Fable II Preview

A canine tale

There's never an interior decorator around when you need one.

What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings.

Poring over the RPG scene within the past few years brings us to the agonizing conclusion that most developers and publishers repeatedly dampen our spirits with jaded game concepts. Behind all the fancy marketing slogans and the subsequent hype, a majority of game creators tends to omit the "revolutionary" and "innovative" elements they ambitiously pledge to deliver. While these occurrences have become more frequent as of late, a handful of game studios is still determined to experiment with new ideas. Peter Molyneux and the folk at Lionhead Studios, are certainly widely known for their attempts to bring some fresh concepts to the table. In all sincerity, Lionhead's projects never actually reached the standards promised by the core team. Even so, with each released game, they manage to toss in a welcomed novelty or two, spicing up the experience for players. What's more, titles coming from Lionhead are often acknowledged for exceptional artwork, animation and overall design - which I guess we could admit is something of a rarity these days. After playing games like Fable (Xbox) and Fable: The Lost Chapters, we've come to recognize that the development team, though prone to slip-ups, is most certainly capable of improvements.

In light of Molyneux's apparent resolve to embody Fable into a semi life-sim, the sequel is meant to advance in that very direction. Apart from being able to come home and be welcomed by one's family, the player may look forward to having a rather loyal companion by his side at all times. Of course, Peter M. articulated this particular facet a number of times, so I'm sure most of you know it by now. As part of the new experience, your new canine companion will faithfully stick close no matter what. The dog becomes a trustworthy sidekick very early on in the game; during your childhood, in fact. Similarly to your avatar, the dog represents the very reflection of your actions. Its appearance alters according to the important moral choices made throughout the course of your adventures. Being evil and ruthless will, most likely, leave you with a serious-looking pet Doberman, whereas following the path of righteousness might result in having a cuddly and fluffy mutt (the kind that suits your benevolent character).

The point of having a pet dog, as Molyneux explained, is to become attached to it without ever being annoyed by its presence. To cut a long story short, the dog is there to aid you, not get in the way. In most cases, this new four-legged friend acts as a helpful guide, capable of sensing danger or sniffing out something of importance in the nearby area. At any rate, its presence was, obviously, deemed crucial to Lionhead, seeing as they've completely removed the game's mini-map.

Like any living thing, the dog will at certain points attend to its own needs, so you might see it taking a leak next to a tree close by. We've even heard that more wicked dogs are inclined to... err... "water" the bodies of deceased enemies (hm, subtle, yet somehow incredibly perverse). In case you were wondering, the personality of this new-fangled assistant goes beyond a lamppost-sniffing pooch with a weak bladder. It is always ready to alert you at the first sign of danger - usually by letting out a bark (surprise, surprise). Oncoming evildoers and creatures crossing your path now have more than one opponent to deal with. The moment enemies show up, your dog engages in combat by attacking the foe who poses the greatest threat. (OK, so, Lionhead has invented ... brace yourselves for this... THE HUNTER'S PET! That's pretty new. - Ed)

Nothing elaborate, of course. 35 bedrooms, 50 restrooms and 20 pool tables.

Match-making Fable-style.

All dog-related topics aside, Molyneux stressed additional changes to tickle our imagination a bit more. For one thing, the size of the in-game environment was said to be 100 times bigger this time around, which is definitely a welcomed step up over the rather constrained areas of the original. Certain concepts are also likely to see changes, such as the system of wealth and poverty (money is scarcer in Fable 2). The design team is also taking the chance to rethink character alignment after discovering that 70% of the gamers who played Fable chose the path of good. Also, the game is set in Albion, 500 years after the original and features the reappearance of Bowerstone, which has developed into a big and thriving city, as opposed to being mere village in the original. A few interesting twists were hinted as well. While male avatars may start a family, female characters will receive a chance to be intimate with a male companion, which may result in a wanted or unwanted pregnancy. As a result, you might have to "take some time off" in order to give birth, after which you can resume the adventure (the offspring will, unfortunately, have to stay behind). Further details about this feature remain secret for the present. Purchasing real estate is a possibility and each acquisition will unlock more quests and side-quests.

Despite a doggedly scant assortment of media and information on Fable 2, it's hard to be pessimistic about it, given how much we enjoyed Fable: The Lost Chapters. Though we all recognize Peter for blowing things out of proportion when it comes to announcing groundbreaking features, Fable is a franchise that certainly deserves to be expanded and improved upon and from where we stand there's already enough to be excited about. Those who prefer rushing through the game, could probably, according to Molyneux, finish it in roughly 12 hours. The release date is yet to be revealed and we are itching for a more hefty dosage of in-game media. Until that time, we hope you've at least enjoyed this little canine fairytale.