A steeply priced slice
A lot of smaller sections in large games get overlooked. Take western RPGs for example. There may be some sort of gambling mini-game, in which you can win big or lose big. The problem is, because these games are so vast and feature so many other ways (and quite possibly, better ways) to earn currency, these smaller diversions often go unnoticed. But what if the smaller game was the entire game?
That’s what Fable II Pub Games is. A vertical slice of Fable II, a sampling of one element. The gambling element. Pub Games is a good idea for number of reasons. It helps keep the main game in the media spot and helps tide fans over till release. Obviously, it makes Lionhead a nice cash bonus but most interestingly however, it forces players who want in on Fable action early to focus their attention on these smaller, otherwise overlooked mini-games. It’s a very clever form of marketing and it’s a very clever way of ensuring most players experience your game in the fullest way possible.
So the actual games themselves. One is excellent, two are merely good. Fortune’s Tower is the stand out game of the bunch, a card game of chance and luck, in which you can either take the current dealers offer or press on in an attempt to win more cash. Keystone, an interesting spin on roulette (lol) where the game ends when certain parts of the board fall apart due to certain dice rolls. And finally, Spinnerbox. A take on slot machines and a frustrating one at that. Luck plays a large part in every game, as it is gambling after all, but there’s some skill and strategy to found in Fortune’s Tower and Keystone. The same cannot be said for Spinnerbox. It is 100% luck based which means it’s incredibly irritating and becomes tedious very very quickly.
If you make a profit during your gambling escapades, you’ll have the opportunity to bring that gold into Fable II on release. You’re also able to win items that can only be found in Pub Games by placing high in tournaments.
It’s difficult to say with certainly whether Pub Games is worth the 800 points it’s being sold for. It’s certainly enjoyable and the opportunity to begin your adventure in Fable II with some extra cash is an appealing one. It simply boils down to whether you’ll like Fable II or not. 800 points might be a bit steep but if you're planning a picking up Fable II soon, it's probably worth it. If you've already started your quest, your money is probably better spent elsewhere unless you're a fanatical completionist.
