Fable 2

[Cyros]

Re: Fable 2

Wait a minute. Is this true?



Please tell me the game's not that short.

To run straight through and not screw around with anything offered on the side I'd guess it to be true.

[PAPERNUT]

Re: Fable 2

Wait a minute. Is this true?



Please tell me the game's not that short.

I would bet the main quest will be, but hopefully it is like Oblivion and the side quests will take up the majority of your time.

[Jistic]

Re: Fable 2

I'd like to hear how much side stuff there is. If it's like 20-30 hours or more then I'm set. If it's 5, I'll rent.

The only other thing that sounded lame was that all jobs you do are the same simple meter, hit the A button in the red.

[Sandman42]

Re: Fable 2

Yeah that definitely just sounds like its the main quest.

It only took me like 12 hours to beat Mass Effect's main story, but then I played it again going through some side missions and it took me 20+ hours.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: Fable 2

The first Fable's main story line wasn't that long either. Hopefully there are a lot of side quests available. But this is definitely a game I will finish more than once.

[Flawless]

Re: Fable 2

It was confirmed months ago that the main quest in Fable II would take around 12 hours to complete. If you just stick to the main quest though, you will be a poor hero, have no cool clothes or weapons, no family, no owned property, miss out on more story, ect. If you want to become the Emperor of Albion (own basically every piece of property) it's going to take you a long time (Lionhead says 100 million gold is needed). There's many more side-quests in Fable II than what was in the original too. You can beat Oblivion's main quest in about 10 hours. I doubt Fable II will have the same amount of content as Oblivion, but you will miss out on quite a bit if you just stick to the main quest.

[goh]

Re: Fable 2

To some extent it's good that it's short. They've said the whole world changes based on your actions so it's probably a good idea to play it a few times. Also your character ages and I don't think many would want to be walking around with some ugly old character unless there's a fountian of youth to be found in the game.

[Flawless]

Re: Fable 2

10 Questions: Lionhead's Peter Molyneux

2. How much bigger is the map in Fable II (how many cities/regions)? And how many hours of gameplay time can you put into Fable II?

Fable II is absolutely huge. There are 12 regions and each of those is about the size of the entire world in the first Fable. These regions are also riddled with tombs, caves, dungeons and demon doors. In terms of length of gameplay, if you just play through the core story and don't mind finishing the game as a poor lonely and unpopular hero (having ignored a large number of side quests) then I'd estimate 15-20 hours. Depending on how you play the time will, of course, vary but if you're a completist I'd multiply that basic time by five.

[coolguykris]

Re: Fable 2

Just in case anyone missed anything.

THESE LINKS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Tales of Albion
http://www.lionhead.com/fable2/Tales...n/Default.aspx
Intentional Glitch
http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/pos...mpaign=TheFeed

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=239258

Spooky Screen shots
http://www.n4g.com/News-199626.aspx
http://kotaku.com/5050213/new-fable-...ing-the-spooky
Gay gamer hands on
http://www.n4g.com/News-199647.aspx
Fable's Flaws
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Destructoid/~3/393145062/peter-molyneux-fractured-a-dog-discusses-fable-ii-s-low-points-103742.phtmlhttp://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/41541/Peter-Molyneux-Talks-Up-Fable-II-Faultshttp://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64207&goto=newpost
http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/41...Fable-II-Flaws
http://www.g4tv.com/rss_traffic.aspx...aign%3dTheFeed

http://360.kombo.com/article.php?artid=14288

Fable preview
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotGames/~3/N0iGl3VMxa0/article.pl
Spinning yarns with fable 2
http://www.giantbomb.com/news/spinni...-fable-ii/237/
Peter interviews
http://www.n4g.com/News-199240.aspx
http://kotaku.com/5050306/molyneuxs-...terrifying-huh
http://feeds.joystiq.com/~r/weblogsinc/joystiq/~3/393276451/
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news...-Developer-Mad
Screen Shots and impressions

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/54748

http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/0...customisation/
IGN's 3 hours
http://www.n4g.com/News-199523.aspx
Joystick's 3 hours
http://feeds.joystiq.com/~r/weblogsinc/joystiq/~3/393474082/
Halo Sword
http://www.n4g.com/News-198423.aspx
More Prostitutes= More blood
http://www.n4g.com/News-198101.aspx
http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-198101.aspx
Inside Fable 2
http://www.edge-online.com/magazine/inside-fable-ii
Sam Van Tilburgh Interview
http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-197136.aspx
15 Things to do in Fable 2
http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-196056.aspx
Fable: Next big thing in open world gaming
http://www.n4g.com/News-195499.aspx
Opening scene in fable 2
http://www.n4g.com/News-195327.aspx
Massive Fable 2 preview
http://www.n4g.com/News-193656.aspx
Peter Gives Fable 2 9/10
http://www.n4g.com/xbox360/News-191937.aspx
Gamespy preview
http://www.n4g.com/News-191749.aspx
10 Things you must know about Fable 2
http://feeds.ign.com/~r/ignfeeds/all/~3/373203251/901967p1.html
Master Chief in Fable 2
http://feeds.joystiq.com/~r/weblogsinc/joystiq/~3/358855488/

[Jistic]

Re: Fable 2

10 Questions: Lionhead's Peter Molyneux

Works for me. Thanks.

[Holic]

Re: Fable 2

12-15 hours sounds about right for the main quest. I'll be spending most of my time making virtual babies with as many women as possible. LOL The co-op part sounds pretty interesting as well. Definately the #1 game on my list for the remainder of the year.

[vinny]

Re: Fable 2

12-15 hours sounds about right for the main quest. I'll be spending most of my time making virtual babies with as many women as possible. LOL The co-op part sounds pretty interesting as well. Definately the #1 game on my list for the remainder of the year.

Word

[Flawless]

Re: Fable 2

MTV Multiplayer

The problem in most morality games, however, and crucial to the “Han Solo Problem,” is that it’s beneficial to be truly good or evil. You’ll be more powerful, have access to better powers or some other gameplay device unavailable to the person playing in the middle.

“Don’t think that being good or evil will unlock different parts of the game that will allow you to be more powerful,” Molyneux said in response. “Don’t think that you’re going down these paths that lead you to completely different content in either one. You’re not. You’re just doing it to be who you want to be. You’re going to have the same choices at the end of the game, whether you play good or evil.”

Plus, if you want to see what it’s like to play as the other side, you only have to keep playing once the main storyline in “Fable II” wraps. The world remains open, and it’s completely possible to go from a good guy to a bad guy — and right back again.

GamesRadar

It's uniquely, believably European

You only realise how American or Japanese the games we've been playing are when you get a chance to play something different. It's not just the country of origin which dictates a game's feel. The sheer historical dominance of those two markets in the games industry over recent years has dictated that even games from Europe have taken on a similar, homogenised feel. Not so with Fable 2.

From the very start, it's clear that this is a game from the old country. Where most RPGs are bogged down in generic sword and sorcery or industrial sci-fi and androgyny, Fable 2 feels like the fantasy game Terry Gilliam and Guillermo Del Toro would make if given half a chance (Yes, we know Gilliam was born in America and Del Toro is Mexican but, well... Ignore the technicalities, just go with the style and tone).

The cities have a beautiful tumbledown design, like the buildings have been taken out of the oven too soon and started to collapse. The overall style includes all manner of rural delights, evoking an authentic Grimm's fairy tale world made up of a cherry-picked selection of historical European aesthetics. There's no shiny, idealised medieval fantasy here. This is an earthy, lived-in world, just as beautiful for its imperfections as its stunning, sunset vistas. If you've ever watched Monty Python And The Holy Grail or read one of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, you'll feel right at home in Fable 2. European gamers will lap up the opportunity to play through the kind of world we visited in the folk-tales of our youth, while everyone else will just find it very, very refreshing indeed.

The combat is satisfying and flowing

Remember how you thought Peter Molyneux had gone mad when he first mentioned one-button combat? Remember all those visions you had of a simplistic, Zelda III-style button mash? Well put those fears out of your mind, because Fable 2's combat is versatile, stylish and very, very satisfying.

The swordplay feels like a ramped-up version of Jade's staff fighting from Beyond Good And Evil. Taps of the melee button send your hero slicing in your chosen direction, while flicks of the left analogue stick divide his attentions between enemies as he moves from one to the next through slick, violent transition moves. Combat is context-sensitive too, meaning that angle of attack, the state of your enemies and even their placement in the geography of the landscape will have an effect on how each attack plays out. You might only have one button to use, but once you come to understand the different things that button can do in different situations, you'll find a great deal of depth to be had. It's just that here, the depth comes from tactical observation of the battlefield rather than the number of different controls you can combo together.

Speaking of comboing though, there's plenty of that. With another button responsible for long-range attacks via a crossbow or pistol, and a third handling magic attacks - either in a circular burst wave or aimed shot, depending on whether you direct the stick while charging up - the offensive options for combat against a group are many indeed. And as importantly as anything else, it's very easy to look very cool while you're using them.

Within minutes we found ourselves ploughing through four or five enemies at a time, using a quick force blast to break up the crowd when things got too tight, before mopping up a straggler with a crossbow bolt and pushing the last one or two off a cliff edge. It all links and flows beautifully, and you cannot fail to feel like Dante and Nero's estranged medieval cousin while partaking.

The dog is brilliant

Seriously. After a few minutes you'll wonder how you ever managed without him. Far from being a mere living weapon, the dog is actually a brilliant resolution to a great many of the problems that traditionally plague the RPG. On top of being a loyal combat aid, he'll sniff out buried treasure, negating the need for any of the treasure hunting through random digging found in Zelda games. He'll cut down trial-and-error wandering in towns by running over to places and people of interest and barking. He'll warn you of impending danger with a growl, helping you avoid those annoying random deaths. And if you get lost or stuck in a dungeon, just listen out for a distant bark. The chances are he'll have sniffed out the exit and will be summoning you over.

And miraculously, he never, ever gets annoying. There's no "Hey! Hey! Listen! Hey! Listen!" here. If you're busy, your dog will just go about his business, happily exploring and sniffing his way around. He'll always come back to you eventually, and you can round him up easily if he wanders off, but not once while we were playing did his presence become intrusive or a hinderance of any kind. And as doubtful as we were, we found ourselves becoming so attached to the little fella that when a mission boss injured him at one point, we surprised ourselves by feeling something similar to how we did when Sephiroth killed Aeris. All that, and we're cat people too. Amazing.

The reputation system really, really seems to work

We went into Fable 2 waiting to be convinced on this one. In theory it was the thing that would really make the game stand apart, but we had to see it in action before we were convinced. We really shouldn't have worried though. The depth with which your actions dictate NPCs' opinions of you is bewildering. There must be enough algorithms going on behind the scenes in Fable 2 to sink a battleship.

Take for example, our experiences in the city of Bowerstone. Having already established ourselves as a pretty badass hero thanks to the liberation of a couple of slaves and the brutal and completely optional murder of their former owner (He offered us a bribe to leave them with him. We felt insulted), one or two fearful citizens aside we were pretty much flavour of the month.

Just for fun, we started flirting with a rather large old lady. Clearly enjoying the attention of a strapping young hero, she reacted well. Not as well as the younger woman we'd chatted up earlier on - No generic NPCs here. They all have their own backgrounds and criteria for reacting to you - but she seemed happy enough. Eventually we left her to it and thought no more of her.

However, a few minutes later when we were exploring the town walls looking for treasure, we noticed a familiar figure taking a walk further along the otherwise empty battlements. Yes, it was her. While not wanting to take the relationship any further, it seemed she'd 'coincidentally' wandered our way a few minutes after our meeting, and for the next half hour or so, while never approaching us, she was always somewhere nearby in the crowd, unconsciously attracted to her faux beau.

And a much more blatant example came a little while later. Returning to our seat after talking to Peter Molyneux for a while, we found that some European journos had stolen our console and had destroyed our hero's reputation by running around massacring Bowerstone's townspeople. The knaves! Where once the crowd had flocked to us, now they ducked away and morbidly asked us what it felt like to murder a man. The sense of connection to the game world this created was incredible, and we couldn't help but be blown away at how much more alive it felt than any other game we can remember playing, GTA IV included.

[Mrcabone]

Re: Fable 2

This game sounds incredible,with Midnight Club:LA releasing the same day I don't know how much racing i'll be doing the first few days because of how amazing Fable looks to be.I've earned almost 6 million dollars(glitching) through the Pub games, so im very curious to see how if affects my character,im kinda rethinking starting the game rich but we'll see.

Can't wait till Oct.21st!!

[Flawless]

Re: Fable 2

IGN AU: Fable II Interview

IGN AU: Nice. Plus, if you don't want to do blacksmithing and want something more involved you could always be an assassin or go out and rob shops.

Peter Molyneux: Exactly. Like everything in this game, whether it's your relationship with your dog or your relationship with your family, it's up to you. Now, one of the coolest things that I love about jobs is this idea of investing… you're going to end up, in the early part of this game, with two or three thousand in gold… what are you going to do with that? You've got a really interesting choice. You've got the choice of buying another weapon, you've got a choice of customising yourself with clothes, or you've got a choice of buying housing, of investing. If you invest there's a little, tiny mechanic that I love.

If you invest, you'll notice that over your hero's head, every five minutes of real-world time, you'll get the income from that investment. So if you have a stall in Bowerstone market, every five minutes you'll get ten gold, doesn't matter if you're out in the wild, or you're questing, or whatever it is, you'll get that ten gold. The cool thing about that ten gold? If you turn your Xbox off, you'll still earn the ten gold every five minutes. So if you go to bed at night and you get up in the morning and you turn on your 360 and go into the Fable world, there'll be one hundred gold waiting for you. For me, I found I was compulsively going round and buying things before I went to bed...

Pretty cool