Exactly Fable II

There is one thing that Fable 2 got correct, and that is its release date. I doubt Fable 2 would have been completely overlooked, but I could see it getting passed by if it wasn’t released when it was. As it stands, it was released one week before Fallout 3 and two weeks before Gears 2. Personally, I wouldn’t have given it a second glance if it was released alongside either of those two games. But it wasn’t. It was released before them and therefore I played it.

So what did I think? I really don’t know, I fear I have a biased opinion. I really didn’t like the first game and this one honestly wasn’t much better, though in my current circumstance I enjoyed playing it. It is a nice change of pace. To be able jump out of a 1st person view and into a third person view. It is also nice to have a decent adventure (decent being compared to most others on the 360) to play through, opposed to all the shooters that are being pumped out.

The only thing that actually pissed me off was the co-op game play. It was absolutely lazy and pointless. (You couldn’t cross your own character to your friend’s world!? WTF) As it stands Fable 2 was a mediocre game that came out at a good time. Rent this game and wait for Fallout 3 and Gears 2, then spend your hard earned money. If you did buy this game and realized that 8-10 hrs later it was over and the side quest and mini games involving cutting wood were no fun, you might still have time to trade it in for a quick 30 in credit towards Fallout.

ed. note: Smokewagon don't like Molynuex much either


SmokeWagon 5708 feedbacks » • PermalinkPermalink

Causal gaming...next stop Nintendo

Nintendo has set up tent in the casual corner. Its games are eyed to casual gaming and so is its controller. To play the Wii is an event, it is almost like planning a party, and everyone has to get ready to swing their arms around.

Now, whether or not you think this is a good or bad thing is a debate for another day. Like it or not Nintendo has lassoed the “soft” gamers. One thing I don’t understand is why “Soft” gaming is only for the Wiionians and “hard-core” gaming is for the PS3 and X360 dudes. The X360, along with the PS3, both have their fair share of casual games to wet any appetite. Just take a stroll along Xbox Live Arcade to get a classic game like Dig Dug or a new favorite like Castle Crashers. Same with the PS Network, they have oldies and new titles alike. Also multi-platform games like the Lego______ (enter your favorite fictional hero here b/c changes are you might be seeing him…please let it be G.I. Joe at some point).

My point is don’t let a system that has been type-casted as a “new” “hip” casual gaming experience lead you to buy the Wii. Even if you’re a “soft” gamer both the Xbox and PS3 have a lot to offer you (for example the PS has a built in Bluray player so it has double use!). It’s not like if you have a PS or XB you have to play 50+ hrs a week but if you have a Wii you only will play 10 hrs. Why do you have to be one or the other? Buy which system best suits you don’t let any marketing or hype get in the way. If you have a Hi-Def TV and want a Bluray player while having a choice to play a game or two, get a PS3. If you like the thought of running on a pad or having your movement as part of the game play get the Wii. All three systems have some unique things to offer, but coming from a stand point of hard/soft core gaming…all systems can offer both aspects of virtual reality. It comes down to which system has the games that most appeal to you.


SmokeWagon 4377 feedbacks » • PermalinkPermalink

Molyneux: Get Fable II right

In September of 2004 the gaming community, especially the Xbox owners, were shocked to see a master piece put in front of them. A game that set an example of innovative game play. Set in a world that starts out in pieces, waiting to be put back together. A world which you can mold by your decisions and that is affected by the direction you choose. In short, you are god and this world is your playground...

Is it just me, or is this the impression you got when you read the hype surrounding Fable, the original. This kind of hype can build a game up, only to fall short of any expectation. The man behind all this build-up is Peter Molyneux(pictured above). Peter Molyneux seems inclined to paint the Mona Lisa when in fact he only has a box of crayons. We are going to help bring him back to reality.

So what are a few general things that the upcoming Fable 2 must accomplish to produce a fun game? Here are five things Fable II has to get right

1) Make sure the cooperative feature in the game is NOT a novelty. Let us hope Lion Head doesn’t just stuff this feature into the game for the sake of saying it is a 'multiplayer' game. It needs to work, and work well. I don’t want to prefer to play by myself b/c the co-op feature is faulty. This feature should provide a good frame rate, continuity, and most of all: a counter part to the game that can create a DIFFERENT and, in some ways, better experience.

2) Extending onto the first point, the developer needs to make sure that the game is fully playable in single player. By this I mean they should refrain from creating any core content that you can only acquire through multi-play, i.e. achievements, missions, etc. Not trying to go against what I said above, co-op does need to have a distinct experience, but within the same world. Someone who wants to play alone shouldn’t have any exclusions form the CORE experience.

3) Expand upon the foundation that has been started by the first one. I was by no means a fan of the first game. I feel that it became a victim to the media and publisher. If they would extract the better aspects (ex. I really enjoyed the environments in the game) and expand upon them we could be in for a treat. The first Fable had some overly ambitious ideas that got lost in translation. With the new technology, maybe some of these ideas can be presented in Fable 2.

4) The most obvious answer is game play. The first game felt like a mindless hack and slash with little to no consequence of choosing either the “dark” or “light” side. They need to expand on this with better fighting mechanics, and deeper choices. Of course other factors go into this, such as; graphics, frame rate, time of play, environment, voice actions/dialogue etc. Hopefully the extent of innovation doesn’t stop at having a dog for a companion or being able to have a mock family.

5) LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT…PUT TAPE OVER MOLYNEUX’S MOUTH!!! Do not let him over hype this game (any more then he already has). I get it, he is good with words. He could probably talk a super model into dating a Nintendo fan boy. But in the end ALL that matters is the game. How good is it? If Mr. Molyneux gives false pretenses it is going to be hard to enjoy the game for what it is. This is partially what happened to the first game. Let the game speak for itself...hopefully it speaks loudly.


SmokeWagon 5076 feedbacks » • PermalinkPermalink

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