Got this game yesterday thanks to Newegg's slightly early shipping (they stopped shipping it early wed afternoon).
So far I'm really enjoying it.
The game exudes a very Grimm brothers fairy tale atmosphere with a helping of British influences.
The graphics are quite good, especially with the time of day changes and draw distance along with the lighting and shadow effects. Though some things like the Water seem a bit iffy in terms of your interaction (very bland looking splashes/movement when you're swimming in it).
The world itself is a LOT more open then Fable 1, but it's not Oblivion style free roaming where you can just head off in any direction. It still have a "hub" like feel to it, just a looooot bigger and open. In the first open area you get in you can easily explore around woodlands, a giant lake, etc. Easy to get sidetracked trying to find chests and other hidden things.
The dog is pretty good, he helps you find treasure and diggable area's and also has his own charm. He sticks close to you most of the time, however sometimes he can lag behind or get stuck (has happened to me twice so far). However over all he's probably the best dog in a game I've seen in terms of animation/behavoir.
I got the rubber ball and threw it in the lake thinking he wouldn't get it, but he jumped right in after it and came back. Then randomly you'll be standing around and he'll do a trick that you haven't got yet (IE roll over, flip, etc). Just overall he seems like a good companion, he doesn't come off feeling like a stale/robotic companion that you might get in most games.
In combat when I get an enemy knocked down (but not dead) he will sometims finish the job for me and run up to the guy and kill him (I have him trained in the second tier combat).
As far as exploration goes, there are the usual chests and Demon doors back from fable (the demon doors are quite more robust now, the voicework for them is great and they remind me of that guy in the Return to oz, the main guy at the end of the movie made out of stone).
Fishing so far, I haven't seen a fishing pole. However in lakes and things there are ripples where you can swim to and then dive down tofind something, I assume that's replaced fishing instead.
Also there are gargoyles that you can find and Kill, however I haven't killed one yet, I only saw one attached to a stone bridge, but I couldn't hit it since I don't have my ranged skill up high enough to aim myself.
The combat so far is button mashing, I've yet to train high enough to do flourishes nor aim, so it's still early to tell how it will be.
However even now the combat is fun, mainly because you can quickly switch it up between melee, ranged, and magic. I love the pistols in the game. You pop off a couple of rounds on some poor guy then rush in with your sword and finish it off.
The magic is nice, but I'm trying not to use it too much (don't want to get the blue glowy runes all over my guy). However I've trained in electricity and it's great how you can have one spell, but three different ways to use it.
If you simply push the button for it, you do an AOE affect around you. If you quickly tap it in a direction toward someone you do a quick lightning throw (think Star wars) and if you aim at someone and hold it a second it does more of a lightning ball attack that seems to do more dmg.
Another thing that is a lot of fun is the physics. The ragdolls are ok (a bit ragdolly) but when you are fighting near ledges and things, if you get people close enough you can kick them off/over them makes for a more visceral and appealing way to kill someone then usual.
Clothing wise, the game is a loooot more robust then Fable. There are options for Coats, Head gear (hats, etc), masks (IE bandit mask, ballroom mask, eye patch), Upper body, lower body, gloves, and feet.
You can have a coat + upperbody piece show if it's open (IE I have a coat that looks like an old English style coat with buttons down the middle and opening at top, which shows my undershit).
Also dyes, you can now get dyes and use them on clothing or your hair. So far most dyes I've seen were grey, pink, light shades. I haiven't found black/red/white, etc type of dyes, hopefully they have those colors in, not really down with the pink dyes myself
.
Morphing wise, I havent' got far enough to really notice this, my guy still looks the same as the young adult you start out as after the childhood segment. I have put one point into all of my skill and strength abilities andone into will.
Money wise as some of you may know, quests do not reward you with money in Fable 2. If you want money you either have to find out (your dog will come in handy hear) or work a job.
So far I've only worked two jobs, a Blacksmith and Woodcutter. It's not hard at all, a simple minigame where you have a dot that goes on a line back and fourth and you just tap the button when the dot gets in a certain area.
You can gain ranks in a job the more you work it and thus get more money.
So far I haiven't encountered any way to learn Hand to hand combat. However there is a "slap" expression you can use to slap people.
Also of note, I have seen quite a few posters in bowerstone for Puglism (boxing), so hopefully later on there's some type of fist fighting with a fight club type of thing like fable 1 had.
I have yet to experience multiplayer, since no one else I know has the game but I hiaven't encountered any "orbs" of people around yet, perhaps I'm too early to see them yet or something.
When I first put in the game there was an update, which I'd assume was the co op update and things (since other people with the game have did co op and things).
Overall, I would highly recommend the game if you like rpgs and especially if you liked Fable 1.
So far I'm really enjoying it.
The game exudes a very Grimm brothers fairy tale atmosphere with a helping of British influences.
The graphics are quite good, especially with the time of day changes and draw distance along with the lighting and shadow effects. Though some things like the Water seem a bit iffy in terms of your interaction (very bland looking splashes/movement when you're swimming in it).
The world itself is a LOT more open then Fable 1, but it's not Oblivion style free roaming where you can just head off in any direction. It still have a "hub" like feel to it, just a looooot bigger and open. In the first open area you get in you can easily explore around woodlands, a giant lake, etc. Easy to get sidetracked trying to find chests and other hidden things.
The dog is pretty good, he helps you find treasure and diggable area's and also has his own charm. He sticks close to you most of the time, however sometimes he can lag behind or get stuck (has happened to me twice so far). However over all he's probably the best dog in a game I've seen in terms of animation/behavoir.
I got the rubber ball and threw it in the lake thinking he wouldn't get it, but he jumped right in after it and came back. Then randomly you'll be standing around and he'll do a trick that you haven't got yet (IE roll over, flip, etc). Just overall he seems like a good companion, he doesn't come off feeling like a stale/robotic companion that you might get in most games.
In combat when I get an enemy knocked down (but not dead) he will sometims finish the job for me and run up to the guy and kill him (I have him trained in the second tier combat).
As far as exploration goes, there are the usual chests and Demon doors back from fable (the demon doors are quite more robust now, the voicework for them is great and they remind me of that guy in the Return to oz, the main guy at the end of the movie made out of stone).
Fishing so far, I haven't seen a fishing pole. However in lakes and things there are ripples where you can swim to and then dive down tofind something, I assume that's replaced fishing instead.
Also there are gargoyles that you can find and Kill, however I haven't killed one yet, I only saw one attached to a stone bridge, but I couldn't hit it since I don't have my ranged skill up high enough to aim myself.
The combat so far is button mashing, I've yet to train high enough to do flourishes nor aim, so it's still early to tell how it will be.
However even now the combat is fun, mainly because you can quickly switch it up between melee, ranged, and magic. I love the pistols in the game. You pop off a couple of rounds on some poor guy then rush in with your sword and finish it off.
The magic is nice, but I'm trying not to use it too much (don't want to get the blue glowy runes all over my guy). However I've trained in electricity and it's great how you can have one spell, but three different ways to use it.
If you simply push the button for it, you do an AOE affect around you. If you quickly tap it in a direction toward someone you do a quick lightning throw (think Star wars) and if you aim at someone and hold it a second it does more of a lightning ball attack that seems to do more dmg.
Another thing that is a lot of fun is the physics. The ragdolls are ok (a bit ragdolly) but when you are fighting near ledges and things, if you get people close enough you can kick them off/over them makes for a more visceral and appealing way to kill someone then usual.
Clothing wise, the game is a loooot more robust then Fable. There are options for Coats, Head gear (hats, etc), masks (IE bandit mask, ballroom mask, eye patch), Upper body, lower body, gloves, and feet.
You can have a coat + upperbody piece show if it's open (IE I have a coat that looks like an old English style coat with buttons down the middle and opening at top, which shows my undershit).
Also dyes, you can now get dyes and use them on clothing or your hair. So far most dyes I've seen were grey, pink, light shades. I haiven't found black/red/white, etc type of dyes, hopefully they have those colors in, not really down with the pink dyes myself
Morphing wise, I havent' got far enough to really notice this, my guy still looks the same as the young adult you start out as after the childhood segment. I have put one point into all of my skill and strength abilities andone into will.
Money wise as some of you may know, quests do not reward you with money in Fable 2. If you want money you either have to find out (your dog will come in handy hear) or work a job.
So far I've only worked two jobs, a Blacksmith and Woodcutter. It's not hard at all, a simple minigame where you have a dot that goes on a line back and fourth and you just tap the button when the dot gets in a certain area.
You can gain ranks in a job the more you work it and thus get more money.
So far I haiven't encountered any way to learn Hand to hand combat. However there is a "slap" expression you can use to slap people.
Also of note, I have seen quite a few posters in bowerstone for Puglism (boxing), so hopefully later on there's some type of fist fighting with a fight club type of thing like fable 1 had.
I have yet to experience multiplayer, since no one else I know has the game but I hiaven't encountered any "orbs" of people around yet, perhaps I'm too early to see them yet or something.
When I first put in the game there was an update, which I'd assume was the co op update and things (since other people with the game have did co op and things).
Overall, I would highly recommend the game if you like rpgs and especially if you liked Fable 1.