really surprised a basic-looking combat system is so great.

Enemies and bosses are good. From the final boss which is an amazing challenge to the speedy bandit boss near the start of the game, they all have build up, and even if the death is simple of them it's forgivable because of that buildup. Bandits, midget monsters and so on will be a challenge, so get out your sword and crossbow and blow them away.

Fable II is my FAVORITE RPG. It has good graphics, a fun combat system, the story is great, and I just love Fable.

Story: 8. Great and simple.
Characters: 8.
Fun: 9. A ton of fun.
Sound and Graphics: 8. Good voice acting and graphics like Bioshock 2 (not as in dark, but similar).
Controls: 9. A 9 because it throws button mashing expectations out the window.
Writing: 9. I like the writing because it flows with the story smoothly.
Level Design: 8. Good for an RPG.

OVERALL SCORE: 9/10, aka 4.5 stars.