Fable II

 Xbox 360
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2680 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,640 out of 2680
  2. Mixed: 289 out of 2680
  3. Negative: 751 out of 2680
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  1. emileb
    Nov 14, 2008
    6
    I wouldn
  2. ChrissyT
    Dec 2, 2008
    6
    About 2 weeks ago I rated the game a 6, having only put a few hours into it and not feeling very compelled to continue playing.
    Yesterday I decided to continue playing. After playing what feels like only 1/3 through the game, I was treated to the end credits. I had heard about the '10 hours main quest' but to me it feels more like 5-7 hours. Seeing how the walkthroughs on    About 2 weeks ago I rated the game a 6, having only put a few hours into it and not feeling very compelled to continue playing.
    Yesterday I decided to continue playing. After playing what feels like only 1/3 through the game, I was treated to the end credits. I had heard about the '10 hours main quest' but to me it feels more like 5-7 hours. Seeing how the walkthroughs on gamefaqs cover the main story in only a few pages, I was forced to accept that this indeed was all there is to Fable 2. I think you can count the total number of maps on 2 hands. Yes the location maps are quite big but there ant nearly as much of them as in Fable 1, and they are still mostly good looking but 'empty' environments.
    You can still continue playing the side quests, but there arent'y really a lot of those either, and most of them are rather short.
    So unless you fancy running around and digging for treasure or trying to get a truckload of wives or real estate which is all rather pointless, this game is not worth your money. Rent or buy used.    … Expand
  3. MrG
    Oct 25, 2008
    6
    Quite a dull game, I got bored of it very quickly, and have already traded it in. Suprised to see so many 10's I wonder how many of them work for Microsoft?
  4. DanielG.
    Oct 26, 2008
    6
    Could have been so much more. The world is large, beautifully rendered, and all the mechanics are here for a long and inspired adventure. It's too bad Lionhead squandered all that hard-work on a 6 hour campaign that is padded with marginally interesting side-quests. This could have been a Masterpiece; instead, it's a piece of...Well it's not that bad....But it is Could have been so much more. The world is large, beautifully rendered, and all the mechanics are here for a long and inspired adventure. It's too bad Lionhead squandered all that hard-work on a 6 hour campaign that is padded with marginally interesting side-quests. This could have been a Masterpiece; instead, it's a piece of...Well it's not that bad....But it is disappointing. Save your money; rent it.… Expand
  5. marcb.
    Oct 28, 2008
    6
    Overrated. My 6 is primarily out of respect for the production values, and even these are uneven at times. As for the rest, the story is vague and incredibly disjoiinted, there is no sense of cohesion with regards to geography (frequent load times break everything up), and the old school menu-hunt further disturbs cohesion/immersion. The magic system is borderline unusable IMO, and the Overrated. My 6 is primarily out of respect for the production values, and even these are uneven at times. As for the rest, the story is vague and incredibly disjoiinted, there is no sense of cohesion with regards to geography (frequent load times break everything up), and the old school menu-hunt further disturbs cohesion/immersion. The magic system is borderline unusable IMO, and the combat, while visually appealing, is essentially a button mash. And (without going into any specifics) some of the dramatic set-pieces are insanely boring. It's not a bad game, in fact I was "in love" for a couple of hours, but the more I play it the less I like it.… Expand
  6. ericurena
    Mar 20, 2009
    6
    i really wanted to rate this higher but i can't the game was just not very good. the story line was mediocre at best the battles were way too easy & no final battle to speak of or if there was a final battle, it was so easy that i didn't realize it was a final battle. after waiting so long for the sequel, i have to say what a disappiontment. by the way i was a huge fable one fan
  7. Ian
    Oct 26, 2008
    6
    Not bad, I honestly enjoyed fable 1 more, the story was certainly better in fable 1 (not that fable 1's story was good), there are certainly some more polished aspects of gameplay added in this version of fable, others less. very ho-hum after beating it (which took all of 10 hours).
  8. RyanS
    Dec 7, 2008
    6
    Fable 2 is a very fun game to play. It felt a lot like the first Fable in some ways. The problem with Fable 2 is that I expected so much more and all they gave me was a game that was too easy and too much adult content. I borrowed this game for 1 week and just about got every achievement in 5 days. I know there was more rare items to find but the game just felt unplayable and boring after Fable 2 is a very fun game to play. It felt a lot like the first Fable in some ways. The problem with Fable 2 is that I expected so much more and all they gave me was a game that was too easy and too much adult content. I borrowed this game for 1 week and just about got every achievement in 5 days. I know there was more rare items to find but the game just felt unplayable and boring after the main quest finished. The best part about this game is that on xbox live you can see orbs of other players even not on your friends list. This is very helpful as players can give gifts to each other but the only bad thing is that its a gift giving system not a trading system. So what happens is you give something to another player such as a rare item in return for something else rare and they just log off and you loose your items. So in conclusion this game can be fun at times but it is lacking. … Expand
  9. CJCJ
    Oct 29, 2008
    6
    To give credit where it's due, there are indeed interesting moral choices in the game; the ability to buy any building in the game is great, as is the option to marry and raise a family; NPCs' range of flexible reactions to the PC are also good. These are all real breakthroughs. But: The graphics are third-rate; the game is VERY short (couldn't believe how fast I finished To give credit where it's due, there are indeed interesting moral choices in the game; the ability to buy any building in the game is great, as is the option to marry and raise a family; NPCs' range of flexible reactions to the PC are also good. These are all real breakthroughs. But: The graphics are third-rate; the game is VERY short (couldn't believe how fast I finished the main quest, even though I did many side-quests; the story underlying the main quest line isn't compelling, nor even very clear; the side quests are repetitive; the menu structure is awful (after drinking a potion you're forced to scroll through the whole menu again if you wish to drink another); the gameworld is surprisingly small and limited (and you cannot just wander anywhere you want); the maps provided in the menu system are tiny and barely readable; weapon choices are limited; clothing provides no benefits besides "attractiveness"; the combat system is extremely simple and unrealistic -- no skill required at all, just mash the "X" or "Y" button; combat is highly repetitive -- really just the same thing every single time; the spell interface makes it difficult to use more than one or two spells; most objects in the world cannot be interacted with; the game does not allow you to sneak up on enemies; above all, the distant 3rd-person view makes it very difficult to achieve a high level of immersion. Originally, I thought that the major comparison and competitor for Fable II would be TES IV: Oblivion, but although Oblivion is already more than two years old, I find it so far superior to Fable II overall as an RPG that it seems unfair even to compare them. If you liked Oblivion, I expect Fable will disappoint you. Fable II is more comparable to Devil May Cry, though the combat system in the latter is better.… Expand
  10. JayC
    Nov 13, 2009
    6
    For all the expansiveness of the world, it felt like an uninspired sequel. You couldn't retain as ridiculous levels of power, making it less fun, and the only hard fights are the spires. There wasn't a feeling of a boss fight, especially at the end of the game, which robbed me of most of the joy I'd had up to that point. Nonetheless, I was entertained, but not impressed.
  11. MarkH
    May 26, 2009
    6
    While Fable 2 offers tons of side quests, it leaves the player feeling like they accomplished very little. It's far too easy to build up a massive real estate empire or get to the higher ratings of jobs and because it's so easy it ends up feeling more like work than fun. The main quest also felt pretty lacking, and while the main characters were entertaining it felt like you While Fable 2 offers tons of side quests, it leaves the player feeling like they accomplished very little. It's far too easy to build up a massive real estate empire or get to the higher ratings of jobs and because it's so easy it ends up feeling more like work than fun. The main quest also felt pretty lacking, and while the main characters were entertaining it felt like you barely got to meet them before the game was over. Overall, Fable 2 has the potential to be really great, but it feels soulless.… Expand
  12. EliJ.
    Jul 12, 2009
    6
    this game isnt bad. but then again the combat is complete button smashing and it didn't impress. I also love how edge magazine gives it a 90. I've never seen edge magazine give a ps3 game above an 80. It just goes to show you how biased this site is, especially when it comes to xbox vs. ps3..it makes me laugh.
  13. Setman428
    Aug 3, 2012
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ok, so Fable II sounds like this really awesome game. I never had any of the gamebreaking glitches mentioned here (but there were some funny ones, such as when Bowerstone lost its buildings after completing a job). However, why am I giving this game a 6? The combat is ok, that's a pass. I like the demon doors and the silver keys, in my opinion, those are the pride and the glory of this game. But there are three glaring problems: lore, story, and items. Albion, I have to say, is not a very exciting fantasy world. Firstly, it's not big, like Nirn (Elder Scrolls), Amalur (KOA:R) or even Tyria (Guild Wars). No fun races (hell, even elves would sound nice in the game), realistic backstory (like who created the world? why the hell are we even in this game?) or even fun creatures (heh, the most menancing is a Balverine, a rip off of every single werewolf you've seen, and btw, only 5 types of creatures to kill). Secondly, its story (which includes sidequests) just lacks the feel Skyrim has. In Skyrim, you're lost in the world, like a kid in a candy store. Everything is beautiful, feels magnificent, and even feels real (bears attacking you on the middle of the road, numerous [and I mean NUMEROUS] caverns, forts, waterfalls, mountains, forests, just like a real world). Secondly, the lore is so bad the story suffers (couldn't you have chosen something better than Hero as the "heroes" of the world? And, might I mention, no fun boss fights [trolls don't count] or final battle-WHY CAN'T I JUST FIGHT LUCIEN? WHY DOES A BULLET JUST KILL HIM?). Thirdly, the item system is no fun. Only four types of weapons (from Rusty, Iron, Steel and Master) instead of countless numbers of great loot and items you get in other rpgs. I don't know if I can call Fable II an RPG. Yes, I can level up. Yes, I can "upgrade" my equipment. The first time I played through it, maybe I said yes. Maybe I convinced myself it was indeed worthy of competing with Oblivion. But now, I know even Oblivion is several steps ahead. If I could become completely lost and immersed in Fable II, then it would absolutley crush Bethesda's masterpiece. But its lack of length or even its lack of redundancy cripple the game, allowing the Elder Scrolls to trample over it. I want more out of you Lionhead. You're not a terrible company. I want to have more items and customizations to choose from. I want to explore a massive, massive, world. Fable could have been that and so much more. It may forever be the game that promised immense potential and failed to deliver. If it were anywhere on the level of Oblivion and Skyrim, then I would crown it the king of games.… Expand
  14. thelawgiver
    Mar 9, 2011
    6
    Fable II is entertaining and, at least for a time, fun. The main quest line is very short, though, and the myriad side quests and "life" elements that supposedly provide "hours and hours" of gameplay really aren't very much fun. Combat is really easy, and the proliferation of life phials means that even in the off chance that you do fall in battle, you're revived without consequence.Fable II is entertaining and, at least for a time, fun. The main quest line is very short, though, and the myriad side quests and "life" elements that supposedly provide "hours and hours" of gameplay really aren't very much fun. Combat is really easy, and the proliferation of life phials means that even in the off chance that you do fall in battle, you're revived without consequence. Even if you DON'T have said life phial., you're resurrected with a negligible loss of experience and a scar somewhere on your body. Oh no, my video game character is scarred! Now I have to restart the whole game! The interface to switch between spells is also poorly constructed, making it nearly impossible to create a true mage. Ranged weapons are handy here and there, but the game is really geared toward the swordsman build. Overall, the RPG elements are lacking.

    But then, you're supposed to be able to spend hours "living the life" of the hero. Sure, you can get married. Multiple times, even. To a man and a woman, if you want. But who cares? You can get a job doing the same thing - chopping wood, pouring beer, banging a hammer on an anvil - over and over and over and over again. Woo-hoo. You can buy every single piece of property in the entire game world, if you have to patience to save up the money. You can watch your weight or get fat. You can get tattoos and haircuts, as well as change your clothes. But these are things I have to do in real life! I don't want to have to do them in a video game, too! Fable II is a mildly entertaining, quaint game that gets old after about 10 hours. Even for the obsessive compulsive completionist, this game will disappoint.    … Expand
  15. emeraldstorm
    Apr 19, 2011
    6
    There were a lot of cool things in the game, but the game was just not well balanced and integrated. First, it is extremely easy. I kept thinking that this was a kid's game and then realized that it had adult content. The interface is horrible. Inventory use and management is prohibitively slow and awkward. The economy is completely out of scale- I had millions of gold with very littleThere were a lot of cool things in the game, but the game was just not well balanced and integrated. First, it is extremely easy. I kept thinking that this was a kid's game and then realized that it had adult content. The interface is horrible. Inventory use and management is prohibitively slow and awkward. The economy is completely out of scale- I had millions of gold with very little to spend it on. On a related issue, re: treasures you have to patiently wait for the dog to find the 'dig spot', and then patiently wait until the digging animation was done. And then.. boom.. the treasures were almost always useless. When I have over 2 million gold, a sack of 5,000 gold is unrewarding. To me, it is as though they made the game, but never bothered playing it. Because anyone who played the game would notice these issues. It is unfortunate, because there were some very cool features in the game, and the potential was there for a great game but the lack of *balance* and *integration* really made the game hard to be fun. I'm not sure how some critics (or users) felt justified giving this game a 10. It's definitely not a 10. Some of the features of the game may have deserved a 10, but, as a whole, I think the User Score average captured it with a 6.2.… Expand
  16. TheCoz
    Apr 21, 2011
    6
    Fable 2 is the second in Lionhead Studio's series of games that over reach and promise to be a complete and immersive game experience but just sort of end up being mediocre action/adventure titles, Though nice to look at and filled with some great comedic dialougue and some good SIM-life options Fable 2 falls short of the hype. Should it be judged so harshly on hype? Normally I would sayFable 2 is the second in Lionhead Studio's series of games that over reach and promise to be a complete and immersive game experience but just sort of end up being mediocre action/adventure titles, Though nice to look at and filled with some great comedic dialougue and some good SIM-life options Fable 2 falls short of the hype. Should it be judged so harshly on hype? Normally I would say 'No." but the developers here have used their 'innovation" and "unique and creative game design" buzzwords to create a frothing pulsing hype around what they claim to be a game changer but just ends up being "pretty entertaining".

    Fable 2 is kind of short. From the standpoint of any RPG fan. The main story missions will take you well under 15 hours to complete. There are side quests and jobs to perform and houses to buy so that you could just try and inhabit the world for hours after you've completed the game but since none of this seems necessary to the overall plot I found myself not giving a hoot. The story attempts greatness and I must say, since I was reading the Dark Tower series while playing this, there were certain elements that thoroughly intrigued me, but it does fall apart almost comically in the third act. To the point where you're left wonder what the hell just happened.

    It isn't all bad. The combat system is top notch allowing action gamers like me to take control of of 3 different play styles all at once and giving you a great sense of power and finesse throughout. Even in the most mundane of battles I found myself enjoying it to the last swing, shot or fireball. It's a great looking game as well. None of that photo-realistic mumbo jumbo, this thing is completely stylish (like a Fable) and it all looks great. The arcetechture and clothes all contribute to a great setting.

    All in all I did want to enjoy this more than I did. But with customization options just laying there like a limp noodle as well as the story. The short list of good points don't add up to a "game changer".    … Expand
  17. IHateFanboys
    Nov 9, 2011
    6
    I enjoyed playing this game particularly with all the little options available, but it never really clicked for me. I never found the draw to come back and finish this one. Didn't stop me from playing the 3rd one on sale but it really didn't shine as much as I'd hoped it would.
  18. ActionBastard
    Jan 14, 2013
    6
    If you're after a decent economy, a great selection of weapons and a fully fleshed out sandbox RPG, Fable 2 might just be the game for you.
    Graphically superior to Fable 1 and Superior in every field to Fable 3, I always come back to it every year to play through again.
    You can also train up your dog, build statues of yourself, buy potions which give you experience points, buy shops,    If you're after a decent economy, a great selection of weapons and a fully fleshed out sandbox RPG, Fable 2 might just be the game for you.
    Graphically superior to Fable 1 and Superior in every field to Fable 3, I always come back to it every year to play through again.
    You can also train up your dog, build statues of yourself, buy potions which give you experience points, buy shops, rent out properties without having to maintain them.

    Additionally, the player can make money even when the game isn't switched on. Every hour, the money the player makes through a rented property gets added on regardless of whether the game is on or not.
    Also, One of the demon doors in the game provides the best jump scare in a game ever.    … Expand
  19. sJagstang
    Mar 17, 2013
    6
    Fable II by Lionhead Studio's is a solid action adventure game but it just lacks in a lot of area's, The game is way too easy which takes away any challenge the game could of had, the world is sometimes very graphically appealing and has a magical feel, but other times it's bland and uninteresting, It's a very mixed bag with some silly design choices. The fact that you have to sit thereFable II by Lionhead Studio's is a solid action adventure game but it just lacks in a lot of area's, The game is way too easy which takes away any challenge the game could of had, the world is sometimes very graphically appealing and has a magical feel, but other times it's bland and uninteresting, It's a very mixed bag with some silly design choices. The fact that you have to sit there doing boring work mini-games to get money is the most uninteresting game design I have seen in recent times, Your companion dog is a nice addition with some good AI to him with helping find you treasure and dig spots, But in the end Fable II is a technically solid title, but bad design choices bring it down dramatically. If you own an Xbox 360 and want a fantasy action adventure title, Fable II is a decent ride despite some issues but if you are looking for deep game design then you should look elsewhere as you will not find it here.… Expand
  20. BigDegs29
    Nov 12, 2014
    6
    This game is way too short. Several great ideas, like the ability to purchase properties to bring in a constant income, are negated because (a) the games too short for that to have a positive impact, and (b) at some point you won't know what to do with that excess money anyway!

    People talk about Fable's charm, and while I somewhat see that, sometimes it just boils down to fart jokes    This game is way too short. Several great ideas, like the ability to purchase properties to bring in a constant income, are negated because (a) the games too short for that to have a positive impact, and (b) at some point you won't know what to do with that excess money anyway!

    People talk about Fable's charm, and while I somewhat see that, sometimes it just boils down to fart jokes and constant flipping the bird. That's not charm folks; that's child's play.

    Combat is somewhat more enjoyable than the original, but that's not saying much. For a game that prides itself on choice, you really only have two impacting choices in the game: be good or be evil.

    The story if lackluster, which is typical of all Fable games. The characters are a little more interesting. It's just not enough to keep you hooked. I struggled to finish the game, which is terrible considering how short it is! Some of the mini-games are fun though.

    I'm not sure I'd recommend any Fable game, and after this one I didn't even try the third (although I hear it's more of the same). Look elsewhere for fun RPGs.    … Expand
  21. Barnes1987
    Mar 28, 2017
    6
    A major step down from the first game. Fable 2 is still a solid game but so much more was expected of this and it didn't deliver anywhere near it. Worth a one time play through at least.
  22. artificeprime
    Oct 31, 2017
    6
    Fable 2 improves on Fable 1 in some areas but unfortunately in the process it loses a lot of what made its predecessor great. This is definitely a case of one step forward two steps back. Fable 2 offers a bigger world and more content than Fable 1 but nearly all of that content is dumbed-down. Many of the best features of Fable 1 have been completely rebuilt and replaced with somethingFable 2 improves on Fable 1 in some areas but unfortunately in the process it loses a lot of what made its predecessor great. This is definitely a case of one step forward two steps back. Fable 2 offers a bigger world and more content than Fable 1 but nearly all of that content is dumbed-down. Many of the best features of Fable 1 have been completely rebuilt and replaced with something worse. It started off pretty good but quickly became one of the most disappointing games I have ever played.

    Gameplay was something that Fable 1 did exceptionally well. The magic system was intuitive, diverse and extremely fun to use. Each spell in Fable 1 was unique and offered a different pros and cons. It was also fun and rewarding to power up those spells. The magic system in Fable 2 is generic by comparison, most of the spells are now far more similar to each other. Fable 1 also did a great job of making you carefully balance your stats and work to get a character that had enough magic point to spam powerful spells. It was a rewarding system with lots of options for different play styles. Fable 2 removes almost all of that. Now you have no magic bar and can just spam every spell endlessly from the start. That makes magic overpowered and largely diminishes the value of leveling up or finding good gear that can replenish your magic. All you need to do is power up 1 spell to the max and then spam it endlessly. Your character also can't die so there is no sense of consequence. Fable 1 had very limited choices but at least there was a sense that those choices mattered, Fable 2 makes every choice feel meaningless. On the plus side there is quite a bit of interactivity with the world this time more than in the last Fable. You can swim now and there are a variety of ways to interact with mpcs. You can get married, have children and buy property which can lead to some funny situations but its all pretty shallow. The emotions bar is expanded but offers little beyond mild fun. Menus and UI are all simple and work pretty well.

    The Story starts off with an intriguing concept but that's about the only good thing about it. Almost every event and decision has no major consequence. It is boring and generic but worse than that it offers very little sense of progression or sense of accomplishment. Fable 1 didn't have a great story either but at least there was a good sense of progression. I felt like my character was accomplished by the end. With Fable 2 I felt like nothing I did really mattered or impacted my character's development. It was easy to get overpowered very early so by the end I never felt that my character had grown. The story is no worse than your average plat former but for an RPG it is far below average.

    The world is a big improvement over Fable 1. Every area is far bigger and more open, but it still doesn't stand out as exceptional compared to other games.

    The visuals are good and a lot of the visual design is appealing and unique. Towns and settlements all pretty well crafted with fairly detailed buildings and a decent variety in settlements. The lighting is good although there are a few places where it is a bit distracting. The characters themselves look a bit awkward, its kind of a caricature looking style but it works well enough. Particle effects are also pretty good just a little bit overdone when you enter into extreme combat situations.

    Sound design is fine the voice acting is and sound effects are both good but the soundtrack itself is very mediocre. While nothing about the soundtrack stood out to me as bat it sometimes feels a bit out of place. It rarely adds much in the way of emotional impact. Still there are a few good track.

    The tone of Fable 2 is an odd blend of comic relief with situations that should be serious. The problem is that lopsided tone often took me out of the experience. I found it very difficult to get immersed in the world and story. I never really found myself sympathizing or caring about any of the characters.

    Overall Fable 2 isn't a bad game, it is still fun to play and on a superficial level it functions well enough. The controls are good. The visuals and sound design are both pretty good. The problem is that gameplay is not rewarding, everything feels dumbed-down. The story is basic and disappointing. There is no sense of progression and most other aspects of the game are generic. Fable 2 like Fable 1 has some really good ideas but fails to really make any of those ideas work really well. My biggest complaint though is that Fable 2 ruins many of the best qualities of its predecessor and that is something that should never happen. The Fable games are unique and I think they offer something that could be really great unfortunately the execution here is very disappointing.

    I give Fable 2 a 65%

    Gameplay - 7
    Story - 5
    World - 8
    Characters - 6
    Visual Style - 8
    Sound Design - 7
    Uniqueness - 7
    Length/Amount of Content - 6
    Immersion - 6
    X-Factor - 5    … Expand
  23. JozefK
    Oct 10, 2009
    5
    I really wanted to like it, but it was frankly a waste of time. The story was shallow, and with the ability to complete pretty much every aspect of the game with little to no-effort... there was little incentive to play. In the original I enjoyed going through the demon doors getting the legendary items, but what's the point when many of the weapons I can get from the stores are I really wanted to like it, but it was frankly a waste of time. The story was shallow, and with the ability to complete pretty much every aspect of the game with little to no-effort... there was little incentive to play. In the original I enjoyed going through the demon doors getting the legendary items, but what's the point when many of the weapons I can get from the stores are better. The main story was completed within some 8 hours with little incentive to play further aside for some slightly 'alternative' endings. Which make no real impact aside from unless you choose to have your dog resurrected (one of the endings) you won't be able to do many of the side quests. It just all feels redundant, especially for those who've played the original fable (which I have to say had significantly more depth). In the original fable it was genuinly fun upgrading my character, and progressing each abilities skill tree. But when you have a definitive 'best' ability, and no challenge within the gameplay itself it has a very 'what's the point in all this' feel, to everything. 800 gamerscore within 1 day of play, at which point it was returned to store. Very disappointing.… Expand
  24. CarloF
    Nov 7, 2008
    5
    A big disappointment.... Not a gg at all. Very short and i can't immagine how to excuse the lack of deph that a RPG that has this metacritic score should have.
  25. JohnS.
    Oct 30, 2008
    5
    I enjoyed this game very much, despite all the bugs, shallow gameplay and lack of content. The gameplay feels just right, but there is very little depth in it and most of the time its just button mashing. The spell system is alright, however it's overshadowed by you melee weapon. Once your spells reach its maximum level of potency, they become VERY powerful, however, it takes to long I enjoyed this game very much, despite all the bugs, shallow gameplay and lack of content. The gameplay feels just right, but there is very little depth in it and most of the time its just button mashing. The spell system is alright, however it's overshadowed by you melee weapon. Once your spells reach its maximum level of potency, they become VERY powerful, however, it takes to long to charge, therefore you are better of using your melee weapon. Another problem with spells is that there are no supportive spells (like Heal, Protective shield thing, ect.) like there were in Fable 1, therefore, investing all your points in just Will Power is just a waste of time unless you plan on getting swords stuck up your ass while you're waiting for your spells to charge. Guns are also nice, but again they are overshadowed by your melee weapon once enemies get in close range. Another problem with guns is that most of the time you don't know where enemies are, thus making sniping via the zoom function useless. I find the lack of minimap very frustrating. I truly hate the little glowing thing which you follow, It shouldn't of replace the minimap. Let me explain why: when your following the glowing trail, you follow the glowing trail, and most of the time you don't pay attention to anything else but the glowing trail because you generally don't have an idea of where you are going due to the fact that unfamiliar with the surrounding area. With the minimap, it tells you in the "general" direction where to go, so you can start going in that direction and not stare at the ground constantly. There are very few things to buy, and there are few armor sets which are all very poor looking. The UI is atrocious; slow, unresponsive and glitchy. I haven't try the coop yet TBH so I won't talk about it. The storyline is WEAK. Particularly the ending; probably the must disappointing ending in any game i've ever play. I expect an EPIC boss fight, but NO, it just had to END. I pretty much agree with everything that Danny H said, so I won't say anymore. This game feels unpolished, shallow and its very buggy.… Expand
  26. EricB
    Nov 5, 2008
    5
    At most i'd say that this was a solid game; not incredibly good but at the same time not terrible. The main story line was a definite disappointment, took maybe 12 to 14 hours to beat and the ending was a total bummer. Gameplay was fun if your a straight up warrior type, just hack n' slash melee (which is fine with me cuase i'm not much of the caster type). Guns were a fun At most i'd say that this was a solid game; not incredibly good but at the same time not terrible. The main story line was a definite disappointment, took maybe 12 to 14 hours to beat and the ending was a total bummer. Gameplay was fun if your a straight up warrior type, just hack n' slash melee (which is fine with me cuase i'm not much of the caster type). Guns were a fun addition but not really a huge part of the experience because mobs run right up to u as soon as thier hit, and i never did manage to get a decapitation. After the main storyline theres a couple more quests to do and a lot of buying houses which, im not really sure how that is a quest but whatever. All in All, I think the first one was definitely better and I wouldn't really reccommend buying this game if you know someone who already has it. Just barrow it and play it for 2 days and you'll be done… Expand
  27. JonO
    Nov 8, 2008
    5
    I had been waiting ages to play this game and in the end it was just a load of hype. The game looks fantastic with brilliant backgrounds and excellent lighting but that is about it. The story line is poor and combat is boring and too easy. I loved the first Fable but this is an abomonation of a follow up.
  28. maxs
    Oct 23, 2008
    5
    after the first one disappointed me so much, and hearing how good this one was, i decided to pick it up. More of the same! I can't believe after how boring the first was, that they continue the same. Such a disappointment, i can't believe how gimmicky this game tries to be.
  29. DannyH
    Oct 29, 2008
    5
    I really wanted to like this game, but there are a few elements that really work against it: *Glitchy.* I've encountered a LOT of bug, for example: - the "zombie child" where your kid gets stuck and won't respond or move. -jobs that you can't finish but also can't drop (e.g., bounty hunter where there aren't enough monsters to satisfy the quest...). -Shops cease I really wanted to like this game, but there are a few elements that really work against it: *Glitchy.* I've encountered a LOT of bug, for example: - the "zombie child" where your kid gets stuck and won't respond or move. -jobs that you can't finish but also can't drop (e.g., bounty hunter where there aren't enough monsters to satisfy the quest...). -Shops cease to have anything for sale (e.g., no more furniture in the store) Read the official forums and you'll see a plethora of glitches, some of which are game breaking. One of the fundamental game design issues is that you have ONE save - if you encountered a glitch and the game autosaves (which it does frequently), there's no way to go back to a time before the glitch and avoid it. *UI is very poor.* Melee and ranged is very simple and you can completely button mash through the game. The spellcasting UI is poorly conceived - the inability to really map spells means you'll probably use 1 or 2 spells for the entire game. The inventory management is very poor - reminiscent of Mass Effect's cluttered menu system. Have fun scrolling through a long list to get to a potion - then, once you drink it, you have to scroll back down again to get another potion (eating food, drinking a potion, reading a book, etc. all have this effect). *Awful multiplayer.* One of the main reasons I bought this on release was that my brother and I could play together over Live. The multiplayer is so poor that there's no point - this is really unacceptable when so many games have great multiplayer. *Lack of items.* The game has no "armor" - you can select from a handful of outfits (e.g., highwayman, bandit, nobleman) and that's it for clothing. Other than affecting your "attractiveness" there's no benefit to any clothing. The weapons are also lacking in variety. The game repeatedly tells me that I should upgrade my equipment, but I've already got the best sword that's purchasable and have 2 augments equipped.... The game has an unpolished, unfinished quality and in many respects reminds me of Hellgate: London in terms of being released before it was ready.… Expand
  30. RO
    Jan 2, 2009
    5
    Unfortunately the game was _way_ to easy and the I found all these gestures pretty boring, useless, and off-topic. I regret the fact that i spent money on it. The gaming industry reached the point where they focus too much on the millions of casual gamers with attention span of half an hour before they get attracted to something else.
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Awards & Rankings

9
#9 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2008
5
#5 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2008
3
#3 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 95 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 93 out of 95
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 95
  3. Negative: 0 out of 95
  1. Official Xbox Magazine
    95
    Fable II is everything Molyneux promised the first time around. It's funny, deep, emotional, epic, and, yes, wildly charming. We are already eager for a second playthrough, and we're betting a lot of you will have exactly the same reaction. [Dec 2008, p.68]
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  2. Edge Magazine
    90
    It’s a game that builds gradually and then becomes irresistible, a beautiful lump of an RPG that continues beyond the close of its main campaign, and will have you thinking about it when you’re not at your 360. [Dec 2008, p.79]
  3. Gameplayer
    95
    The combat handles well, it’s visually stunning, the voice acting and musical score are brilliant, and the epic storyline doesn’t end before it begins (like the first game did). But the most appealing thing about it is that it delivers everything that Molyneux has promised, plus it is oozing with wit and charm - something sorely lacking from many games nowadays. At the end of the day, Fable II is a triumph and a must buy.
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