Fable 2: More of the Same, or Better?

Lionhead Studios has announced that they will release the sequel to the legendary “choose your own destiny” game, Fable, for Xbox 360 in October of this year. The sequel, dubbed Fable 2, will introduce new and exciting changes such as new weapons and armor, as well as an epic storyline. However, do these changes mean that this game will be far better than the first, or will Fable 2 just be a recreation of the original Fable with shiny new equipment?

Set around 500 years after the events of the first Fable, Fable 2 introduces many new changes from that of the original. Included in the list of these “great changes,” (which seem to make the game sound more like The Sims meets Braveheart), is the ability for your character to be either male or female, make love (which has gone through changes of its own), marry (as in the original), and even have children. As with the original, you have the option of purchasing property; only the list has been expanded and now includes caves and even castles. However, the most prominent of these changes is the introduction of a co-op mode of play.

Even with these new changes, much of the original Fable elements are still evident. The meat and potatoes of this claim lies in the storyline. Though not exactly the same, Fable 2 promises to have what the original had: an epic storyline in which the choices you make affect the way your character and the events that transpire in the world of Albion turn out. As in the original, players are free to explore the world of Albion before beginning the storyline quests, though the world is now a larger and more in-depth place.

The question of whether Fable 2 will be better than the original is hard to answer. True, there are many excellent changes and additional features. But the main part of the game–the storyline–is the part that interests me most. Will this be an awesome, original game of its own? Or is it basically Fable with a few changes? Either way, this is one game Fable fans, myself included, are looking forward to playing.