Comments on: Why 'Fable II' is the game of the year

Don Reisinger thinks Fable II is the game of the year. But once it hits store shelves Tuesday, will others agree?

[alldaelong6]

Yeah it could have been the game of the year if: the limited edition I bought for the extra content actually had the extra content included, and if the replacement regular edition didn't have serious issues with the DVD drive in my Elite, taking it back to the store for another copy, and if that one has the same issues I just won't be playing this $60-$70 piece of Junk...what on earth happened to quality?

[Archaenon]

It's dwarfed by it's low play time , like part I. It has a nasty game resetting glitch. GOTY...not by a long shot.
Dead Space of Little Big Plant will be game of the year. So far they are the most interesting games I've been playing. Yes , I am playing Fabel II. Almost done with it. Not impressed , esp with the art style.

[DrkrZen85]

The only reason FABLE II may seem so good, is because of its predecessor being such a disappointment. But yeah, the only way this game would get GotY is if only Too Human were released along with it this year.

Gears of War 2, Resistance 2, Dead Space, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, LittleBigPlanet, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Fallout 3, Prince of Persia and a few others look to easily give it a run for its money...

Above all, I see GTAIV or MGS4 easily taking GotY from many sites/sources or, if we're looking at new IPs, definitely Dead Space... that game was nothing short of amazing. Anyway, I just can't see a game getting average reviews (FABLE II) taking GotY away from one that made it into the top 10 (GTAIV).

But to each his own. I'm sure someone out there thinks Too Human should be GotY, too... lol

[synthetikz]

don, it never ceases to amaze me how much of a fanboy you are. i always try to give you a little benefit of the doubt, only to read your article and realize i was an idiot for even giving you that. how does cnet let you write anything for them? you're such a sensationalist.

[gamerexpert]

I normally enjoy just browsing reviews and not commenting on other people's opinions, but I just can't let this one fly. Fable 2 is 2008's biggest disappointment, NOT game of the year. Allow me to qualify that statement further: when I say it is a disappointment it isn't to say that I don't enjoy playing the game over and over again, but as a true gamer, I know the difference between a good game and a rushed one. I absolutely loved Fable (original) back on the Xbox. It was probably one of my top favorite games for the system. I must have played through it at least four times. Everything about the first fable was top shelf, from the storyline to the gameplay, which is why I was so excited about Fable 2. With that being said, here is my beef with the latest installment:

1. The environment is pretty, but has a lot of glitches from the "vault" command to shading issues
2. The storyline is almost an exact duplicate of the first
3. There was only one new spell; creativity seemed to be lacking
4. Item menus were slow and labored
5. Some quests lacked some crucial information (records for "The Crucible" quest)
6. Spell selector is awkward
7. The penalties for choosing to be evil feel out-of-place (if you become too evil, many shopkeepers will just run and never serve you, regardless of their feelings towards you)
8. Some expressions seems faulty at times (fetch command or heal command for the dog)
9. Co-op play on the same console is a nuisance (I love playing co-op, but the camera is terrible and I'd rather play alone)

Anyway, I could go on, but all of the errors I've listed above (aside from the environmental issues) are simple things that could have been corrected, but because they rushed the final product (even though they spent years on the project) it definately makes this game fall short of game of the year. I would say this is a fantastic game, but a disappointment nevertheless. If I had to rate the game I would say a 4 out of 5 would be appropriate, which is nowhere close to game of the year with games like MGS4, GoW2, and the sleeper game Dead Space out in '08. In my opinion the author of this article needs to play more video games.

[nortac9455]

you are in every way 100% correct

[chrisjust98]

I've played both Fable 2 and Fallout 3. First, I started with Fallout and played it for a few days. But then I started Fable 2 and I was addicted. I love shooters, but there was something about Fable that I couldn't put down.

[Blahzee]

this guy obviously doesn't know **** about video games .
everyone knows MGS4 is game of the year, write a story about that.

[MrBCut]

I only have one comment about a featured characteristic of this game: apparently you can have sex, use condoms and catch STD's? This is the kind of game we want to give GOTY? Clearly not a family game, but nonetheless I feel a double standard has occurred...

When the Hot Coffee mod was exposed on GTA: San Andreas it drew out bad media, politicans and even versions of that game on the shelf were removed. This is while the game already had an M rating plus you had to do special achievements to get this to happen. So in other words it was an easter egg. Now Lionhead studios and Peter Molyneaux blatantly allows for this to be in the game with no consequences and your only comment is this is GOTY? Shameful I say! So where is the controversy - I don't see any...

[Destroyeron]

No...sorry, Fable II will not be GOTY. I'm glad you enjoyed it, but that title will go to another game, and Spikes GOTY award doesn't count.

[dillturnips]

has anyone forgotten about Metal Gear Solid 4...the BEST GAME EVER MADE...Fable II is good, but not GOTY material...Metal Gear is MUCH more deserving...

[Archaenon]

If they had Franchise awards. It would have to go to either sonic , mario or mgs. I think Kojima did a great job with MGS4 , so much so that I beat it 5 times and got all 40 emblems , unlocked every weapon and got all the downloads and passworded goodies. It probaly won't get MGS4 because people complain about the length of the cutscenes , but if you've played the series as it came out , they make sense , since it's wrapping up Solid Snakes entire Legacy and putting and end to his story and finally answering all the questions about the Patriots.

If anything deserves game of the year , it's a tie up between MGS4 , Dead Space or Little Big Planet.
Just My Opinion.

[fearhopelove]

Fallout 3.

[kyle2dotcom]

Fable 2 was that same thing as fable 1. not a bad game, but far from game of the year. I hate how people think this game is amazing. i just dont see it i guess. i found a lot of the game to be rather dumb.

[bplewis24]

Except that it's not :-S

[VigeoGamer]

This article is way over-rated. Even GameSpot (property of Cnet) doesn't agree. The graphics are outdated. I know it's meant for a specific art-style, but the textures on the character models are a little weak to be an X360 title. The interaction system is unrealistic and corny (gay). And I found it was extremely easy to not die in the game (beat the whole game in 19 hours, no deaths). And there seemed to be an unlimited amount of mana. And finally, the ending was very very short and weak (something I hoped improved from the first).


GameSpot scores it 8.5, IGN-US scores it 8.8, GameTrailers gives it a 8.GameRankings Score for Fable 2 = 89.7%. According to various forum posts from GameSpot, IGN, and GameTrailers...a huge number of fans were actually upset by Fable 2. But, I know this article is a personal opinion more than a bias review. In the case of all gaming fans around the world, a B+ game is definitely not a contender for Game-Of-The-Year. You gotta look at the all-around picture and not just the devoted al-queda fanboy opinions.

[nortac9455]

this game is ok. however it really feels like it's less than the first fable. for instance there are way less spells, the arena is way less fun, it is way too glitchy, and there really isn't even a boss at the end unless you count that giant spire. less clothes, harder spell casting, and frame rate problems all make this game a big disappointment for me.

[Aaantlion]

There's no way that Fable 2 will be GotY, given the stronger titles coming out and the massive sleeper hits. For one, Fable was unable to stack up to the ES series. Although Fable offers a little more freedom in certain RPG elements, overall it just isn't strong enough to take on the ES series. tbh, I was really looking forward to Fable 2 until I saw the "Making of" vid on scifi. The Dead Space special really worked to promote it, but the Fable 2 special was just so... lackluster, especially given the hype around this sequel.

[Scottrosenberg91]

if any RPG is gonna win game of the year it is gonna be Fallout 3. fable 2 is just another medieval rpg with a good storyline and recycled ideas.

[Thidwig]

I think it is a mistake to dismiss MGS4 because of its cinematic qualities. The cut-scenes enhance the game-play, at least for MGS4 fans. Whether Kajima found the right balance is open to debate, but I'd testify that the cut-scenes add depth and `gravitas' to an extraordinary gaming experience.

[misfit119]

The game of the year? Unless you judge your games of the year by the amount of bugs, glitches and a general lack of polish. Oh and that get a whole bunch of stuff cut, once again, before they ever reach the actual system. Maybe when we get Fable 2: The Lost Chapters and they actually make the game not glitch ridiculously I might agree.

[DrkrZen85]

Hmmm, maybe that's what happened. Gamerexpert brings up a valid point... maybe the writer of this article doesn't, in fact, play many videogames. Heck, maybe this was the only game he's play of '08, which would explain his reasoning.