Good and evil - everyone has the choice

Fable II is now considered a "must-buy" for the Xbox 360. And these recommendations are not accidental. Fable 2 offers - to have played even without the predecessor for the first XBox - something for everyone, and in a world that could be sprung with no problems from a fairytale or fantasy book.

The main story is told basically quickly and does not offer many surprises. If we concentrate only on the story tasks, one is in 10-15 hours with the game "by". However, you missed so almost 90% of this video game fairy tale and does not come to enjoy the actual game depth.

Fable 2 lives of the loving portrayal of the characters and the world Albion ... and especially the freedom of action that seeks been second to none. One can as a male or female hero play, have affairs, marry, get pregnant, raising children, playing with his dog, to pursue a profession, just about all tasks in "good" or "bad" kind do, his reputation among the people positively or adversely affect, buy houses and rent as needed, get drunk, operate gambling, join a cult or just walk around and explore the world. All actions and decisions affect the hero, his looks or how other people meet him and also the regions change depending on the decisions that you meet in the game!

The game takes a right from the start by the hand and said gently, like Fable 2 works. The well-written handbook also provides background information and details which are not described exhaustively in the introduction. At the first start the game is like being transported into a fairytale world, which one would not like to leave.

The graphics are kept internally consistent, it seems nothing is placed or exaggerated. The soundscape also fits perfectly and contributes not insignificantly to the fairytale theme in. The surround encoding is well done: you take sounds and conversations beautifully true from different and particularly the right directions and the removal even purely acoustically assess what is really in many "Surround play" the case. The German voice actors have done their work properly, even if there are from time to time errors in emphasis. Unfortunately, your character has not been set to music (not even in the English version), which tarnishes somewhat the atmosphere. But through his game concept makes Fable 2 this Schnitzer again more than offset.

The already mentioned freedom in the game means that one begins shortly after the introduction to explore the large and open world and can grind the main tasks. One can just do so much that sometimes you do not know what to do next.

Players who like to follow a predetermined path through the game, to be with Fable are not happy or difficult - the "main game" is just too fast. There are virtually no bugs (at least have me in the last 90 hours, no come across), a reloading areas happens relatively unnoticed and control is very simple: one button for melee, one for ranged combat and one for magic, to even the mandatory running and jumping and camera control (right stick) make Fable 2-learn quickly for beginners and playable.

If you appreciate an open world and much leeway there is no way to Fable 2. If possible, you should go for the "Game of the Year" edition, because there the two (downloadable) addons are included free of charge. But even on its own Fable 2 offers enough material for several sleepless nights and weekends.

The co-op mode, with a prefabricated second hero (offline on a console by second controller) can help or a hero of another player (online via Xbox Live) the own players also contributes to the long-term motivation. The recoverable Achievements range from "Join a chicken x meters" to "Sacrifice 10 people in the Temple of Shadows" and point to the possibilities open to a.

So if you have enough to fantasy and fairy tales in the style of Harry Potter, Narnia or Lord of the Rings just to look at, can write with Fable 2 his own fantasy tale. Best Buy!