As much as I lament the abysmal ending to Fable’s main storyline – a weak fight followed by a snapshot, are you kidding? – I still can’t help but be enamored with Peter Molyneux’s next venture. Fable 2 is shaping up to be the western RPG experience of the year, and may just edge out Mass Effect on my list if a few of the grandiose ideas remain in place upon release.




At this year’s Microsoft Keynote at the Games Developers Conference Molyneux came out to demonstrate a “pub game” within Fable 2. He explained that players will have to earn their cash by working (and by working he really means being a blacksmith or some such trade) or by gambling. The surprise was that the game he played in the demo is actually an Xbox LIVE Arcade title that releases a few weeks before Fable 2. You’ll be able to take cash you win in this game – and Molyneux hopes there will be many others like it, including perhaps a few XNA titles – and directly add it to your hero’s wallet. The idea is interesting and showcases a bit of the idea that LIVE is one continuous network, and should be treated as such. I mean how long until you can download a movie from Marketplace, but watch it on a television screen in a game? First we should figure out why you’d want to.

So far we have the dog and the combat. Two aspects that have been pushed about the game, but today saw the revelation that makes us really want to sink our teeth into the game. Dynamic co-op has been confirmed for Fable 2, and not only is it more interesting than a back of the box checkmark…it just may be the best co-op in an Xbox 360 game. Well, until Gears of War 2 releases shortly afterwards.

Fable 2’s co-op has you inviting a friend into your world to fight alongside you. While there he is a henchman, earning cash as you battle evil. And the same is true if you go into someone else’s game. But the great thing is that every Fable 2 world will be different in some small way. I imagine this won’t be the lofty plant a tree and watch it grow in “real time” from years ago, but little touches will set your game a part from a friend.

The thing to remember is that when you invite someone into your world they can wreak havoc. Molyneux warned in his demonstration that you should know and trust the friends you invite, otherwise you might end up with a murdered husband. He makes it a point to say “invite,” so I wonder if Fable 2 will not have an option to keep a game open for anyone to join. Otherwise there could be a lot of griefing, and considering this is an RPG that people might spend dozens of hours on that could be a huge problem.

We still don’t know a release date, only that it is coming. And that an XBLA pub game will appear a few week’s before hand. I was fairly close on Ninja Gaiden 2, so I’m going to proclaim the month of October as Fable 2 month on the 360. One month to get ranked up before it’s Locust slaughtering time. But if Fable 2 could arrive sooner, that’d be fantastic.

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