Review: Dragon Ball Z – Ultimate Tenkaichi (PS3)

When I think of RPG’s I sometimes cringe a bit. I have played quite a few of them in my day, and most turned out to be mediocre grind fests that have as much charm as Gary Busey. On occasion though a few gems slip through, so the big question is whether Fable 2 is such a gem? Does it live up to the hype that Peter Molyneux tried so desperately not to build up? Let’s find out shall we.

Graphics

Fable 2 is no slouch when it comes to beauty. The game is absolutely gorgeous. It sets itself apart from other games with it use of overblown lighting effects. I have never cared for such effects before because they can be annoying, and just looks like a cheap way of adding realism. In Fable 2 however they are done so well that they set the mood of the game, and create that fantasy feeling that makes Fable 2 stand out.

There is a nice variety of foes in the game and they are rendered with a lot of depth and character. You will remember people simply by their looks and can spot them from some distance away. I have played few games that have this much charm to its characters. The only problem that I have is with some of the animation. Sometimes the people you interact with are a bit stiff, and when they move they look a bit like robots. I would have liked to see those animations smoothed out a bit, but overall the game is gorgeous, and the art direction is nearly flawless.

Sound

Fable 2’s sound deserves just as much praise as its graphics. The voiceovers in the game are done so well that it really helps the immersion factor of the game. You will often find yourself laughing at things heard while walking around Albion. The environmental sounds are amazing as well. Turn on your 5.1 system and you will be surrounded by a wilderness of sounds. Throughout my playthroughs I could not find one badly done piece of dialog or sound effect.

Gameplay

If you have ever played an RPG you already know how to play Fable 2. The game does not diverge far from standard RPG practice. Where it does stand out is combat, and interaction with NPC’s. Fighting in Fable 2 is a very rewarding experience. You have three options when approached by bad guys. You can beat them to death with whatever rusty contraption you just bought from the local weapon trader, you can pick them off from a distance with your pistol or rifle, or you can whip up one of the many spells at your disposal. Vortex is my favorite spell; I just love seeing a bunch of bad guys swirl around.

The one button combat really does work well. It allows anyone to play the game, but has enough depth that only a few will master the many moves you can pull off with just the X button. Spells allow you to mix and match in order to have enough time to call in a higher spell. My favorite combination when surrounded is to cast vortex, and while everyone is spinning I call in level 5 fire or shock. There are tons of other ways to mix and match, and it’s a lot of fun messing with all the spells. I really loved the combat in Fable 2, but if I had to gripe about anything I would say that the game is a bit too easy once you get some of the higher spells. I think that having a bit more challenge would have been better, but maybe that’s just me.

The other area where Fable 2 stands out is the interactions that you have with people. As the game progresses you slowly see people’s reactions change to your presence based on how you live your life. I chose to be a real bastard throughout the entire game and it made it much harder for me to do certain things that require trust from the citizens. They just all run away when they see me coming. It really does upset you to see how people’s opinions have changed; even your appearance will change. About halfway through the game I started growing horns and my dog started to darken and his eyes glowed with hate. You can try and build up people’s feelings of you by performing for them like a trained monkey, or give them gifts, and even seduce them for a quick romp in the hay. There truly is so much to do in this game that it makes the game a bit daunting at times. Luckily there is no rush or emphasis to get things done in the game. You can just take your time and do what you want.

There is so much more to mention about the game. Training your dog, stealing, buying and renting homes, getting married and having kids, taking your wife out to the country for a nice walk and then shooting her, and don’t forget treasure hunting with good old fido. There is tons of stuff to do that will keep you busy in Fable 2, and that is a good thing because it helps balance out what I think is the games biggest flaw. Fable 2’s main quest is really short. It will only take about 9-10 hours of gameplay to get through it. But since there is so much to do besides the main quest it never really bothered me enough to not enjoy the game.

Overall

Fable 2 accomplishes much of what it set out to do. They created and living breathing world with tons of character and plenty of fun to be had. From graphics to gameplay Lionhead made many wise decisions. They may have made a few small blunders, but none of them are big enough to take away from the sheer amount of fun you can have with this game. I know that wallets are tight right now, and there are more and more triple A titles hitting in the next few weeks, but Fable 2 is a brilliant game that deserves to be played by everyone who owns a 360.

THE GOOD

+ Beautiful Landscapes
+ Great Voice Acting
+ Awesome Combat
+ Tons to do
+ Huge World
+ The Dog

THE BAD

- Short main storyline
- Some animations a bit jerky
- Has a few minor bugs
- Mini Games get repetitive quick

Even with a few minor complaints Fable 2 lived up to its hype in every way. It’s a great game that should be on every 360 owners must buy list. Fable 2 gets 5 out of 5 Aeronauts.