Fable II
It's not often a game comes along that can move its player emotionally with deep poignancy and yet still be flat out hilarious and superbly thrilling. Fable II is one such game. It is a masterpiece, full of monster killing, quest completion, undercover espionage, and ultimately tells a simple little tale of corruption, betrayal, revenge and also friendship, companionship and love. The protagonist's (male or female, depending on player preference) struggle to destroy the corrupted monarch that took his/her sister from them is ultimately moving, with subtle yet terrifying revelations at the end - including the ultimate decision of the morality of the protagonist.
This aspect of alignment is carried over from the first Fable game, which admittedly I never played, but certainly will now. This gameplay dynamic is well documented, and there is little to add to what has already been said, apart from the fact that choosing to play as good or bad works wonderfully in terms of gameplay, NPC Interaction, and the gameplay experience in general. I played through as evil, and assumed I would enjoy being carefree in the well detailed land of Albion. But as I mentioned in my blog post, 'Finally Finished Fable', I literally felt guilty playing through this way. The player's canine companion is also a brilliant inclusion, and as also mentioned in the blog post, is the source of Fable's most heartbreaking yet endearing moment.
The visuals of Fable II are exceptional. Peter Molyneux and his team at Lionhead have created a lush, fully realised New Albion for the player to explore, with heaps of NPCs and enemies to interact with and fights. The environments, whether you be in a spooky cavern or the towering Spire, or in midst of green fields, are all detailed and beautiful. There is a little bit of slowdown here and there, with the frame rate sometimes taking a beating, and the load screens seem to drag on and on FOREVER. This is a game that really needs to be installed to the 360 Hard Drive, if only to help it run a little but better. But to make a huge deal of something so small, especially when the story offers such an amazing experience, seems somewhat petty. These problems are easy to overlook.
Surprisingly, Fable II has risen and triumphed over its premier rival, The Elder Scrolls IV; Oblivion, and taken the title of the Xbox 360's Best Adventure Game, let alone Best RPG. This tremendous title deserves to be experienced by every self-repsecting 360 owner. I am reluctant to make a call for my favourite game of 2008, but if pressed, Fable II would be an extremely strong contender.
Do yourself a huge favour, go out and buy this game. Its fun, easy, detailed, witty (sometimes darkly so) and draws an emotional investment from the player. It's simply top quality.
