Funnyman: Fable 2 Review

Funnyman's Review of Fable 2

Two Worlds Review (Xbox 360)

Graphics - 8/10

Gameplay - 7/10

Sound - 8/10

Multiplayer - 6/10

Story - 7/10

Overall - 7/10

Just to start out this review on the right track, please remember throughout reading this that this review is for the Xbox 360 version of the game. It is a considerable factor when making decisions about this game, so read on for a detailed explanation.

First, I would like to say great job to South Peak and Reality Pump because this is the first RPG they have attempted. This is a sort of downgrade to Oblivion, and considering that Oblivion is the fourth in a series (Elder Scrolls,) I think that Two Worlds is a decent start. There are a few things I personally haven't seen in an RPG before, such as combining identical weapons and armour to increase their stats. In comparing this game to Oblivion, it is better in the sense that it has: a larger world, dual-wielding weapons, combinable weapons and armour, and considerably less glitches in the main storyline.

The graphics for the game are detailed. Not overly-stunning, but very good nonetheless, especially when you think about how massive the game world is. The towns, villages, characters, and monsters, are all gorgeous. A real problem, though, is that it is extremely obvious that the entire game was designed for a computer monitor. Much of the text is hard or impossible to read, even on a large TV. This can slightly affect the storyline and quests in the game, as sometimes you can't read over your next objective. Even menus are optimized for mouse use, such as your inventory having to be scrolled through each and every time you open it. Just another reason that I say to only refer to this review for the Xbox 360 version of the game.

The game's storyline is nothing new. Your sister is missing, you are a mercenary who couldn't care less about the ongoing war between Orcs and Humans. If you're looking for advice on completing the game, do not attempt to beat it without doing a lot of side quests. The standard difficulty level is quite high enough, and even if you play it on easy you will still need a bit of help in the exp. department to get through the story. With that said, for those of you who are hardcore RPGers, you may find one of the endings overly easy to beat, while the other is a tad bit harder, regardless of difficulty level. The story is delivered well, and if you manage to read the text, you shouldn't have a problem following along. One of the sad things about this game though, is that you can ignore the story completely and still beat it in the same amount of time. Everything is staightforward. No going back and checking over things to look for solutions. This is another aspect different from Oblivion, where you must figure out many of the problems yourself.

Sound in the game is nice. The voice actors may have tried a bit too hard, but the overall effect works. You can play most any song along with this game from your Xbox and it will usually work. I've gone from country to techno to rap and everything in between. Now this of course, depends on your personal music choice and doesn't affect the sound score really, but I thought it was worthy to add in. Anyway, the sound effects are pretty cool, with a nice variety in clips. In game music goes along pretty well depending on which place you are in at the time. Not much else to say, unfortunately.

Two Worlds gameplay is also nothing spectacular. It works, but just know that if you are a fighter, every sword swing is the same. Every pike thrust is the same as the last, and each spear slice is nothing new. I know you are thinking "How many ways can you possibly swing a sword?" Well you can definitely add in different combos, style, or something of the sort. Combat amounts to about the same as washing your hair - Swing, backstep, repeat. There is no dodging, evading, rolling out of the way in a glorious lifesaving manuever. Nope. Not one. Just basic button mashing glory. The customization system is different, at least. Weapons and armours of the same type can be combined to increase their stats, or to combine abilities. Uniqueness is nice, as just about every piece of equipment in the game is different. For example, the copper armour you find in the beginning of the game will be different from the set you find later on. Both are the same, but the stats are slightly different. I guess you would say that there are different qualities of armour, although there's no actual declaration of it.

The big disappointment of this game, though, is the almost non-existent multiplayer. Things now may be slightly better, but at least for the first two months after the game was released, playing online would more likely convince you to go out and buy a book than play online ever again. There were also high amounts of hacking and glitching in the online game, as the PC version and Xbox versions were played on linked servers. This made it really hard to join in as well because anyone who hacked in could generate large amounts of health potions, or anything else for that matter, and would be rendered near invincible.

The overall concept of the game is cool. The graphics are pretty nice, and the gameplay will be loved by some, hated by others. The customization could have been more in-depth, and the lack of real classes is a downside. Sometimes it's hard to determine what skills you should train to be a certain type of fighter. Two Worlds is a solid 7/10 for the Xbox, but again, this rating would definitely be higher on a PC.

Fable 2 Review (Xbox 360)

Graphics - 9/10
Sound - 9/10
Gameplay - 10/10
Story - 10/10
Overall - 9.5/10

Fable 2 was definitely one of the most anticipated games this year. And with good reason. The original Fable was a great game, albeit with a few flaws. Fable 2 corrects many of these imperfections, making for a very good game.

As you can see, I didn't give the game a full 10/10. There are a few things there were taken out of the game, such as the lack of armour. The game IS set 500 years later, but it is still in an age where swords are the dominant weapon. Therefore, armour would still be required. The sound clips from the villagers tend to get repetitive quickly, just as in the original Fable. They also seem to play at awkward times as well. For instance, you can be sweet-talking your wife, trying to seduce her, and leading her up to the bedroom for some night-time activity. Out of the blue, she'll mention that she absolutely LOVES traveling to Brightwood.


But enough of the small things. The graphics in Fable 2 are much better than the original, although your character still has oversized hands, and the still slightly cartoon-ish design may be a damper for some people. But generally the attention to detail is nice, and the quality is certainly noteworthy. The Will animations are very nice, and I think that the character scars are more noticeable. Depending on your alignment, you either get a halo and blue body markings or horns and red markings. Both are equally visible, whereas in Fable 1 I sometimes had trouble seeing how my character actually reflected his alignment.

The gameplay is great, just as in the first. The only thing I don't like is the removal of armour and a lack of variety when it comes to clothing. The storyline is deep, although I can see several repetitions of the original. You must save a woman from a group of thieves, win an arena tournament, your family is killed by the villain, etc. While it isn't an entirely original plot, it's still fun to play. The Xbox 360 controls might be a bit confusing at first, especially if you're used to the PC version. You'll notice that your character runs a bit slower, and turning takes a wee bit longer. But the real estate portion of the game is much better. In the original game, you had to travel to each house/shop to collect rent. If you made the trip before rent was due, you would have to return again some other time. And if you wait too long, it would build up to the max and you couldn't collect anymore. This time around, rent is collected every 5 minutes, whether you're playing or not. There are MANY more shops and buildings available to be bought, all of them, in fact. You can even purchase the temple of light or temple of shadows. Upgrades to your shop or house will yield a noticeable increase in rent prices, which are adjustable.


The sound in the game is great, with many witty remarks from NPC's. The Will and Skill sounds are nice, and theres even a good blood-squirting clip for beheadings. As I mentioned earlier, the only drawback I can find is that some villagers will repeat the same thing several times in only a few moments of play. The women who fall in love with you are also a bit too convincing. Not to mention nagging. Every woman you pass with a heart over her head will profess her unyielding love for you, unless you don't buy her a ring. This is a topic that is overstated in towns where you are famous.

Overall, Fable 2 is great. While not quite perfect, it's definitely a must-have. I recommend this game to anyone that enjoys a good RPG/Adventure game. I've even persuaded a few people who have NEVER played an RPG to buy this game and they absolutely loved it. Pick this one up next time you pass a Gamestop, if you haven't already.

Gears of War 2 Review (Xbox 360)

Graphics - 10/10
Sound - 9/10
Gameplay - 9/10
Multiplayer - 9/10
Story - 10/10
Overall - 9.5/10

Ok so I figured my first review should be on a really great game - Gears of War 2.

When I first played the original Gears game, I was amazed. It was a game that was breathtaking with its graphics and gameplay. The storyline was like watching an action movie, and the best part was that I controlled it all. I replayed the campaign several times and even with Gears 2 out I occasionally replay a chapter or two.

Gears of War 2 is no different from the first. Now I don't mean that it's the same game rehashed, but I was once again amazed at the gameplay. The storyline, while only being about 9-10 hours, still feels like I'm in the middle of a theater watching the newest action movie. It's that intense.There are great plot twists and many events that I never expected, such as one of your fellow soldiers being tortured to the point that he takes his own life.

The games control scheme is great, reloading is easy and switching weapons on the fly is a snap. It's not like other games where I'm not sure which weapon I'll switch to next. I can go from my pistol to sniper rifle to pistol again. Or I can go from pistol to grenades, then shotgun. I think this is much better than some other games "cycling weapons."

The graphics, as always, are intense and gorgeous. Despite advances in technology, sometimes you'll still play a game where there are great graphics for cutscenes, and when play begins you are left with tearing, choppy graphics. Gears isn't like that. The graphics are wonderful all around, and there are times when I didn't even realize the game had switched over to a cutscene. Now I realize that the game is on the Xbox360, and you are supposed to be able to add your own music. I also know that with the way the story goes in-game music may be a little out of place. But how about an option to have some really fired-up rock playing in the background? Try playing this game while listening to "Down With the Sickness," you'll see what I mean.

Last but not least, the multiplayer is much better this time around. Each team can now support 5 players, and that makes for longer games and more teamwork. The only downside is that some people "flame" too much. Literally. The flamethrower is more aggrevating than anything else. Some days I've quit just because of an annoying player that just couldn't bear to use actual bullets. Besides that, multiplayer is a great experience.

Overall, Gears of War 2 is a great game, and although the story has left me with more questions than answers, this just assures me that Gears 3 will be even better. If you love shooters of any sort, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Gears 2.

Starting Up

Well, this is my official first post. In case you haven't read already, this is my blog dedicated to helping gamers. If you ever have trouble with a game, submit a query here. If you aren't a gamer but need help with a game (e.g - my son's birthday party is almost here and i dont know what games he should be playing ) you can send those queries in as well. I'll be adding reviews of games periodically, but if theres a specific game you'd like to here about, let me know.