I?m going to start of this review by complaining at Amazon.co.uk, I pre-ordered the limited edition of Fable 2 only to find that I don?t get the code to unlock the pub games free?only the Americans do, we have to order it from GAME, yet Lionhead's website simply stated Amazon. Which seems unfair when Lionhead studios are a British company?they also get the game earlier.
So after paying roughly £6 for the mini-games and waiting 10 minutes for the pub-games to download, I was pretty excited.
For those of you who don't know, Fable 2 is obviously the sequel to Fable on the Xbox, an action RPG, where your action's (laughing at a women crying, as a good example) effects how the various characters think about you, how you look like and (to a certain extent) effect the world around you?well it was supposed to anyway, but I?m not going to get into that because I could be here for hours?look it up, but chances are if you use this website for anything other than Zero Punctuation you already know.
Ok, there are three pub games to sink your teeth into, Fortune's Tower, Keystone and Spinnerbox. Don?t be fooled by the names though, they are essentially blackjack, roulette and a slot machine.
Fortunes Tower involves a dealer placing cards down in a pyramid, with each card?s number adding up to its value in coins, times by the amount of coins you bet over the initial starting point. (15 starts off, but if you bet 30 coins your winnings will be doubled too.)
Of course there?s a catch, if a card matches diagonally with a card above it you lose your money, there?s also some knights, which stop that happening. But the basic idea is easily understood once you see it in action.
The problem with this game is that there?s very little strategy, its highly addictive and impossible to win big until you get to the top tables, which by that time every debt collector in Albion will be after you (yes, you can go into debt) so people dreaming of getting instantly rich can forget it.
You can also play in tournaments (against the NPC?S) so its basically you trying to beat a high score. In all, this game is adequate, and is the game you?ll be most likely to play for a long time and still enjoy, and too addictive for my feeble will powers to stop me losing all my money on?
Its main flaw is the sense of script ? you know ? when you?ve played any computer card game and realised that the computer might be programmed to make you lose
Keystone plays a lot like craps and Roulette, The betting table is shaped like a semicircle, and is ringed along the circular edge by 16 arch stones, numbered 3-18. Each roll removes an arch stone, and the game ends when two of the four keystones (specific arch stones) are removed from the table.
[http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ilmfable2keystone02kr0.jpg]
There?s some strategy, but again, its hard to escape the feeling the game hates you for winning. Like with all three games this is pure chance, but there is a handy betting odds screen, brought up with the left trigger.
I enjoy this game more than the others because it feels like your actually playing, and not simply pressing a button - although I was first with one round to go and I ended up 7th...I think some under-the-table dealings are going on with the bank...
Spinnerbox is essentially a slot machine, you put your money in and watch as the slows spin, all you do is press a, while this may be entertaining the first time the game gets boring quickly and tournaments seem to be a joke. You can win free goes or get bonuses for getting certain pictures, but at the end of the day, your simply pressing a.
[http://img59.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ilmfable2spinnerbox07bz9.jpg]
If you?ve read this far, congratulations! In all, the games are good fun, but essentially flawed, all the hype about being able to earn big money is soon scrubbed by the realisation you have to lose money to increase your rank and get to the bigger tables, to try and earn more money to pay back your debt?s.
The 12 achievements are ok, nothing particularly special, but hey, they are pub ? games. I personally like the background music, but there?s the same 2 or 3 tracks playing all the time and eventually they will become annoying, and the graphics have a sort of Fable charm, so I hope the rest of the game looks the same way.
The idea to earn items that can be used in the game, such as a new hairstyle (which is a pretty good hairstyle) is a nice feature, you can also earn more useful tools such as a new gun, a will ring or a new sword. As well as beds, books that you can use to teach your dog tricks (imagine your dog back flipping off a cliff?don?t hate me..) but it will take a long time to earn the necessary prestige to unlock some of the best items.
Theres also some great concept art, showing early pictures of the dog etc..., again, pointless but nice to look at.
In conclusion, the pub games do not bring the glory the press stated they would; indeed they are not that fun. If your mad about Fable 2 (like me) then you?ll already have them, but for people unsure ? steer clear, the games require far to much time to earn the items and money previously stated. Although you don't HAVE to transfer your mony and items to your character - wasn't that the whole point of the pub - games?
So after paying roughly £6 for the mini-games and waiting 10 minutes for the pub-games to download, I was pretty excited.
For those of you who don't know, Fable 2 is obviously the sequel to Fable on the Xbox, an action RPG, where your action's (laughing at a women crying, as a good example) effects how the various characters think about you, how you look like and (to a certain extent) effect the world around you?well it was supposed to anyway, but I?m not going to get into that because I could be here for hours?look it up, but chances are if you use this website for anything other than Zero Punctuation you already know.
Ok, there are three pub games to sink your teeth into, Fortune's Tower, Keystone and Spinnerbox. Don?t be fooled by the names though, they are essentially blackjack, roulette and a slot machine.
Fortunes Tower involves a dealer placing cards down in a pyramid, with each card?s number adding up to its value in coins, times by the amount of coins you bet over the initial starting point. (15 starts off, but if you bet 30 coins your winnings will be doubled too.)
Of course there?s a catch, if a card matches diagonally with a card above it you lose your money, there?s also some knights, which stop that happening. But the basic idea is easily understood once you see it in action.
The problem with this game is that there?s very little strategy, its highly addictive and impossible to win big until you get to the top tables, which by that time every debt collector in Albion will be after you (yes, you can go into debt) so people dreaming of getting instantly rich can forget it.
You can also play in tournaments (against the NPC?S) so its basically you trying to beat a high score. In all, this game is adequate, and is the game you?ll be most likely to play for a long time and still enjoy, and too addictive for my feeble will powers to stop me losing all my money on?
Its main flaw is the sense of script ? you know ? when you?ve played any computer card game and realised that the computer might be programmed to make you lose
Keystone plays a lot like craps and Roulette, The betting table is shaped like a semicircle, and is ringed along the circular edge by 16 arch stones, numbered 3-18. Each roll removes an arch stone, and the game ends when two of the four keystones (specific arch stones) are removed from the table.
There?s some strategy, but again, its hard to escape the feeling the game hates you for winning. Like with all three games this is pure chance, but there is a handy betting odds screen, brought up with the left trigger.
I enjoy this game more than the others because it feels like your actually playing, and not simply pressing a button - although I was first with one round to go and I ended up 7th...I think some under-the-table dealings are going on with the bank...
Spinnerbox is essentially a slot machine, you put your money in and watch as the slows spin, all you do is press a, while this may be entertaining the first time the game gets boring quickly and tournaments seem to be a joke. You can win free goes or get bonuses for getting certain pictures, but at the end of the day, your simply pressing a.
If you?ve read this far, congratulations! In all, the games are good fun, but essentially flawed, all the hype about being able to earn big money is soon scrubbed by the realisation you have to lose money to increase your rank and get to the bigger tables, to try and earn more money to pay back your debt?s.
The 12 achievements are ok, nothing particularly special, but hey, they are pub ? games. I personally like the background music, but there?s the same 2 or 3 tracks playing all the time and eventually they will become annoying, and the graphics have a sort of Fable charm, so I hope the rest of the game looks the same way.
The idea to earn items that can be used in the game, such as a new hairstyle (which is a pretty good hairstyle) is a nice feature, you can also earn more useful tools such as a new gun, a will ring or a new sword. As well as beds, books that you can use to teach your dog tricks (imagine your dog back flipping off a cliff?don?t hate me..) but it will take a long time to earn the necessary prestige to unlock some of the best items.
Theres also some great concept art, showing early pictures of the dog etc..., again, pointless but nice to look at.
In conclusion, the pub games do not bring the glory the press stated they would; indeed they are not that fun. If your mad about Fable 2 (like me) then you?ll already have them, but for people unsure ? steer clear, the games require far to much time to earn the items and money previously stated. Although you don't HAVE to transfer your mony and items to your character - wasn't that the whole point of the pub - games?
