Fable II Pub Games Review

They still haven't announced the European retailers have they?

Oh man, I had hoped that with Jeff Gerstmann, GiantBomb would have some intelligent critics. It's a shame I was wrong.

Boo for cheap marketing gimmicks. Maybe if they didn't spend time on junk like this, the game would be out sooner and actually live up to the hype.

it is a big deal that its not free if not pre-ordered, because what about the people that are on the fence for FABLE 2, they lose out and will end up paying for this crappy thing. I think it deserves a review just to show how much a gimmick this is...... and lets hope that FABLE 2 doesnt just carry a strong name and a weak game.

yeh well its not a demo,  I dont agree that sort of connection can be made.  Its more a wierd marketing gimmick for those already interested in the game, not those on the fence about it. 

It doesnt matter anyway, I just felt it was a pointless review that had some very off set assumptions about the actual game.  Fairly annoying to see writing like this on a little pub games pack.  There is a path to get it for free, if you dont care about Fable and wont preorder it than you probably wont bother with the pub games, its not something meant to convince anyone to buy fable.

So let's hope they learn the lesson that this type of "game" is something to avoid in the future. Unfortunately, I'm sure they'll still make a fair bit of cash off of it, and that won't make learning their lesson any easier.

Ryan, you blasted the shit out of em! I love it!

Waiting for Fable 2...on the PC.

Agree with the 1 star rating.  Was saying to my friend that it's the worst gambling game I've ever played, which is a pretty bad genre anyways.  I of course got it for free with the preorder.

One thing I wanted to add is I wonder if the cheat code will factor into Fable 2 by making you look horrible / AI hate you for cheating.  Thought that might be a reason they kept it in.

Terrible review Ryan.  

First off,  Fortune's Towers has nothing to do with either Blackjack or Solitaire outside of the use of cards.   I would challenge you to make a compelling argument comparing those games to each other without having to resort to "They are on cards,"  "numbers are involved," and  "you can lose."  This is the one casino game on here that is both original,  and still challenges you to quit while you are ahead despite your more Trumpian inclinations. 

With Keystone you are dead on though.   It is a rip off of craps,  but I would argue that it is as much fun as craps and the fact that they were able to create such an interesting deviation on the idea that still maintains a similar level of chance and strategy is very impressive.   Yes it is still a game of chance,  but just like craps there is a level of strategy and just plain mathematical probability involved that actually gives you decent odds on the game if you bother to delve into the finer points of it.   Plus you still get that risk factor where you put a bunch of gold on that spot that only hits once in a blue moon,  but that is what casino games are all about. 

As for Spinner,  again you are dead on there.   It is a slot machine in a different form and outside of the fact that they give you a few different gameplay modes it is still just pulling the lever or pushing the button for the more lazy gambler. 

Now when you are talking about using this particular game as some sort of barometer of Fable 2.  Let us reflect on the minigames in the original Fable.  The only thing I can recall about them is that I know that there were casino games in Fable,  and beyond that I have no recollection of what they entailed.  And despite the fact that Fable did not live up to Peter's insane levels of hype,  I still had a blast with the game and I still do not remember those table games which makes them immediately inferior to the Fable 2 pub games which I actually bothered to type about.   So basically shit minigames have little to do with the overall quality of a game.   The GTA series,  Ultima series,  and Final Fantasy series would like to have a word with you.   Well,  the good games in those particular series at least.  

As you mentioned there are some unforgivable shortcomings with the package.   The Spinner tournament mode is one of the most ill conceived conceptions (what?)  ever created.   "Press A 100 times to see if you randomly win over the course of ten minutes,  or press A  300 times to see if you randomly win over the course of 5 minutes."   That was just bad.  

Despite all of my defending of the game,  it is not something amazing or great.   I just do not think it is bad.   Bliss Island is bad.   The retro Atari remakes on XBLA are bad.   That free car game that was so bad that I not only stopped playing the game but I removed the part of my brain that contained that particular year out of my life  is bad.  This to me is a free promotional game for those that pre-order Fable 2,   maybe worth 5 dollars on its own,  not worth ten.   I am not sure how to put that on a star scale but it is above 1.   Free,  you unlock 15 unique items in Fable 2,  2 of the three games are actually very fun,  the third is a fun as pulling a slot machine lever where you do not insert money nor do you lose it,  and 200 easy achievement points.  I had a good five or six hours with it.

Finally with the Tower exploit.   That is just pathetic if it was not intentional.   Worthy of a lot of disdain.   I am clinging to the hope though, that  Peter found a very devious way to make those horns on your Fable 2 character spring up instantly the moment you start up Fable 2 for the first time.   I would hope you would add a star to your review if that is the case.  

I tried the demo..got as far as flipping one card - said, "not for me" - end of story.

I don't think it really deserves this level of hate.  Yes, the bug is a pretty terrible screw-up but I don't plan on using it to ruin my Fable II experience.


I think they are competent little casino games, nice graphics and my girlfriend and I are HAVING A BLAST playing them.  We really get into Fortune's Tower, sitting on the couch and watching each other play.  Keystone is not my thing, I'm not a Craps player but it seems to play well.  Spinners are fun to watch even if they are just slot machines.

I think this is a nice little add-on to those who are waiting for Fable to turn up.  If you actually PAY for it, you have no-one to blame but yourself.  You can get it basically for free with little effort.


And I agree with the previous poster that it's a bit of a cheap shot to lay into Fable 2 proper just because the minigames aren't your cup of tea.


But it's ok, I still love you Ryan.

I love it!

1/5 is hardly fair.

I guess we all have different tastes.

great review ryan ..... wish i would have read the review before i downloaded the game :/

I was a pretty huge Fable fan.  I got these for free since I preordered, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered.  The idea of releasing an arcade game to tie in with a future disc release is a good one.  However, the 800 point price of admission really kills it.  These games should have been free to begin with.  If I had actually spent points on these I would have been terribly irate.

Cool idea, horrible execution and implementation.  Plus, due to debt my character will be born into the world of Albion with broken kneecaps.

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I'd have to agree with this review as far as a paid game goes, but as a free pre-order bonus, I think it deserves a three out of five.  I mean some of the items you unlock are pretty cool.

Also, the spinnerbox achievement is straight up ASS!  I f**king hate that f**king game and that f**king achievement.  I hope I get it soon  or I swear I'll swim over to jolly olde England and lay some smack down on Peter and his Fable 2 minions!  LOL!

Why the hell would anyone pay for something that's going to be in Fable 2 anyway.

Let me say this first, I am really excited about Fable II.  I preordered the game, therefore receiving pub games for free.  I completely disagree with this review.  This is the type of thing I'd like to see new games try.  Yes, this is a marketing tool.  It's also a neat idea to tie an  XBLA game to a retail game.  Wouldn't you rather have this than billboards in Albion?

Secondly, Spinnerbox is definitely slots, no doubt about it.  If you wouldn't play slots in a casino, than you probably wouldn't/shouldn't play Spinnerbox.  Keystone  is definitely like craps, but it's not impossible to win at.    Fortune's Tower is really fun and addictive.  It may well be a combination of Solitaire and Blackjack, but please tell me Ryan Davis, which casino game this is already like? 

The glitch is unfortunate, but the idea to earn gold for your character is great!  If the glitch were not there (and I hear they're patching it), then this would be very balanced.  Of course there is a huge house advantage, it's gambling.  But this also keeps people from having all the gold in the world when they start the game.  This isn't the best game in the world, but the games are pretty fun for what amounts to a free game tie-in.

this game indeed looks like a pile of shat

Wow - why is everyone playing this!?

I agree with the 1 star just because they're charging so much. This could've been easily worked into the full game, but no they had to charge an extra 10 bucks.

That set aside, if this were to be just a regular old card game, I think it would've scored higher because the game isn't too bad.

Wow... Everyone is being pretty harsh on pub games... I REALLY ENJOY PUB GAMES... After playing and beating pub games... I continue to go back because the games are FUN. UNO is a game of chance... I didn't hear anyone complaining about that.... Pub Games are fun... I now have a new trick for my dog, a sword, and a pistol... And the best part... YOU CAN GET PUB GAMES FOR FREE! All you have to do is pre-order Fable 2. Pub Games is the best FREE title I've ever played. I love Giant Bomb and typically agree with the reviews... But isn't this one alittle harsh?

2 seems better.But I can understand because of the price.

I have to say, I also really enjoy it, but there's no way I could justify buying it without a Fable 2 preorder.

I agree completely.  What's sad is that the tournament for Spinnerbox is completely pressing the A button 100 times and hoping you get in at least fourth place.

Keystone doesn't even deserve to be considered a game.  It's mostly betting everywhere you can and hoping they'll light up when the dice roll.

Fortune's Tower is actually quite fun, in my opinion.  But that's probably because I've got nothing to lose due to the glitch.

As much of a disappointment this download was, at least it was free with pre-order; and at least I've gotten some nifty items and will have a safety surplus of gold.

for a one star game, my gf and I are still playing the crap out of it.

 I'm eager for Fable II, and I truly feel sorry for the many ppl with good intentions who've fallen for this.  It seemed like a crap money-grab from the start to me. 

I really liked it lol.....

Fable 2 pub games wasn't supposed to be a fun game, the other pub games in fable 1 weren't very fun either, it's just something creative they put out to give people a jump on the game.  I wouldn't expect them to make a great game out of it.  As for the glitch in the game, yes, its bad, but what're you gonna do?  Remember, you didn't HAVE to play fable 2 pug games to play fable 2.  It should show no reflection on the actual game.

I got this on day one and I agree with Ryan. The Fortune's Tower glitch is the only fun part of the game. 130,000 gold is modest, I got 1million. Maybe I'll give it all away in the game.

This game is a retard.

Really? 1 of 5? Come on now, it may not have any value outside of Fable 2 but it's still a well made game

The only thing really objectionable with this review is Ryan's picture at the top.  Puking? Really?

Funny as hell icon.

haha ryan's avatar for the one star rating is great

The damn Glitch looks like the only reason to buy the things. Too bad GAME only gives you the download code on release day... that's just dumb.

HAHAHAH RYAN'S GRAPHIC... HILARIOUS

Ahhhh! Ryan threw up on my page!!1

Online multiplayer would have made it alot better, and there really isn't a reason why they couldn't have done it. Do tournaments, each player pays the pay in price and yeah, continue like you do as you were playing with NPCs.

As gambling games go, it is quite good. The glitch was such a shame thou.

Awesome reviewer expression art.

DUDE! Nice Ryan icon!

i think the picture of ryan pretty much sums up the game for me

oh sweet. Ryan swallowed a neon green handkerchief! LOL!

That is a sweet cartoon ryan.

Don't believe all the hate. This game is a promotion for Fable 2 and no one in their right mind is going to spend $10 when they can get it for free with a Fable 2 preorder. Yeah it's just three gambling minigames but I think they're fun and well designed (save for the Spinnerbox tournaments). Overall the music and the graphics and the sound effects give the game a lot of personality and charm and the ability to earn items for Fable 2 is just icing on the cake.

@Snipes424: I don't know... that picture next to the review score seems pretty bottom-of-the-barrel to me. 

I thought this game was popular and considered good?

This game interests me.

I recall this game leaving me extremely frustrated and confused.