Fable II Comments by Christian Donlan

Woohoo!!
Well done Lionhead!!

"I would think Fable would've gotten 10's on just about every site seeing as it's being advertised everywhere. "


Not every site will have a cash for review score policy (if that is the case).

I know this sort of behaviour used to happen in the 90's with print mags (the game is worth an 8, but if we buy a couple of 2 page adverts - will you give it a 9?).

It is a BIT suspect when they ignore the flaws of a game though.. But I havent played this to comment yet.. But the shortness of it screams to me "RENT ME DONT BUY!", and as such - to me - that's not worth a 10.

"There is no conclusive proof that any external reality actually exists."

Heidegger debunked that train of thought... ;)

"Seriously though, Les, this line of discussion can only degenerate into a fanboy argument."

Don't see why this would degenerate into a fanboy argument especially not as we're talking about a multi-platform game (Bioshock). My point is that review scores are useless but the information contained within this review makes it sound like a nice game. Only playing the game can confirm this.

Gotten :(

@smelly
"I'll wait and pick it up second hand cheap when everyone's completed it in a weeks time and the 2nd hand market is flooded with copies."

Wow, good idea, that way you'll save fuck all at the very least whereas the authors of the game will get nothing!

Nothing against you smelly, I'm personally just not a big fan of the whole pre-owned thing. Personally, for the sake of the fiver I'd save buying second hand I think I'll buy it at launch and save a fiver for having pre-ordered.

@sirtacos
So you wont mind if I come around to your house and nab all your consoles and games then? I might set fire to the place when I'm done - But, don't worry, 'There is no conclusive proof that any external reality actually exists.' after all. ;)

*cough*gamespot*cough*

"Not every site will have a cash for review score policy"
That's quite offensive, imho. And sounds bitter. Let it go..., it's just a great game you don't like it, for *some* other reason than the game itself - and you know it.

I really don't believe EG would want to sully its reputation by giving games better score for a few dollars.

For "exclusive" reviews, there is possibly something going on behind the scenes, but this review was in no way exclusive.

Am I the only one who actually thinks the 10 of Eurogamer is really badly motivated.

The first page actually only talks about how easy the game is and this is actually great. It sounds as if the choice for easy combat is a revolutionary one that makes you try out all the different forms of combat. I think this is pure nonsense. Challenge is nice, it gives you thrills, it's exciting. The reviewer sounds as if easier, non-challenging combat is more exciting because it makes you calmly try out all the combat options.

For the rest the review is quite non-structured and just talks about how nice the world is and how relaxing. Never, ever in the review text I read WHY this 10 is actually justified. The things that Fable II apparently does well in Eurogamer's opinion, A LOT of games do well but don't get a 10 for it.

I don't want to sound like a dick but I see no argumentation at all for the 10 of Eurogamer, and that kind of strikes me as normally they got really well written reviews.

"Nothing against you smelly, I'm personally just not a big fan of the whole pre-owned thing. Personally, for the sake of the fiver I'd save buying second hand I think I'll buy it at launch and save a fiver for having pre-ordered."

Me neither.. Imho second hand market is almost as bad as piracy.

HOWEVER.. *IF* this game is as short as they say it is.. It'll be FLOODING the 2nd hand bins really soon, thus forcing the full price down too.

I'll get it then.. Or maybe i'll rent it.. I can wait.

"That's quite offensive, imho. And sounds bitter. Let it go..., it's just a great game you don't like it, for *some* other reason than the game itself - and you know it."


1. I didnt say that this site was guilty - how am i to know?
2. I've not played the game yet - so i cant judge it


And neither have you - probably?

EDIT: But the review states - it's easy and a 10 hour game.. So for me, I dont think that's a "must buy" in any way shape or form. 10 hours easiness isnt worth 40 quid in my book.

Soo...Rashy thinks EG's scores have gone tae the dogs, Foxhound points out that GTAIV was a rather dull 10/10, and Smelly, my favourite Smelly, is extolling the virtues of the second hand market...that's the second hand market that when Braben commented he moaned on and on about the retailers screwing people and how it was just a terrible thing..

Hedbog's on holiday..

Tell you what it is, you all like PS3 too much and don't like seeing any game on 360 acheiving good review scores....there's nothing per se wrong with that, but this is a british game, they're a nice dev studio, just like Media Molecule (some of em used to work together) so leave the moans for an american game like Gears2 or something

Smelly, can you explain this incredibly long rant (there was a shedload more than this) because now you seem quite into the 2nd hand market even for a brit developed game (i can smell shit a mile off me)

smelly
11-Sep-08 22:58:52

@BillyBrush:

"you don't seem to be understanding something rather obvious though...WHY SHOULD A RETAILER GIVE GAME DEVELOPERS A CUT OF SOMETHING THEY'VE NOT PURCHASED FROM THEM "


Okay.. Where as you (like most people) are moaning about the PRICE of the games.. a VAST majority of a games price when you buy it new goes to the retailer.. When you buy a used game from the retailer pretty much 90% of the price goes to them.

But yet THEY arent lowering prices are they? Hell, they dont even sell you a 2nd hand game at a decent price (usually knocking off 5 quid tops). Despite the fact they take shit loads of money at BOTH levels, do they give discounts BACK to the consumer?

Do they fuck.

A retailer probably can make up to (or even more than) 200 quid off a sale (and resell) of a single physical decent game..

Has it ever occured to you that THEY subsequently could be lowering prices? Or indeed lowering the prices of the resells (which I consider to be absolute fleecing).



"Sometimes second-hand is the only way to get something that is "out of print" or which sells out rapid"

GAWD! Has it occured to you the REASON the shelf life of a game is so short is BECAUSE of the 2nd hand market?


On all levels GAMERS are getting SCREWED by the RETAILERS.. But yet you guys are actually sticking up for them and slagging off one of the people who MAKE the games for you.

Games can exist without retailers.. They cant exist without the people who actually make the fucking things.

As for it "not harming the industry" Bullshit. Its already happened! Why else do you think we have so many carbon-copy "gauranteed seller" fps games? Why else do you think everyone is jumping on the casual bandwaggon? It's become WAAY to risky to make games - subsequently next to no-one is taking risks..

Im talking to a brick wall here arent i?

Bitter fanboy tears, they taste so delicious.

@Smells

remember...

don't let THEM (evil retailers) screw YOU (nice customer) even if the game is on AN INHERRENTLY EVIL PLATFORM

you have morals, stick to em

@smelly

how is renting the game anymore of a benifit to the gaming industry than the pre owned circuit... which, many of the small retailers say it is the only thing that keeps them going.

Finally, smelly shows his true colours for everone to see he's a fanboy. I was so sick & tired of him trying to disguise himself as a respectable human being (let alone, a respectable member).

But I am surprised by this review. Can't wait.

1. I didnt say that this site was guilty - how am i to know?
you did imply.

2. I've not played the game yet - so i cant judge it
Er... no I didn't, but I wouldn't bring "bribes" into the realms of possibilities. If I was a journalist I think I would consider offensive if someone brought up the possibility of me taking money to tell lies. Than again it's just a game, and therfor the reputation of the dude who written the review is far more important, imo. Better, and more polite ways of bashing a game/system, are available.

@ BillyBrush

You're talking to the internet - significantly worse than a brick wall ;D

@Vanmunt
"@smelly

how is renting the game anymore of a benifit to the gaming industry than the pre owned circuit... which, many of the small retailers say it is the only thing that keeps them going."

I believe that they need a rental licence for games and DVDs and have to pay a per-rental fee to the publishers.

However that would be 1) in Ireland and 2) what I "believe".

So I may be full of shit when it comes to your region and reality. ;)

BillyBrush, No, I never thought EG were ever out of "the dogs" (as you put it). Fable 2 according to EDGE is a brillant game. Is it as revolutionary as a 10/10? Not according to EDGE and I rate them higher than a site that gave the revolutionary Halo an 8 (sorry, but you'll never live that one down EG).

I'm not debating the quality of the product, that's not in question. I'm debating the quality of the review, which for me always has been. A 9 for SR2? ffs! That's going to the dogs!

@Smelly

"But the review states - it's easy and a 10 hour game.."

Could you find me the bit of review that state it's a 10 hour game please? I think you'll struggle. And how about Super Mario World, clockable in a couple of hours if you shortcutted through Star Island. Does that make it an inherantly bad game that we never should have bought new?

This is only a 10-hour game if you follow the bread crumb trail from major plot point to major plot point and do little else.

If that's what you want Fable II for, then you would probably be better off renting it. If you want to play the game as PM intended, then you'll get much more out of it.

Personally, I plan on doing and seeing as much as possible - which means for me the game will last much longer. I've seen video of people beating Oblivion is less than 10 hours, though, so I'm not too worried about the length of the game.

"Heidegger debunked that train of thought... ;) "

Whether he definitively did is a matter of contention. Still, I wasn't being serious. You silly figment of my imagination.

"My point is that review scores are useless but the information contained within this review makes it sound like a nice game. Only playing the game can confirm this. "

I agree with that. We put too much emphasis on review scores and reviews in general, often treating them as the ultimate judges of a game's worth.

"Don't see why this would degenerate into a fanboy argument especially not as we're talking about a multi-platform game (Bioshock)."

I was afraid that if we mentioned Bioshock again other people would start arguing about it, precipitating this comments section into a no man's land. My reason for mentioning fanboyism is that I use the term to include any rabid defending or attacking of a video game regardless of platform 'loyalty'. So - someone who loves to hate a multiplatform game, often with little rhyme or reason, is as much a 'fanboy' as someone who continually vocalizes his contempt for a particular games console. I'm probably not using the term right, but it seems fitting as everything that I've described can neatly be categorized under 'being a moron' - which is what the term 'fanboy' seems to stand for these days.

I just want Fable II for the dog... just kidding but the dog does look so damn cute. Is it the same dog throughout the game, i.e. it's 50 years old by the conclusion? And is there just one breed or can you choose (wants Golden Retriever or Alsation). :)

OMD I must buy this game

@ Darren

Same dog, but the dog morphs depending on what kind of player you are. So you can end up with anything from a Rottweiler to a Golden Retriever.

I don't know if those are the exact breeds, but you get my drift....hopefully.

Better than LB...halo. ;)

/unoriginal fuck

Woohoo! I'm getting this!

@ronuds
"This is only a 10-hour game if you follow the bread crumb trail from major plot point to major plot point and do little else.

If that's what you want Fable II for, then you would probably be better off renting it. If you want to play the game as PM intended, then you'll get much more out of it.

Personally, I plan on doing and seeing as much as possible - which means for me the game will last much longer. I've seen video of people beating Oblivion is less than 10 hours, though, so I'm not too worried about the length of the game."

My plan too, I'm going to enjoy this one, I raced through the last one because I didn't know what to expect in terms of length (and I was a more... voracious game player back then) this one I'll take my time with. Slow down, smell the roses, kill the person who planted them if they don't meet with my diabolically exact requirements for rose placement, colour and fragrance, that kinda thing. ;)

Best Fantasy RPG artwork I have ever seen!

@Rash

fair enough...what you're saying is not necesarrily wrong, i too like Edge mag and think they do have much more robust scores than EG (number is not the be all and end all anyway) but i do also beleive that if LBP got an Edge 6 and an EG 10 you'd then be more into Eurogamers scores...i guess i'm being a bit accusatory and saying for you the platform is more the issue here (whilst saying that i'm not trying to pretend i don't favour Xbox because i absolutely do, but i do get irked when uber uber S fans like Hedbog and Smelly try to suggest they are Mr down the middle ground Tony Mott type characters, whilst making huge rants about the evil american empire)

@Bodybuilder - finally is not the correct term, this guy claims to have 7 breakages of his 360, he is the boy who cried wolf (yes i do beleive an Xb could get rrod that many times, but i don't beleive Smelly when he says his has)

Congratulations Peter and all at Lionhead.

I've got lots of free time on my hands at the mo so this will help stop the boredom.

It's hard to grasp what you mean when you talk about how the player is rewarded for their every action and they cannot die in combat. I'm still getting it though and am excited to play it, but the way you present it makes it sound like the Special Olympics (but with fun)

@ Sneetch
"My plan too, I'm going to enjoy this one, I raced through the last one because I didn't know what to expect in terms of length (and I was a more... voracious game player back then) this one I'll take my time with. Slow down, smell the roses, kill the person who planted them if they don't meet with my diabolically exact requirements for rose placement, colour and fragrance, that kinda thing. ;)"

Ahhh, the immoral villain! I don't know which way I'm going to go. In one sense, I almost feel bad when I'm an evil jerk, but at the same time their appearance appeals to me much more! Maybe I can be like Batman: I hide in the shadows dressed in black, but am overall good to people. :P

Eurogamer give a highly anticipated Xbox 360 game a 10/10 and people are shocked? Have you read any EG reviews in the past year?

"10 hours easiness isnt worth 40 quid in my book"

You must be pretty poor then. A blu-ray movie can cost up to £25 in retail and they only last an hour and a half. I go to a bar for a few hours and spend more than £40. How is £40 a lot for ten hours of entertainment? bloody peasant.

Hmmm, this thread is largely normal for once. Some entertaining tear posts though. ;)

"LAIR , Great graphics and EPIC FAIL!! "

Sorry but no, lair was anything but great graphics. It could have been a great game but the controls where fucked and the graphics where horribly outdated. Even the opening cutscene look void and empty, something they could have easily fixed with some avid editing.

BillyBrush, Well you're mistaken. If LBP was badly received by EDGE, I'd be disappointed (as I openly admit this gen I have a greater affinity to Sony then Microsoft) but I'd still regard EDGE's opinion greater than EG's because they've served me well over the years (I wouldn't have got the original Xbox if it wasn't on their recommendation to do so with a copy of that aforementioned Halo). ;o)

Oh damn it - a 10!

I really fancy getting Dead Space on Friday too. I'm kind of hoping Far Cry 2 will get an average review so I won't have to buy it on 360. Ah fuck it, there's going to be a few expensive Fridays to come over the next few weeks. If Far Cry 2 is an 8 or over, I'm having it.

So, this Friday it's going to be Fable 2, Dead Space and Far Cry 2 (perhaps). I

Well, that'll keep me busy for a week till Fallout 3. Then it's GOW etc...

Didnt think or even dare to imagine that Fable 2 would get really good reviews, whether its 10 from EG or respectable 9 from Edge, 9.5 IGN. Also keeping in mind that the scores are given as an opinion by individual reviewers RATHER than EG as the entity!

Very pleased for Lionhead and PM, knowing they had some sticks, which I myself also had belittled as thought was more style than substance.

As a serious gamer I m only so glad and happy to be proven wrong, I think an important point is made, not re visual fidelity or length of game but where the game is rewarding all the time, and can be both enjoyed by casual and hardcore gamer. BOTH getting a lot out of it and indeed as others said something you can get outwhat you put in.

If this is to be a model for more games in future, can be a good thing and for this, perhaps need to be considered as groundbreaking and an important landmark.

We all enjoy challenges, I gave up the ghost with FFXII after 90 hours in and still just grinding and lost enjoyment of the game. I want to play and have so much F U N at the same time!

Any serious gamer will be happy that such game is breaking waves and fair criticism needs to be made, so more polish can be given but fanboy hates for just the fact the game is appearing on rival console is so soul destroying!

Did not have this particular game previously on my radar, but now zoomed to the top of my list of must have!!

EDIT: Sorry corrected score from Edge!

Congrats to all those at Lionhead, especially the Fable II team - I thought it'd score highly (its nailed an excellent style IMO) but 10/10? Absolutely superb!! Hopefully everyones been given a months free holiday now :D

Oh, and as for some people saying its too short. I suspect a great deal more people will gain the valuable feeling of completing a quality game than would otherwise happen with an extremely long grind-fest. It's hard to get the balance right but people will finish it having had a great time, with great memoeries and come away wanting more and, should the team stay together, Fable III will deliver on that count.

@Rash
Ok...fair enough, an Edge magazine 9 suggests it's pretty much a must buy too though

personally i like both Edge and EG, but i am a little skeptical personally of your views because it does happen that LBP got an Edge 10, Fable an Edge 9, and it's the other way round here...it suits you're predisposition doesn't it?

if you add both sites socres up for each though...it's the same! and both are clearly rather good indeed (and british, which is Edge and Eurogamers one true weakness in this matter)

Holy... Maybe this was what Fable supposed to be in the first place. Can't wait for the PC version if there is any.

Surely no game is really 10/10. That means we will be playing it next century and then some seeing as it has a perfect score. I tend to ignore the numbers though. Glad they have apparently got it right this time though. Good luck to them and I bloody well hope we see a PC port at some point before 2010.

A good time to be a gamer.

nice cant wait

I thought this comments section was one of the best and calmest for a while, and then Smelly came in, ruining everything :) He's showing Peter Moore and the guys at Lionhead though, fuck 'em, he's saving himself a fiver and getting it Pre-owned, fascinating shit I'm sure we all agree.
Back to the review, really wasn't expecting a 10 from EG, a solid 9 perhaps.. It's obviously all good though, I've been looking forward to this game for bloody yonks, just wish I wasn't working Fri&Sat :(

just because LBP didn't get 10/10 doesn't mean fable 2 was overrated, get over it, different games different styles but at the end better product quality goes to Fable 2, well deserved... stop mooing

Muscleblade said:
"Shame I don't have a 360"

Go buy one then. Easily worth it.


Um...WHAT?? Who in their right mind would get a RROD bomb waiting to happen who already has a Wolfdale with a 1TB hard drive? Besides, Molyneux the Mad already hinted that the PC version is coming. No need to throw away 150 bucks for a system that scratches your game discs!