Fable 2 (X360)

[xepherys]

Anyone else playing? Man, this is a _lot_ better than the first. And I liked the original well enough. This game is sweet!

[Fotzlid]

Didn't realize it had been released. Guess I'm going to Gamestop later today.

[Reese]

I have to disagree. I don't think it's as good as the first game.

Between the dog and the golden line leading you to your doom, there's very little need to explore. The inventory management is lackluster. You can't read a book or feed your pet or drink a potion or eat a food without being taken out of the menu. You're stucking farting or flexing your muscles for an hour straight just to have enough renown to get to your next quest. Your hero turns corners about as well as a semi truck and it gets worse when half the town is following you around asking for your autograph. The story is kinda weird. You've gotta gather 3 other heroes that are almost no help, they don't even get to come with you on most of the quests. There's other things too but I don't wanna sound like I hate the game...

The shining moment in the game for me is when you first get to The Spire. That whole quest was epic. I'm kinda looking forward to playing again as an evil bastard. Overall, good game, some new stuff, but not as good as the original. Maybe if you played this one first..

Anyways, I just returned to the spire if that gives ya an idea where I'm at in the story.

[Prophecy]

Fable II expands on the first game in pretty much every way and the game oozes simplistic fun. Granted this sequel is not leaps and bounds better than the first, but it is better and I recommend it to any action RPG fan.

Still it's not all gravy and Mike has some valid complaints. The inventory system is annoying for the reason Mike mentioned plus it always hangs for a split second or two when moving between sub-menus.

About the renown issues, I've never run into a point where I had to "flex and fart" to get enough renown for a quest. I always had side quests open I could do.

The golden line can't be turned off that I know of, but it can be focused on a different quest so it's not pointing toward your target 24-7. Likewise the dog is there till the end too (PM wanted the dog to be a main focus after all). There are other minor glitches in the game that Lionhead knows about and is working on a patch for. Still with all the little issues the game has, I enjoyed the game enough to say I'm happy I bought it instead of renting.

I've completed the main storyline once and I do plan to do it again as evil. However, Fallout III is Tuesday so I think my second run will be postponed for a while.

[Lasereth]

It has 90 on metacritic which is incredibly high. I'm not a huge fan of open-ended RPGs so I don't know how much I would like it.

[guthmund]

You can turn the golden line off, I believe, or, at least, make it so faint as to not be noticeable at all. It's under the options menu, if I remember correctly.


I really like the job/quest/sale system and, unlike Mike, I like the golden trail thing. As much as I did open ended sandbox worlds, I really dislike wondering around them aimlessly for hours looking for what I need to do to progress.

That being said, the game certainly has some problems. Like Mike, I agree that navigation and player control just sucks. The job variety is unimaginative at best. And perhaps the biggest complaint I have is the corruption/purity thing in addition to the good/evil thing. The only thing I've found to lower corruption is to either jack up prices on property--which is difficult to keep track, or eat corrupting food--most of which is fattening....

I like this game, I do and I have put many hours into it, but it's not the end all of end alls and certainly not what Molyneux said he was going to deliver, which I guess after the first Fable, I should have expected.

[Prophecy]

Originally Posted by guthmund

The only thing I've found to lower corruption is to either jack up prices on property--which is difficult to keep track, or eat corrupting food--most of which is fattening....

Guthmund did you mean raise corruption?

You mentioned raising rent and prices in shops; you can also drink, gamble and become a bigamist. There might be others but those are the ones I'm aware of. Raising rent is the fastest and most consistent though.


Lowering is of course just the opposite.

[Reese]

The game isn't exactly an open world. It's a big path with forks here and there. All they really need is a sign every now and then and a better map. The problem is quest explanation is very vague. Better descriptions of where X location is relative to Y location would help so much. Give us a compass and tell us to go north and the problem is solved.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the game. I'm nearing the end of the main quest. I've kinda been side tracked by a few of the mini-games. I managed to get 5-star blacksmithing in 1 session. I was kind of hoping for a cool weapon for doing it but I didn't get anything for it..grr.. The little white thing going back and forth is laggy sometimes too which when it causes you to miss with a 20x multiplier can make you throw your controller through the TV.

[ironpham]

I'm loving the game right now. I feel like it took the first one and just expanded it to make it way longer. Which is nice, seeing as how the first one was barely 5 hours long (if that).

That said, I too have some complaints. The loading time between maps is outrageous. What makes it worse is that it happens extremely often. As for the golden line, I think it is an okay idea. However, I much prefer the way they did it in the first one with the minimap and just highlighting the exit.

As for as jobs go, the blacksmithing, wood chopping, and bartending jobs are pure crap in my opinion. I do not like grinding, and that's all they are. At least with the assassinations and bounty hunts, I can kill.

And, if you haven't tried the coop yet, don't do coop on the same system. All it is is annoying. You can't control the camera except to go directly behind you, the camera will only move but so far back meaning that the two of you can only separate but so much (roughly 10 feet), and the second player can't use any items or new equipment. I'm sure it's much better over XBox Live, though.

Other than all of that, I still find it extremely fun, and I do plan on playing a second time. Perhaps a good guy that actually uses will power.

[xepherys]

I think this is much more on target for what Molyneaux promised, compared to the first. it wasn't meant to be open-ended (ala Oblivion). I think that there's enough reason to explore, if you want to... and if that isn't your bag, you don't have to. I've had no issues with renown, personally. I like the dog, I'm enjoying being a totally evil prick, and the money I imported from the Pub Games gave me a nice little jump on becoming a real estate mogul.

[guthmund]

Originally Posted by Prophecy

Guthmund did you mean raise corruption?

You mentioned raising rent and prices in shops; you can also drink, gamble and become a bigamist. There might be others but those are the ones I'm aware of. Raising rent is the fastest and most consistent though.


Lowering is of course just the opposite.

Yep. I'm a schmuck. I had about 3x as much what I wrote and then realized I was just nitpicky bitching and edited accordingly.

I didn't know that about the gambling. I've been doing loads of gambling in Bloodstone for that stupid achievement.....I guess I should probably take a look at the stats, yes?

[Reese]

Here's my story of how I went from good to evil in 5 minutes...

So I'm hanging out in Bloodstone. It's a nice town for being lawless. I'm pretty well known around these parts. I killed a banshee that was wrecking the town earlier that day so I was wore out and in the mood for some lovin. The wife was back in Bowerstone but coincidentally a lady of the night approached and offered a discount for the "Hero of Bloodstone!" I figured what the heck, I didn't read the entire Wedding Bells book but I'm pretty sure it said something about the 100 mile rule existing in Albion. Anyway, After a Jolly 'ol romp in the sack I find out she's given me an STD! Well, I figure the least she could do is give my gold back. I pulled my pistol but she refused.. So I shot her. The Barmaid saw the whole thing and took off running into the streets. I couldn't leave witnesses because I have an outstanding reputation I have to keep up. I earned the Halo on my head damnit! I finally caught up to her by the docks and shot her too. I didn't really pay attention to the other 20 people standing around until she hit the ground... People began cursing me, Calling me evil and I just couldn't let the people in Bowerstone, My home town know what horrible things I'd done, so I began to snuff out these rumor-mongers before they could ruin my reputation. I believe I successfully prevented any knowledge of my actions from escaping Bloodstone. I do hope I can hide these horns under a hat though...

[Fremen]

Hehe, good story, cybermike.

I have one just a little more embarrassing.

I was visiting my wife, (Alex the Barmaid, who had jilted the ghost guy) and son in Bowerstone, when one of the annoying male villagers that's been in love with my guy since near the beginning, suddenly walks into our bedroom.

It pissed me off because I'm always tripping over this guy, and since my real-life buddy was visiting, I was showing off a bit, so I decide to kill the villager.

My wife started screaming and a guard comes in to apprehend me.

Now, I had a choice to pay a 10g fine, do community service, or resist arrest.
My buddy asked me what happens if I did the latter, and I said I didn't know, but let's try it out!

The next thing I know, I'm in a shootout with the guard, then more guards show up, I kill a few, then I decide to kill all of them with a 4-star Shock AoE spell.

Unfortunately, along with killing all of the guards, it also killed my wife upstairs!

My son, Shirley, gets taken into child custody, and I'm on the run...

I hightail it to Oakfield to visit my other wife, (my first wife), and I go to give her an Expression, but I forgot what she likes, so I highlight her, meaning to press the Y button to bring up more info, but I forgot I had the safety off, and instead, I shot her dead.

Talk about shock! I suddenly had two dead wives.

I eventually got over it, and married again, and had a little girl named Jen.
Unfortunately, she ran off to adventure in the Hobbe cave, and when I went to look for her, I got distracted, and forgot about her. I believe she was turned into a Hobbe.

I'm scared to go see my wife. :P

This is a pretty good game. It's shown me I'm not cut out to be a family man.

[DonnieBoy]

I'm hoping this comes to the PC if not i may finally have to buy an xbox 360... oh to dream

[ironpham]

How do you get the Laugh expression? I can't laugh for that damn demon door yet .

[Esoteric]

Originally Posted by ironpham

How do you get the Laugh expression? I can't laugh for that damn demon door yet .

Pretty sure you need to have a certain amount of renown or be Good/Pure. My Good/Pure chick has it and I have around 30k renown I think.

I'm going to replay it a 3rd time and go Evil/Pure so my skin will be pale and my eyes will glow red but I won't have horns. I just can't decide if I want to make a male primary Strength user or a female Will user. My first char was an Evil/Corrupt male Will user and I wrecked shit. My current Good/Pure chick is maxed in Skill and almost maxed in Strength. I'm reluctant to put points into Physique on my female though because I'm afraid she might look butch.

[ironpham]

I thought Evil = horns. My guy was Evil/Neutral, and he had massive horns with glowing green eyes and a nasty looking scar going down the entire face. Of course, now he's Evil/Corrupt though. I think the only difference between the neutral and corrupt is the skin color. He's black.

I guess I'll check my renown this weekend when I can play again. I'm pretty sure I have a lot seeing as how I own almost everything and have done all side quests up to the point I'm at now (about to meet with Reaver for the second time). I hope I don't have to be good for me to get the laugh expression. I really wanted to open that demon door.

[Esoteric]

From what I've been reading it seems that Corruption is what affects the horns, black skin and cracks. The more Evil you are along with your Corruption will affect how large your horns are. I've been reading more and more that Evil/Pure is the way to go if you want the pale skin, red eyes, and no horns. I guess I'll just have to find out for myself.

[xepherys]

<3 Fable II

[ironpham]

So, where do the green glowy eyes come into play? I'm not complaining because they look pretty badass. I just don't know what caused them.

[Esoteric]

Corruption.

[guthmund]

Originally Posted by ironpham

So, where do the green glowy eyes come into play? I'm not complaining because they look pretty badass. I just don't know what caused them.

I loved the green glowy eyes. At the time I had the Temple of Shadows mask and my character was glitched and wearing two coats (the assassin's coat and the big 18th century bit with the large cuffs).

Sadly the "laugh" gesture is tied to the "good" meter and, consequently, I had to give up the green eyes and the horns....

I have thoroughly beat this game and after I get through the coming month's offerings I plan on going back through it again. Can't say that about too many games... well, at least, I can't.

[Reese]

My guy is good, really good but corrupt because I maxed the rent and prices of every building I owned. He's normal looking but he's got some nasty yellow eyes. No horns, normal skin color. Actually.. umm.. My guy is a girl now.. don't drink the potion...

[Frosstbyte]

Can you have high rent on nice properties and not be corrupt but just be providing a lovely place in a nice location? Or do you basically just have to be a slumlord?

[ironpham]

I think you can raise the value of the house, which in turn raises rent cost, without becoming corrupt. Just redecorate it with 5 star stuff.