Now I have to say this right from the out, I’m not the world’s biggest fan of the X360, but I’ve decided to actually splash out on Xbox live (yes, I really am that far behind the times) purely so I can keep in contact with friends, seeing as some of them haven’t seen the light and joined the PS3 generation (in your face Microsoft, I’m a Sony man!!). However, until the time comes when I have the funding available (it’s not exactly high on my list of priorities), I shall pass the waiting time playing some of my X360 games that do not require the web. One such game (and I don’t own many) is Fable II. Now, I own a classic Xbox AND Fable, but have neither the time, energy or space set them up and play, so I’m not fully up to date with the whole story of Fable. However, I shall give it a go to review this game the best I can.....don’t get your hopes up.
From what I can make out from the opening sequences and cinematics, the basics of the story are that you choose a character to control (well, duh) and they are, without knowing it, part of a bloodline of “heroes”, something I’m sure becomes apparent to them later on. Personally, I think I’d notice something was up when I realised I could jump 50ft off a building and land without any real injury, considering that kind of fall would kill anybody else. One point against the character’s intelligence there (already not looking good).
Of course, once you start, you get a basic run-through of the controls, which is useful seeing as I’m far too lazy to read the manual. This in itself brings out a couple of issues I already have with the game. Firstly, you have to press and hold (until your finger falls off with cramp) the LT button to pay attention to what’s going on....I’m sorry, I don’t need to see the 1st-person view to see what’s going on. I can see from where I’m standing and I can hear the dialogue. One point against the gameplay there.
A second point that I have to make VERY clear before I go any further is that I’m NOT a fan of the Xbox controller. I don’t like the position of the analogue sticks, but I can adapt, pending on the game. However, there are some things that I do not adapt to. One such thing is the delay between me pressing a button and my character doing something that resembles what I asked him to do. I can understand that wireless controls have this problem but the lag is untrue - it’s awful!! Secondly on this point is the way the controls work. I’m sure I’ll get used to them in time after playing for a few hours but the controls feel, at best, like I’ve dropped my controller in a bucket of wallpaper paste mixed with superglue. They’re so gummy it’s untrue and that annoys me. Point against the gameplay there.
Several hours of gameplay later.....
Ok I’m still not really a fan of the X360 controller, it’s too big and clunky in my hand when I’m trying to control a very gummified character. The controls still clog a bit, and the combat system, while nice and simple to a point, is very............well, let’s say it doesn’t exactly flow very well. You’re happy hacking away at an enemy, then they go down and your character keeps on hacking away at empty space. Of course, you can cut this bit out (slightly) by using some of the special techniques you learn, such as block. HOWEVER, this is not the most useful technique as when you’re holding the button to use block, you leave yourself exposed for a split-second, in which time I always seem to get hit. Now, this may just be me, but I thought the point of block was that you DON’T get hit? It seems more logical to have a separate button for block attacks, as most other games do. Maybe that’ll change when they bring out Fable III. Well, I hope so, anyway.
Moving along from my severe dislike of that though, the gameplay is actually getting better. The gold trail that leads you to quests is incredibly useful, as is the inclusion of your canine companion. Of course, to unlock all the achievement, you have to do some very tedious things, such as play fetch, but whatever, I don’t have time to unlock ALL the achievements. When not discussing the achievements though, your canine friend has an uncanny ability to find various bits of treasure as you go through the game, and will bark at you until you follow them and either dig up the treasure (after you have a spade of course) or open the chest. Either way, it’s useful.
Still, as much as I love adventure games, there’s not really enough going on in Fable II to properly hold my attention. It’s more one of those games that I’ll put on randomly, play for a while and then go play various other games for a few weeks, then come back to Fable. All the while, realising that I haven’t really missed playing it. Don’t get me wrong, by no means is it a bad game, but it’s also not really a good game, it doesn’t make me want to spend the entire day playing it.
For me, it’s like Guitar Hero at parties – it never hurts to have it, when you’re bored out of your brain and there’s nothing else to do. Except at a party, everyone would be drunk and laughing at people who can’t play a guitar. And Fable is like being the person who sit’s there refusing to play and drinking mineral water. And not driving home. And who nobody except about 2 people like. Yeah, that guy. Wow, win for Fable there.
From what I can make out from the opening sequences and cinematics, the basics of the story are that you choose a character to control (well, duh) and they are, without knowing it, part of a bloodline of “heroes”, something I’m sure becomes apparent to them later on. Personally, I think I’d notice something was up when I realised I could jump 50ft off a building and land without any real injury, considering that kind of fall would kill anybody else. One point against the character’s intelligence there (already not looking good).
Of course, once you start, you get a basic run-through of the controls, which is useful seeing as I’m far too lazy to read the manual. This in itself brings out a couple of issues I already have with the game. Firstly, you have to press and hold (until your finger falls off with cramp) the LT button to pay attention to what’s going on....I’m sorry, I don’t need to see the 1st-person view to see what’s going on. I can see from where I’m standing and I can hear the dialogue. One point against the gameplay there.
A second point that I have to make VERY clear before I go any further is that I’m NOT a fan of the Xbox controller. I don’t like the position of the analogue sticks, but I can adapt, pending on the game. However, there are some things that I do not adapt to. One such thing is the delay between me pressing a button and my character doing something that resembles what I asked him to do. I can understand that wireless controls have this problem but the lag is untrue - it’s awful!! Secondly on this point is the way the controls work. I’m sure I’ll get used to them in time after playing for a few hours but the controls feel, at best, like I’ve dropped my controller in a bucket of wallpaper paste mixed with superglue. They’re so gummy it’s untrue and that annoys me. Point against the gameplay there.
Several hours of gameplay later.....
Ok I’m still not really a fan of the X360 controller, it’s too big and clunky in my hand when I’m trying to control a very gummified character. The controls still clog a bit, and the combat system, while nice and simple to a point, is very............well, let’s say it doesn’t exactly flow very well. You’re happy hacking away at an enemy, then they go down and your character keeps on hacking away at empty space. Of course, you can cut this bit out (slightly) by using some of the special techniques you learn, such as block. HOWEVER, this is not the most useful technique as when you’re holding the button to use block, you leave yourself exposed for a split-second, in which time I always seem to get hit. Now, this may just be me, but I thought the point of block was that you DON’T get hit? It seems more logical to have a separate button for block attacks, as most other games do. Maybe that’ll change when they bring out Fable III. Well, I hope so, anyway.
Moving along from my severe dislike of that though, the gameplay is actually getting better. The gold trail that leads you to quests is incredibly useful, as is the inclusion of your canine companion. Of course, to unlock all the achievement, you have to do some very tedious things, such as play fetch, but whatever, I don’t have time to unlock ALL the achievements. When not discussing the achievements though, your canine friend has an uncanny ability to find various bits of treasure as you go through the game, and will bark at you until you follow them and either dig up the treasure (after you have a spade of course) or open the chest. Either way, it’s useful.
Still, as much as I love adventure games, there’s not really enough going on in Fable II to properly hold my attention. It’s more one of those games that I’ll put on randomly, play for a while and then go play various other games for a few weeks, then come back to Fable. All the while, realising that I haven’t really missed playing it. Don’t get me wrong, by no means is it a bad game, but it’s also not really a good game, it doesn’t make me want to spend the entire day playing it.
For me, it’s like Guitar Hero at parties – it never hurts to have it, when you’re bored out of your brain and there’s nothing else to do. Except at a party, everyone would be drunk and laughing at people who can’t play a guitar. And Fable is like being the person who sit’s there refusing to play and drinking mineral water. And not driving home. And who nobody except about 2 people like. Yeah, that guy. Wow, win for Fable there.
No comments:
Post a Comment