10 Things Fable 2 Does Better Than the Original

By Chris Barylick
April 03, 2008 17:10 PM PST
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A release date has yet to be announced. The project is budgeted for tens of millions of dollars. And the development team was expanded from 70 to over 100 people as of early March. So what does this mean for the ambitious Fable 2? Read on to find out.

For legendary designer Peter Molyneaux, this is what's required to make Fable 2 ten times better than Fable 1, which was one of the most groundbreaking role-playing games ever created. Developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios, Fable 2 returns the player to the land of Albion, now 500 years in the future and works to create an epic adventure wherein heroism is combined with real life and every action holds consequences.

That being said, here are ten things Fable 2 does better than the first game:

1. Expanded World and Everything in It: Some things remain familiar. Others have changed. Like the original, Fable 2 centers on the idea of the player's character stepping out into the world and evolving with each decision made-whether good or bad. The game, which is now set in a colonial timeline (as opposed to the medieval one of its predecessor), includes new features such as completely customizable appearances (including gender), a wider array of weaponry (medieval fare meets primitive but functional guns), expanded spells and an world approximately ten times larger than that of the original.

2. Flexible Moral Criteria: Fable's claim to fame broke new ground by introducing the concepts of good and evil for a character. Perform a good deed and the player's appearance became more angelic while their interactions with non-playable characters (NPCs) became friendlier. Commit an act of evil and your appearance became gradually demonic while newly available interactions became cruel and self-serving. Fable 2 expands upon this idea by adding a behavior model featuring "Corruption" and "Nobility" subcategories. The end result adds moral gray areas where questionable actions can be considered positive and a player can still be considered good despite performing illicit deeds.

3. Something for Everyone: The new focus of the game seems to be simplicity, especially where the interface is concerned. The developers have taken on a "one-button" approach to major aspects of the core gameplay. Ranged combat now centers around the Xbox 360 controller's Y button while magic now centers on the B button. Frequently used attacks and spells appear quickly, much like internet bookmarks, as the developers aim to design a game that appeals to both experienced players as well as those new to the series. Early reports cite that a certain rhythm will be necessary for the attacks to succeed and special moves to become available.

4. Reality Now Included: While the original Fable focused on heroism, Fable 2 works to incorporate a wider human perspective that includes careers and family a la The Sims. Characters can interact with NPCs, choose a profession (current career path rumors include barkeep, blacksmith, farmer, burglar, assassin, hunter, woodsman and prostitute), create and maintain families and marriages. Serve your family well and you'll be greeted with love and hospitality. Perform an act of cruelty, such as killing a spouse in front of a child or eating a pie in front of your starving dependent and the NPCs will judge you harshly later on.

5. Equity, it's a Good Thing: Real estate, commerce and wealth have become critical elements of the game. Players can now purchase, upgrade and rent out almost any structure within Fable 2's sprawling world. Fond of a castle you've just conquered or a house you just ran by? Save your pennies and it's all yours. Cities and towns also feature economically divided sections where the upper class live in one neighborhood, the middle class in another, and the poor in more dangerous regions. These elements affect what the player might run across, a town's rich section being safer while poorer areas are littered with highwaymen and bandits.

Money makes the world go round and Fable 2 centers around it. While the original Fable centered on the idea of completing quests to turn a profit, completing jobs and gambling can earn you money in Fable 2. To this end, Lionhead has added a downloadable side game called Keystone, a combination of craps and roulette that will be released for Xbox Live Arcade a few weeks before Fable 2's release. Clean up at Keystone online and the Xbox Live system will then transplant the winnings over to your account in Fable 2 and allow players to begin the game with a hefty bank balance lining their pockets. Other games of chance in Fable 2 will include Wizard's Tower and Mage's Dice, the details of these games having yet to be released.