The Burrow

I powered on my Xbox today because I was too lazy to hook up the PlayStation 5 that was still in my bag. I had spent the previous evening at a friend’s house; we often congregate together, and our consoles tag along. Once the Xbox had fully booted, I was greeted with the familiar dashboard and a host of software to choose from, an overwhelming amount due to the active GamePass subscription I maintain. There it was, waiting for me to hit the A button. Fable 2.

Fable as a franchise holds a special place in my heart. As with most “gamers,” that is, people who choose to play games as a hobby and for entertainment, I had only one console growing up. My PlayStation 2. Not to say I didn’t have others, but I only really had one at a time, and it typically followed a linear progression. PS1, PS2, PS3, and the PlayStation 4 when I could purchase consoles for myself. But my friends were a bit more savvy than I was. One of those savvy friends managed to snag an Xbox from a local pawn shop. The original Fable was something he picked up almost immediately. To say I was mesmerized is an understatement. 

Never before had I seen a game quite like it. One where the way you acted impacted the game’s world and even its denizen’s perception of you. We played that game over and over again, trying different builds, making different decisions, and chasing every chicken we could find. So, when they announced a sequel, I could not wait to see what LionHead had in store. While the first game is limited in scope. Its world is segmented into small maps laid out like hallways. Towns are few and far between. Waste-high fences keep you from exploring those distant hills. Fable 2 took those segmented paths and blew them out. You vault, jump down ledges, and even swim! While these are staples in games now, in 2008 this was transformative. 

When you start the game, you are placed in familiar Bowerstone, a returning location from the first game. It is snowing, and you are huddled up with your older sister. It is made clear from the beginning that you are poor and orphaned. But soon, you are shown a tiny magic box from a traveling merchant. Your sister is intrigued, and you set out on a quest to gather the gold to buy the box. While you do this, you are given the chance to make some choices, a touchstone of the franchise. While it is not readily apparent, the choices you make here impact the development of Bowerstone. Will it be a well of town or a haven of scum and villainy? 

Soon after, and I will spare the details, you are separated from your sister and left to grow up in a gypsy village. You get a dog and grow up well, though you never forget your sister. It is here that Fable 2 truly begins. You are given some equipment and set out to explore a nearby cave. Those who played the first game are greeted with an area that rivals the largest spaces that game had to offer. A glowing trail guides you to your destination, and you learn of your heritage. You gain some magic and resolve to be a “Hero.” 

Fable 2 is a kind of time capsule. It’s definitely a product of 2008; its once-unique choice mechanic has been adopted by many games. The UI is tailored after the 360’s Blades interface. Its various kinds of experience are colored to match the face button tied to its corresponding action. Though often imitated, there really isn’t anything else like Fable. It’s not really an open world, but it’s not so linear either. Its art style is a mix of fantasy tropes and fairytale books. It is funny but not irreverent. The mechanics can seem shallow; combat uses three buttons, but this is no Devil May Cry. You can’t manually aim your ranged weapons. You don’t have an MP meter to worry about. But it’s still enough to get you by. More than enough to enjoy all that Fable 2 has to offer, from buying and renting property, marrying, having heirs, or simply playing fetch with your dog. 

Fable 2 stands tall on the foundation laid by the original game. In many ways, it lives up to the lofty ambitions of its predecessor. It is a relic of a Microsoft that does not seem to exist anymore, and it is a shame because there is so much character in Fable. I never played the third game, my Xbox having died outside of warranty and being more invested in PlayStation then. I may go and play it for posterity’s sake. A new game is being developed, though not by now long gone LionHead, but by Playground Games of Forza Horizon fame. Time will tell if they are up to the task of bringing this franchise back. I hope they can pull it off because Albion deserves it.