by Sean O'Leary

Created on: October 27, 2008   Last Updated: November 09, 2011

A gun is raised, the shot is fired. Your sibiling falls dead at your feet. The gun is then pointed at you. Again the gun barks, and the impact of the shot sends you hurtling out the stained-glass window behind you. You plummet hundreds of feet from the castle tower, to the town below, bouncing loosely off a rooftop before you hit the ground like a rag doll thrown by a petulant child. As you lay there, broken, a stray dog whom you rescued earlier comes over and licks at your hand whining for you to rise but you cannot.

That's when the mysterious Gypsy woman appears, partially silhouetted against the night sky. "Death is not for you this day, Little Sparrow."

Thus, begins your adventure in the highly anticipated game, Fable 2 for Xbox 360. As with the first game and set 500 years after the events of the first game, you begin as a child, play through a short series of quests that act as a tutorial and introduction to the game world. Then, when you come of age, your adventure truly begins. Guided by the Gypsy woman, Theresa, you must find 3 other heroes like yourself, in a bid to save the world from a mad tyrant named Lucian. The newest, and possibly most important feature of the game, is the addition of your canine companion. A dog whom you can name whenever and whatever you want, will follow you around the game world, helping you find treasure, fight enemies, and solve puzzles. He will respond to your actions and orders, but in many ways acts like any dog found in the real world. He cowers if frightened, seems to want to sniff everything under the sun, and enjoys a good game of fetch.

The graphics in Fable 2 are top notch, and the lighting effects are possibly the best I've ever seen in a game. The city feels very much like the bustling metropolis it's meant to be, and the towns are all much bigger in comparison to the first game. There seems to be a ton of detail thrown into every surface, and the ability to color your outfits as you see fit really add an element of customization to the game. Unfortunately seeing all there is to see can be frustrating at times, as there seems to be moments when the cameraman takes a coffee break. This is particularly troublesome when fighting large numbers of enemies in an enclosed space, like a forest or a hallway. Also I got a little tired of looking at my character's back every time he went to dig something up.

The sound, like the graphics, are also exquisitely executed. Gunshots are loud and clear up close, and sound like

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>