Fable II takes place 500 years after the original Fable in the same mythic land of Albion. Many of the same locations are still in tact although they have changed quite a bit form the last time you were here. There are many in-jokes that refer to the original game either in the locations of through the dialog of the NPCs. There is even one character who carries over from the original, but I'll let you figure out who that is on your own. Albion has been fully realized in this version of the game, turning from a collection of small villages to a full fledged land of large towns with many businesses and residences.

You can choose to play as either male of female this time around and while the gameplay doesn't actually change depending on your gender, it certainly changes the way certain NPCs or other characters react to you. As we have been touting here on the site, you can marry anyone you choose, including members of the same gender. You can even marry more than one if you have the houses to shelter them all. Just don't let your many loves get in too close proximity to each other or the sparks will begin to fly. As a female hero you also have the option of becoming pregnant and doing your hero's work until you are ready to give birth. Although your being pregnant doesn't change the way enemies react to you so don't think it will protect you. If you are exclusively gay however, you will not be able to have kids as this was a mechanic that wasn't able to make it in the game. Given the intricacies and enjoyability of the rest of the game, this is really a minor inconvenience.

If you decide to play as exclusively gay, you can also do what many gay folks do and adopt your pet as your child! The dog sidekick is a great addition and gives you a sense of companionship throughout the game. You can train him to hunt treasure, do tricks to accompany your expressions and even help fight for you. The animations on the dog are amazing and as close to a real dog as I've ever seen in a video game. Treat him well and keep him healthy to ensure that you will always have help on hand.

Deciding to play as good or evil is a large part of the Fable II experience. The decisions you make and the way you treat others has a huge impact on your character's place in the world. It also has an impact on how you look and by extension how your dog companion and the world around you looks. Much of this good/evil mechanic plays out in the decisions you make in the game but it can also be influenced by using "expressions." You have large number of expressions at your disposal, many of which can be learned from books, or picked up by by doing good or evil deeds. Dancing, farting, growling, blowing kisses and many others are all at your fingertips via a menu accessed through a right bumper push. Performing these expressions for people can change their opinion of you for better or worse, so be sure to use them carefully. What one denizen of Albion might find funny, another will find repulsive. For instance, impressing shopkeepers has an advantage in that it will net you discounts at that particular store. But if you decide to play as evil, never fear! Scare the shop owner enough and you'll get that discount. Just be sure to monitor your actions carefully if you are trying to maintain one extreme or the other.

The story is epic, as you would expect. As the chosen hero, you must gather three other heroes from around the land of Albion to help defeat the machinations of the evil Lord Lucien and his Tattered Spire. Your adventures will take you to the far reaches of Albion, through dungeons armies of creatures who are determined to keep you from your goal. But following the main storyline isn't the only thing to do in Albion. There are loads of sidequests and things to do like collecting Silver Keys, shooting gargoyles, owning businesses, getting married, taking to Demon Doors and more. You could spend hours just following the sidequests and doing so is a good idea since you can gain many benefits from discovering all the secrets Albion has hidden.

The backgrounds and environments of Fable II are absolutely gorgeous. The fields of flowers, mountain ranges, graveyards, towns: everything is just beautiful. Everything is fully realized and the character designs are delightfully detailed. The graphics and art direction as a whole are exquisitely done although the collision detection between characters can get a little dicey at times. Overall though, Fable II is a delight to the eyes and ears with a soundtrack that suits the many scenes perfectly.

The single button battle system may seem like a hindrance, but in fact it is quite useful. Each button accesses a different type of attack: Blue for melee, yellow for ranged attacks and red for magic attacks. Depending on which attacks you use, you will gain experience pints in that particular field. Combine these with general experience points and you can unlock various levels of attack. There are a variety of spells to learn in the magic department. Your ranged attacks can be upgraded for accuracy, speed or special attacks. Your melee experience can upgrade your physique, toughness or unlock special combo moves and blocking. Be sure to switch back and forth between different types of attacks to gain extra experience.

I have very few complaints about Fable II. I know there have been some reports of a particular bug that they are working on fixing up, but with a game as extensive as Fable II, I'm surprised there are not more. My only real gripe is with the some of the graphical inconsistencies such as people standing "inside" one another. The other is the fact that once you start becoming popular, NPCs will crowd into your house, never giving you a moment's peace and often times making it difficult to leave since they clog up the doorway. Ah well. Such is the price of celebrity I suppose.

There is so much more to Fable II than I have the room to list here, but if I told you everything there is to know it would ruin a lot of the fun of discovery. I have not yet gotten a chance to explore the multiplayer experience, but in my opinion that is secondary to the rich single player experience. Keep an eye out in the next week or so for a another article detailing some of the advantages and disadvantages of online play. So for now I will end this review here and let you get back to what you should be doing... buying this game and playing it rather than reading about it. If you are a fan of the original game, there is definitely a ton here to keep you interested and if you have never visited Albion before now is the time to make your reservations. Good or evil, it's up to you. Just remember, as you change, so changes the world around you. Choose your destiny carefully.

9 out of 10