Fable II - your tales from Albion!

[unimatrix7]

By now a few of us have begun our journey into this magical realm to defeat some bad guy and save something - whales, was it? Perhaps it was Albion?

No matter. What's important is that we, as stalwart adventurers, are having a smashing old time killing people, saving them, or just having unprotected sex.

I haven't done any co-op yet, but I'm quite fond of the orbs feature. It feels rather like I imagine an MMO would look like, particularly when you have the orbs set to 'everyone.' Places like the Bowerstone market and Oakfield can feel especially busy, and its interesting hearing what people have to say and comparing their stats with yours.

Not everybody seems to understand it though. I heard one American player say 'umm, why are all you people in my game?' Personally, I enjoy venturing into that first cave near that takes you to the Hero Guild and giving better weapons to the noobs whose only combat so far has been with them beetles.

And oh, the combat. It's divine. I find myself favouring melee, but I'm also getting into a lot more shooting and magicking. It's pretty impressive how easy it is to fire off a few fireballs, shoot a few bullets at someone, then slash 'em to bits with your sword. On the whole, I think the combat is a lot of fun and the sound made when a sword or bullet impacts an enemy is satisfyingly meaty.

I also find the minigames to be an amusing distraction. Even the bartending/blacksmithing/wood-chopping things. They're an easy way into some hard cash, and they're actually quite...hypnotic.

So what say ye, fellow adventurers? How fares your Albion?

 

[Arrqh]

I played for a few hours last night, so a few initial impressions...

First off, I can't stand the map system. The lack of a minimap is more annoying them emmersive, and the "golden trail" is very intrusive IMO... its presence seems to demand that I follow it instead of exploring. I'd turn it off, but the lack of an accessable minimap means I'd just get lost. But having the dog find treasure and dig spots for you is neat. And speaking of the dog, everything to do with the dog is great even if it glitches out occasionally. I sort of wish the dog could lead me around to points instead of the trail... wasn't that what the original idea was?

Combat is pretty fun so far, though I've heard that it gets annoying to setup the spells as you get to higher levels. Not sure what's up with that exactly. Actually I saw something really cool in combat yesterday... I was fighting some of those hobbe things next to a chasam. I dispatched all but one and was about to finish off the remaining one... and before I could get to him he took a dive into the chasam. That was pretty keen.

I haven't done anything with the co-op or the orbs yet. What can I say, I'm antisocial

 

[Commander Vaughn]

I'm looking for a bit of co-op play if anyone wants to try it. The gamertag is KittenPuncher9.

As for my impressions, I to find the lack of minimap annoying. It's far to easy to feel disoriented, and it's harder to get a feel as to where the entrances and exits to map areas are. The combat is good fun, but the quests are kind of boring.

 

[TheMurph]

I like it, but count me in the camp that finds the lack of mini-map quite annoying. I can't tell you how many minutes I've wasted looking for something as simple as a barber or tailor. The trail doesn't bother me that much.

One thing that I'm wondering about, I heard before the game was released that there was a major game changing moment fairly early in the game. I'm almost at the Spire and I still haven't seen anything. Oh well.

 

[unimatrix7]

^ I think that might have been referring to the arrest warrants.

Anyway, I also find the lack of minimap troubling. I don't know how many times I've been looking for a goddamn Inn to sleep in (I'm too pov thanks to spending all my $ on high level weapons) and have just ended up doing laps. Especially in Oakfield, where everything is so decentralised...it's pretty, but it drives me bonkers.

I really like the trail. I thought it would discourage me from exploring, but it really hasn't. I think it's handy to know exactly where to go next without running around like a headless chook.

 

[Arrqh]

Yeah, I tried turning the trail off tonight and I lasted maybe 10 minutes. I kept having to go to the menu and look at the map there which is a really clunky way to play. I appreciate that they tried to do something new, but I don't think it works all that well.

On character interaction; I haven't explored this that much, but it doesn't seem to have that much depth to me. It's just a matter of selecting the NPC, pressing Y and then spamming the things that they like. It's got a lot of width because all the NPCs are different, but those differences don't really seem to amount to anything. Without any sort of real scripting or writing, it all just feels generic and hollow.

But hey... exploring with my dog at my side and finishing bandits off with point blank pistol shots is fun. That's really all I need

 

[unimatrix7]

I just spent 20 minutes pouring beer, then I bought the Cow & Corset. Aside from the fruit stall, fish stall, and pie stall ( ) I bought, this was my first big investment.

I'm also about to set sail to the Spire after finishing a few more quests and getting some better weapons.

 

[firehawk12]

I'm looking for a bit of co-op play if anyone wants to try it. The gamertag is KittenPuncher9.

As for my impressions, I to find the lack of minimap annoying. It's far to easy to feel disoriented, and it's harder to get a feel as to where the entrances and exits to map areas are. The combat is good fun, but the quests are kind of boring.

Haha, I think I pawned a necklace on you a day or so ago to get that achievement.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

I've spent a few hours with it, and absolutely love it. It's gorgeous to look at, quite immersive, and the best RPG since Oblivion, IMO.

 

[Arthur Frelling Dent]

I haven't had much time to play yet. I've only just reached adulthood. So far I like it though!

 

[Twilight]

I wasn't planning on it, but this thread has convinced me to pick it up tonight ...

Gamertag is Twilight SF

 

[PKerr]

Fable 2 Sells Over 350,000 Units in North America at Launch

http://news.vgchartz.com/news.php?id=2383

Not really my kind of game though.

 

[Mr Light]

So the combat, is this "live" like Halo/Mass Effect? Not like Final Fantasy or turn-based or anything?

Can you save anytime or at save points? Is there a difficulty setting?

 

[TheBrew]

I would say more like Zelda if Fable I is any indication. Hack and Slash.

 

[Commander Vaughn]

I'm looking for a bit of co-op play if anyone wants to try it. The gamertag is KittenPuncher9.

As for my impressions, I to find the lack of minimap annoying. It's far to easy to feel disoriented, and it's harder to get a feel as to where the entrances and exits to map areas are. The combat is good fun, but the quests are kind of boring.

Haha, I think I pawned a necklace on you a day or so ago to get that achievement.

Thats okay, I gave you some weak potion to get that achievement, so we're even.

 

[unimatrix7]

So the combat, is this "live" like Halo/Mass Effect? Not like Final Fantasy or turn-based or anything?

Can you save anytime or at save points? Is there a difficulty setting?

The combat is real-time, like Mass Effect. No turn-based battles here.

Yes, you can save anywhere and at any time (except during cutscenes).

No, there's no difficulty setting, but I don't think you'll need it. I wouldn't say the game is 'easy' per se, it's just not very punishing. If you die, you're resurrected on the spot with full health. The only problem is that your character may have some fresh scars that will be with you for the rest of the game.

 

[firehawk12]

And if you have the pub games, you can be rich fairly quickly.

 

[unimatrix7]

^ Only if you want to cheat and ruin it for yourself

I don't mind having to think of ways in the game to make money. The idea of having endless supplies of the stuff at the very beginning of the game thanks to exploiting a bug in the pub games does not appeal to me at all.

As it stands right now I own a few inns, a few produce stalls, a couple of houses, and I've got a steady income stream finally.

 

[TheMurph]

^ I think that might have been referring to the arrest warrants.

Anyway, I also find the lack of minimap troubling. I don't know how many times I've been looking for a goddamn Inn to sleep in (I'm too pov thanks to spending all my $ on high level weapons) and have just ended up doing laps. Especially in Oakfield, where everything is so decentralised...it's pretty, but it drives me bonkers.

I really like the trail. I thought it would discourage me from exploring, but it really hasn't. I think it's handy to know exactly where to go next without running around like a headless chook.

Actually reading the old things that were said, it is supposed to be a side quest where you go in to the woods and a shadowy figures give you the option of becoming horribly scarred or a girl becoming horribly scarred, or something to that affect. Just got back from the Spire and still nada, not major but I am kind of curious about that particular side quest.

And dare I say, I actually care about my dog. While on the spire I missed my dog greatly, and when I got back it was a joy to see him again. At one point in the Howling Halls I thought I had lost him because I could not find him anywhere, I was actually a bit worried. Not to fear though, the lovable scamp was finishing off a Balverine for me that I had left for dead, but he wasn't quite dead.

So far I'm still loving it. Got married, got frustrated with her, had a friend come in and murder my wife.

I think now I'm going to focus on purchasing some more stuff, maybe try a job. I still have to find the third hero though, so I don't know if I shall do that first or fiddle about some more.

 

[Arthur Frelling Dent]

I was able to play another 90 minutes or so last night but obviously I'm still not very far into the game. I left the gypsy camp, did the quest in the tomb and then ran around the lake exploring and treasure hunting with my dog. Great fun!