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With the release of the original Fable, Peter Molyneux made a lot of promises. He promised people a revolution in gaming, and he gave them a good but not great RPG that, if released by any other company would have been quite well received, but was criticised simply because it did not deliver what was expected of it. So when Lionhead announced the release of a second Fable installment, the news was met with equal excitement and trepidation. Could the company finally fully deliver what it had promised so long ago?

When the screenshots and previews were released, it seemed as though the sequel would finally live up to the claims that the original failed to live up to. The thought of being able to get dozens of hours of gameplay out of the main storyline, whilst maintaining an world economy and a family life, seemed almost too good to be true. The innovative artwork and simple but intuitive gameplay style also seemed far ahead of the game. The release was anticipated more than most of the 4th quarter releases, despite being up against such titles as Fallout 3 and Gears of War 2.

You start the game as a young child, following your sister around a small town. You can either help the local authorities catch the leader of a notorious gang, or you can help the gang leader himself. The choice you make effects the rest of the game profoundly. Help the sheriff, and when you return to the city it will have flourished, with many shops and upstanding people. However, help the gang leader and the city develops into a notorious den of iniquity.

Although the first choice that you make has profound consequences, further consequences seem to have more of an effect on your personal appearance than they do on the world around you. If you are pure and good, you will have a clear complexion and a small stature, but if you are corrupt, you will become fat and jaundiced. Although this is a rather unique way to display the choice system, it does not necessarily effect things in the huge way that was described in the previews.

The gameplay, however, is some of the most immersive of any game out at the moment. It is a very, very difficult game to put down. If you do not feel yourself drawn to the main quest, you can simply explore the vast and varied world, buying shops and houses, doing side quests for the general population, and even starting a family. I did, however, feel that the family portion of the game was slightly underdeveloped, because once you have found and seduced a citizen of

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