Fable II: Return of the Hero
Action RPG Fable II picks up where its illustrious predecessor Fable left off. Developed by Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios, Fable II tells an enchanting tale of a young boy (or girl) called to right injustices in the ancient kingdom of Albion. The young protagonist's sister is killed by the evil Lord Lucien, who seems to be intent on killing all heroes. Why? Because only a hero can thwart his nefarious plans to awaken dark forces and enslave the land.
Fantastic environments, intuitive gameplay, and a strong storyline are the hallmarks of this latest episode in the series. The environment art is gripping and imaginative, romanticized like early Disney art work, without being cloying (late Disney). The game play makes it easy to get through the game as a duffer, but also teaches and rewards advanced skills in combat, barter, communication (even flirtation) in such a way that dedicated RPGers can experiment and perfect their approach endlessly. Marvelous dialogue, well-developed characters, and strong voice-acting from a cast of BBC actors including Stephen Fry make the subplots and the many hundreds of character interactions intriguing.
Just like the original title, Fable II offers the gameplayer a moral dilemma: are you going to fight Lord Lucien or become one of his malevolent minions? Also available is a marital dilemma: Will you choose to find a mate in the game, build a home, and have a child, when you're not out saving the world? With same-sex partner options available, the choices are extremely lifelike and intriguing, earning the game a Mature rating.
Fable II is an action role-playing game developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox 360. The sequel to Fable and Fable: The Lost Chapters, it was originally announced in 2006 and released in October 2008. A compilation of the game, and its two downloadable content packs, was released on October 7, 2009, titled the "Game of the Year" edition.
The game takes place in the fictional land of Albion, five hundred years after Fable's original setting, in a colonial era resembling the time of highwaymen or the Enlightenment. Guns are still primitive, and large castles and cities have developed in the place of towns. Unlike the original, the player may choose to be either male or female, whilst also choosing a character's sexuality, allowing for marriage and sexual liaisons with male and female NPCs.
Creative Director Peter Molyneux played a major role in presenting this game to the public, as he did in the lead-up to the release of the original Fable.