Lionhead chief Peter Molyneux has changed. While he’s certainly remained one of the most outspoken and earnest voices of the games industry, his addiction to hyperbolic statement, especially in regard to his own creations, has subsided somewhat.

Back in the days preceding the release of the first Fable, Mr Molyneux fired out over-enthusiastic boasts at a rate that stunned journos and gamers alike. His own creation in his role as the series’ auteur, the game that was once entitled Project Ego – a little close to home maybe? – the man himself even went as far as to state that Fable would be “the best game ever made”. While Fable was both critically and publicly lauded as a very good game, it did go some way to putting chins in the hands of those who would listen, along with the will to stroke them. But unlike certain ‘other’ project leads of late (naming no names, Denis), rather than challenge those who raised voices of dissent, he instead stated simply “If I have mentioned any feature in the past which, for whatever reason, didn’t make it as I described into Fable, I apologise.” It all made it in, Pete, just perhaps not in the same revolutionary ways you described.

And now comes Fable II.

But where are the grand statements? Where are the declarations of perfection? It would appear a far more cautious approach has been adopted this time around. That some realisation has been struck upon that if a game is unable to stand up to the outlandish promises of its creator, then more harm than good is inflicted upon it. Which is a shame for two reasons: firstly, because we actually like and indeed share Mr Molyneux’s charming enthusiasm for his creations. But perhaps more importantly, because Fable II is absolutely bloody brilliant.

As in the first Fable, you’ll begin your adventures as a child. To get the narrative ball rolling, whether or not you choose to be a boy or a girl, the first quest you’ll be offered will be the same for all. It acts both as a tutorial, gently easing you into the world of Albion, and to nicely kick-start the narrative, introducing you to some of the game’s main characters. As before, from childhood onwards the decisions you make will affect your alignment. Alignment is the lynchpin of how your character affects the world and the people who dwell within it. For example, traders will give you better deals if they like you, while children will run screaming from you on sight if you set yourself along a path to the dark side.

… continued