Fable A Hero's Journey

Knothole Island Now Available

2009-01-15T14:07:00.000+01:00

Just a heads up folks, that the first piece of Fable 2 game content is now available for download on the Marketplace for 800 Microsoft points.
The Knothole Island DLC pack weighs in at a hefty 531.75 mbs and includes new quests, locations, characters, rare weapons, new clothes and new potions. If you're still undecided, you can check out the Knothole Island page over at the Lionhead site or check back tomorrow for our mini DLC review.

Lionhead Releases Fable 2 Patch

2009-01-15T13:48:00.001+01:00

So, now that we finally got word that Lionhead Studios will be releasing the first "expansion pack" for Fable 2 coming tomorrow (as confirmed on its developer blog), a patch was released to fix certain bugs. The patch mostly takes care of some order maitenance before the masses download the newest update package costing you 10 bucks. The following issues include...

The Ritual/Monk's QuestFixed the issue with the Abbott becoming unresponsive if you leave Oakfield before he finishes talking. This will fix the problem if you've already hit it, too.

Rescuing Charlie/Rescue My BabyAfter rescuing Charlie, you can now able to interact with objects

Guild Cave chestResolves any issues with previously inability to retrieve items unlocked from Limited Collector's Edition, website or Chicken Kickin' game. If you've already hit this bug you should now get your items.

The Spire (Pt2)No more issues with ship captain being unresponsive

The Hero of Skill (Pirate King)You'll no longer get stuck during Hero of Skill quest (Bloodstone)

T.O.B.Y./Trouble In BloodstoneYou'll no longer get stuck during

T.O.B.Y. quests (Bloodstone) Furniture Shop in Albion (Bowerstone)Will now always have something for sale

Fable 2 Named Most Animal-Friendly Video Game

2009-01-07T08:03:00.001+01:00

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals association has named Lionhead's Fable II the Most Animal-Friendly Video Game of 2008. Why they picked Fable II? Here is the explanation:

Created by Microsoft Game Studios, Fable 2 is a vegetarian's dream come true. Why? In this virtual fight between good and evil, characters powered by tofu are just as powerful as their meat-eating counterparts—and are more fit and attractive to boot. Featuring a strong pro-vegetarian theme, eating a plant-based diet helps you rack up "purity" points, whereas eating meat makes your character fat and evil. A fun and innovative game, it's also an effective tool that teaches gamers the real-life benefits of a vegetarian diet.

Fable II is Telegraph’s game of the year

2008-12-18T09:14:00.000+01:00

Lionhead’s Fable II is the Daily Telegraph’s game of the year, leading a list of 50 potential candidates.
The UK paper put Fallout 3 at second and LittleBigPlanet at third. GTA IV managed a paltry seventh: probably wasn’t the right sort, if you catch my drift, sah.

Get the full top 50 after the break. Thanks, MCV.

1. Fable II (Microsoft)
2. Fallout 3 (Bethesda)
3. LittleBigPlanet (Sony)
4. RockBand 2 (EA)
5. Gears of War 2 (Microsoft)
6. Spore (EA)
7. Grand Theft Auto IV (Rockstar)
8. No More Heroes (Rising Star)
9. Left 4 Dead (EA)
10. Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo)

Fable 2 DLC Delayed “Until Late January 2009″

2008-12-18T09:08:00.000+01:00

In a bit of unfortunate holiday season news, the Fable 2 DLC, Knothole Island, is being delayed (again) due to unexpected technical difficulties. On Xbox.com, the DLC’s page reads:
“Due to unexpected technical difficulties, the Fable II: Knothole Island expansion will not be available until late January 2009. As a result, the Fable II, Knothole Island Download and Win, originally scheduled to take place December 22 – 23, 2008, has been temporarily suspended. Please check back for updates.”
The DLC will include a new landmass with new quests, properties, items, and enemies. In addition, Lionhead had planned on releasing two versions: a premium (paid) and a free. The premium version would allow players full access to the content, while the free would offer restricted access, opened up if they were playing with a friend who had purchased the premium version. Could that be the source of the “technical issues”? Who knows.
No word yet on when the contest will take place now that the DLC is delayed. It was going to enter players who played the DLC between December 22 and 23 into a drawing for some nice prizes, so hopefully they’ll kick it off again once the DLC is released “in late January” and not much later than that.
And while it sucks that the DLC is delayed again, I’m sure plenty of Fable 2 players are glad that they’re at least putting this release through better QA.

Fable 2 Wins X-Play's 2008 Game of the Year Award

2008-12-10T07:49:00.000+01:00

Fallout 3, Grand Theft Auto 4, Metal Gear Solid 4, Left 4 Dead, Resistance 2, and Gears of War 2 all got nominated, but when it came down to it, Fable 2 walked away with X-Play's Game of the Year award. It's just the first of many outlets' awards shows, but looking at that list it probably comes as something of a surprise for many to see Fable 2 emerge victorious. Peter Molyneux, creative director at developer Lionhead Studios, talked in some detail about the game during his acceptance interview via satellite. Molyneux pointed to the diverse experiences players have with the game coupled with its easy accessibility as the foundation of its appeal. Molyneux noted their choice to use the breadcrumb trail as opposed to a traditional mini map as another example of how they simplified playing the game without sacrificing content.
Molyneux also discussed some their upcoming DLC plans for Fable 2. He explained that continuing the flow of content for the game has always been part of the plan and that it would range from new storylines and monsters to fight all the way to new gameplay elements.
And never one to shy away from dropping a few rumor-fostering hints Molyneux wrapped things up by saying that Lionhead is at work on two big projects. One of them he described as something familiar, the other as pushing them very hard. Uh, and that's it. After warning that he was secluded from PR supervision we expected a little bit more than the announcement of when we'd actually get to hear something, but that's what we got. Molyneux said he hopes to start pulling back the curtain on their new project at next year's GDC. Let the wild Internet speculation begin.

Fable II Knothole Island DLC Pack Screenshots

2008-12-04T07:40:00.002+01:00

Starting mid-December 2008, fans will be summoned back into Albion's service with the release of the Knothole Island downloadable content pack. The remote island of Knothole is dying: its golden sands and lush vegetation are covered with snow, its people freezing, its treasures buried. Only a hero can face the trials of the three shrines to bring back the sunshine. With the release of the first Fable II downloadable content, available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points, gamers will be invited to set sail for Knothole Island, where new quests, wondrous items and bizarre characters await.

DLC Coming to Fable 2 and The Last Remnant

2008-11-27T08:57:00.000+01:00

The video game industry gets a hat trick this week for DLC announcements. In addition to the DLC announced for Fallout 3 on the Xbox 360 and PC, DLC will also be coming to Fable 2 for the Xbox 360 and The Last Remnant, which is currently out on the Xbox 360 and scheduled for release on the PC and PlayStation 3 in the future.
The meat of the upcoming Fable 2 DLC is the Knothole Island pack. After downloading this pack, players will be able to travel to Knothole Island, which was once a paradise but is now dying, freezing, and covered with snow. The trials of the three shrines must be faced to return Knothole Island to its previous state. The Knothole Island DLC pack will cost some measure of Microsoft points, but Lionhead Studios is also providing a free DLC pack. The free pack will be a required download for players who want to play co-op with others who have already downloaded Knothole Island. Both free and paid downloaders of this content will receive bonus gifts including Knight's Boots, Assassins Gloves, a special Weight Loss Potion, a collectible silver book, and more. This DLC should be released sometime in mid-December.
Those who are looking for more challenges from The Last Remnant will be interested in its DLC for the Xbox 360 which was just announced today. Four DLC packs will be available for The Last Remnant, all of them free except for one. The first free pack, called Challenge Pack 1: Purgatory's Sins, will be released on December 1 for Xbox Live Gold members and December 8 for Silver members, and contains some extra-challenging guild tasks. The second free pack, called The Key of the Ancient Ruins, will put a key to some ancient ruins into players' hands, and has the same release schedule as the first pack. The third free pack, Challenge Pack 2: The Price of Lies, will release on December 22 for Gold members and December 29 for Silver members, and will add even more challenging guild tasks. The fourth pack will cost 100 Microsoft points, will release on December 15 for all Live members, and will unlock the Scatterswarm, Goblet, and Catapult formations, which were previously only available with a pre-order code.

Fable II Premium Downloadable Content

2008-11-25T08:05:00.004+01:00

Microsoft just announced that as of December 12th, gamers will be able to get more out of the world of Albion. As of that morning, they will release the first downloadable content pack for Fable II, making a lot of people very happy. I know I will be. But this is another example of how developers are getting the most out of games by offering DLC and extra content. It’s a trend I like and I hope will continue.
Microsoft announced that the DLC for Fable II will include an excursion to Knothole Island, where your hero must undergo the trial of three shrines in order to save the inhabitants of the island. There will be new characters, new quests and a lot of new treasure available in this pack…for a mere 800 Microsoft points.
In addition, the developers are also offering a free download available in the LIVE Marketplace. Players will be able to engage in co-op play with a friend, but they will need to download both the free and the premium packs in order to do so. Plus, when you download either DLC pack, you will receive free gifts of armor, potions, etc. Basically, Lionhead and Microsoft are giving us Christmas a few weeks early.

Fable 2 Announcement Pushed Back Due to NXE

2008-11-20T12:51:00.003+01:00

The big Fable 2 announcement that Lionhead teased last week has been pushed back due to a request from Microsoft, according to a post on the Lionhead blog. "The big bods over in Redmond decided that, this week wasn't the time to tell you what the announcement is we have ready here in Guilford," the post states. With the arrival of the New Xbox Experience, Microsoft probably didn't want any news to steal their thunder; or more likely, they didn't want the Fable 2 announcement to be lost amid all the NXE launch hype. So rather than compete with it, Lionhead has opted to add to it. The post goes on to say, "to celebrate the launch of the New Xbox Experience, we've created an all-new Fable 2 theme for your dashboard." You can see it above, and download it onto your Xbox 360 once you go through the update process.
The big announcement is now set for next week, on Monday the 24th. That should give users sufficient time to play with their Avatars and Netflix rentals, so we don't expect any more delays. We'll let you know what the announcment is as soon as we know.

Fable II Patch: Status Update

2008-11-12T01:41:00.002+01:00

"We're fully aware that some of you have experienced bugs in Fable II and we're really sorry for that. As we posted in an earlier blog entry, we have been keeping a close eye on our own forums and have received and read your (many) emails to our webmaster.

We are currently working on an update (aka patch) to address several of these issues (such as the 'Abbot bug') and are shooting to have this out by mid December or earlier.

You can also take a look at this list of workarounds." http://community.lionhead.com

Published Friday, November 07, 2008 4:51 PM by Sam

Fable II: Big Announcement Next Week

2008-11-12T01:30:00.001+01:00

Lionhead has announced there will be quite a big announcement next week regarding Fable II. The development team said:

Normally, we don't like to tease too much. You know, all this hype being generated by teasing the announcement that there will be an announcement in X-number of days. Who cares? But in this day and age where a gazillion titles are asking for your attention, I felt it might be the right thing to do on the blog. We've got some G o o d [Good] news for all Fable II fans next week, dare I even say it's quite a big announcement? Yes of course I dare say it's a big announcement regarding Fable II, next week!

Fable 2 soundtrack set for release

2008-11-08T09:36:00.001+01:00

If you've been playing Fable 2 a lot lately and are unable to get the game's music out of your head, then you're in luck. Sumthing Else Music has announced that it will be releasing the Fable 2 Original Soundtrack over iTunes, as well as on the more conventional CD format.

The game's score was handled predominately by Lionhead man Russell Shaw, with Danny Elfman (he wrote The Simpson's theme, as well as hordes of other stuff) chipping in on a few pieces. Apparently it took 90 musicians to record the score in Bratislava, at the Slovak Radio Concert Hall, which sounds rather impressive.

The full track listing is as follows:

1. Fable Theme - Russell Shaw (Music Box Theme – Danny Elfman)
2. Old Town - Russell Shaw
3. Bowerstone Cemetery - Russell Shaw
4. Bowerlake - Russell Shaw
5. Wraithmarsh - Russell Shaw (Music Box Theme – Danny Elfman)
6. Fairfax Castle - Russell Shaw
7. Westcliff - Russell Shaw
8. Oakfield - Russell Shaw
9. Bowerstone Market - Russell Shaw
10. Shadow of Evil - Russell Shaw
11. Howling Halls - Russell Shaw
12. Marcus Memorial - Russell Shaw

The Fable 2 Original Soundtrack will be released on the 25th of November.

GAME REVIEW: Fable 2 delves deeper into fantasy, freedom

2008-11-06T10:46:00.001+01:00

With all the economic instability and political uncertainty all around us these days, the timing couldn't be better for an open-world fantasy game you could lose yourself in for a few weeks. Microsoft Game Studios' ambitious Fable 2 is now available for the Xbox 360, and while not a flawless role-playing game (RPG) it delivers a deep and detailed world for mature players.

As with its 4-year-old predecessor (which sold 3 million copies on the original Xbox), much of Fable II is about choices and consequences. At many times throughout the game players will be faced with moral decisions that will shape their character and future interactions in the huge world of Albion. For example, early on in the game you're asked to deliver a love letter to a heartbroken woman. When you walk into her home, however, you're offered a gold piece by her nasty mother, who doesn't want her daughter seeing this man, and you can take the money and run or go upstairs to hand the letter to its rightful recipient (she also gives you a coin for your trouble, by the way).
A traumatic event concludes the first act, when you're a child, and sets the vengeful tone for the majority of the game. Will you be good or evil or somewhere in between? Depending on your actions, your character's appearance will also morph over time (similarly, if you eat too much to regain your health, opposed to drinking potions, you can become overweight).
While accepting missions and exploring the lands, players can do just about anything in this virtual world. Accompanied by your loyal dog (who can help sniff out trouble or treasure), you can buy, sell or rent out properties, or own shops; take on jobs such as bounty hunter, assassin or blacksmith (providing an additional revenue stream); fight human- and creature-based enemies and recruit others to aid in your cause; learn new skills and acquire better weapons and items; get married and have children, and so forth.
While not available on the disc at launch, Xbox 360 owners can download a patch that offers the much-hyped online "co-op" multiplayer mode, so at any time you can jump into a friend's game and explore the world together, and then bring the experience points, gold and items back to your game. Note: This feature wasn't available in our early copy of the game. A second gamer can also play on the same TV by simply picking up an Xbox 360 controller and pressing the Start button.
While certainly a well-crafted quest, combat is too simplistic (whether you choose to specialize in melee, range or magic abilities, or a combination of all three); the characters don't look nearly as good as the impressive environments and weather effects; and the map (accessible in the Pause menu) is horrible, so players will likely rely on the shimmery breadcrumb trail that leads you to important objectives.
Overall, however, Fable II is an enchanting RPG with clever (and quite humorous) dialogue, expansive locations and non-repetitive missions to suck you deep into this fantasy tale. It was worth the wait, and more-or-less lives up to the tremendous hype, so players shouldn't be disappointed with this open-ended epic.

Review by Marc Saltzman (the Star Press)

Limited Fate Cards

2008-10-30T12:26:00.004+01:00

We know a few of you lost all fate in the Limited Collector’s Edition of Fable II after the announcement a few weeks ago, not to worry though. Today we’re putting the fate back in! Because we couldn’t include the beautiful fate cards in the LCE of Fable II we’re now offering them as a download to everyone! They’re being presented in .PDF format and can be easily downloaded and printed.

Download all five Fate Cards here:

Fable II fixes on the way

2008-10-30T09:04:00.001+01:00

Like every other game these days, releasing it without bugs is almost impossible so it seems. Fable II is no exception to this. As many of you noticed there are some bugs in the game and the Abbot Quest is one of those notorious issues in the community. For those who own the game there is some good and bad news.
The good news is that the issue will be fixed. In a recent interview Lionhead Community Manager Sam van Tilburgh talked about the problem and how it’s a top priority for them.
“We’re keeping a close eye on our forums, while a lot of the issues reported are not issues with the game necessarily, some of them are, however and so we’re looking at those, plus some (like the Abbot Quest) have been fixed already. The biggest issue is when people report a show stopping issue on our forums without enough information for us to reproduce it. Regarding the ETA for said patch, there is no news yet.”
The bad news is that no information about the arrival of the patch has been announced.
By the looks of it they stretched the concept of good and evil a bit far and are even using it in the release schedule of patches and fixes. Let’s hope they don’t keep us waiting too long to get these issues resolved.
Are you also experiencing issues with Fable II or are you enjoying your jobs, families, farting jokes and open world of Fable II way too much to be bothered with glitches? Let us know in the comments below.

Fable II LE Code Solution Live - Microsoft Is Watching

2008-10-30T08:58:00.001+01:00

Some purchasers of the Fable II Limited Edition last week were surprised to find the promised DLC codes absent from their packages. Now Microsoft has set up a system to get the codes out to LE owners, which can be found here, but be warned - Microsoft is keeping an eye out for those trying to scam the system by requesting codes without having purchased the LE. Lionhead community manager Sam Van Tilburgh
We are incredibly sorry and apologize to anyone frustrated by this process. We have been focused on ensuring that our North American LCE customers impacted by this retail issue are quickly taken care of and receive their codes in a timely manner. It was the quickest solution we could implement to address the issue. Microsoft will be monitoring submissions from users looking to abuse the system but I can’t discuss what those measures specific to this solution are.
So everyone who is emailing with tips regarding free limited edition DLC for everyone might want to rethink that idea. Not sure what measures they could possibly take, but the warning certainly sounds ominous, doesn't it? Hit the jump for Sam's full response to our inquiry.
Microsoft’s first concern is to get content into the hands of LCE customers in North America who did not receive a code in their retail package. There will be people that try to game the system - we are tracking requests and gamertags associated. We are focused on ensuring that our North American LCE customers impacted by this retail issue are quickly taken care of and receive their codes in a timely manner.
We are incredibly sorry and apologize to anyone frustrated by this process. We have been focused on ensuring that our North American LCE customers impacted by this retail issue are quickly taken care of and receive their codes in a timely manner. It was the quickest solution we could implement to address the issue. Microsoft will be monitoring submissions from users looking to abuse the system but I can’t discuss what those measures specific to this solution are.

Missing downloadable content cards

2008-10-29T16:33:00.001+01:00

Some copies of Fable II Limited Collector's Edition missing downloadable content cards

We have identified that some copies of the “Fable II” Limited Collector’s Edition are missing the downloadable content (DLC) cards, which give access to in-game bonus content. This represents a small fraction of the total number of “Fable II” games shipped and sold, and is contained to the Limited Collector’s Edition of the game in North America. We apologize for the inconvenience.
If you have purchased a copy of the “Fable II” Limited Collector’s Edition that appears to be missing the DLC card, please enter your Windows LIVE ID here. Codes* will be sent out via email to the email address associated with your Windows LIVE ID within 5 working days.
*Only one token code per Windows LIVE ID. Website fulfillment of this offer expires on 12/31/2008.

Lionhead to address 'Fable 2' glitch

2008-10-29T16:24:00.000+01:00

Lionhead Studios has revealed that it is working to fix a glitch that exists in the new Fable 2 game.

At the beginning of the Monk's Quest in Oakfield, players have complained that the Abbot becomes unresponsive if they run away from him in the middle of his speech and leave the region - effectively ending the game.

Lionhead told gamers via its forums that when you encounter the Abbot you should listen to everything he has to say and finish the cut-scene before doing as you please.

The developer said: "This is an isolated issue, but we are currently looking into it as a matter of priority...If you have already encountered this issue, there is unfortunately no work-around at this time, but we will keep you updated on any progress made."

They were also keen to point out that with a game the size of Fable 2, some things were sure to slip through the net during development.

Fable II review gametrailers.com

2008-10-29T16:11:00.002+01:00

'Fable 2' tops all-format chart

2008-10-29T16:00:00.003+01:00

Lionhead Studios' Fable 2 has gone straight in at the top of the all-format chart, holding off Far Cry 2, which debuts at number two.Four new titles made it into the top ten this week, with Dead Space and Midnight Club: Los Angeles being the other two entries at number six and number ten respectively.Last week's number one, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, drops three places to number four, while FIFA 09 falls from second to third.

1. (-) Fable 2 (Microsoft)
2. (-) Far Cry 2 (Ubisoft)
3. (2) FIFA 09 (Electronic Arts)
4. (1) Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (Konami)
5. (3) Saints Row 2 (THQ)
6. (-) Dead Space (Electronic Arts)
7. (4) Lego Batman: The Videogame (Warner Bros. Interactive)
8. (5) Wii Fit (Nintendo)
9. (6) Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo)
10. (-) Midnight Club: Los Angeles (Take-2)

Peter Molyneux Discusses How Fable 2 Has Changed His Attitude

2008-10-29T15:49:00.000+01:00

Creator explains what went right and wrong and what changed during development.

In an interview with European game developer magazine Develop, Lionhead's Peter Molyneux took time to discuss the process of making Fable 2 and his own value as creative guide for his team. The interview covers Molyneux's thought on the popular 360 title in the wake of its launch and looks back on changes made as a result of the company's earlier development efforts -- including the original Fable:
"We also had a long list of complaints about what was wrong with Fable. So when it came to the sequel we went down that list and said we can definitely solve that, fix this, more of this, and so on. That's things like demands for more weapons, and a world that's three times bigger -- all of those kind of requests. We ended up with a feature-set that would make a pretty good sequel."Molyneux goes on to explain that while Fable succeeded on many levels the team was dedicated to making some changes the second time around.
"We first looked at our capabilities and worked out what our strengths and weaknesses were. One of the weaknesses was writing, so we hired scripters, stagers, scriptwriters, screenwriters from Hollywood, and we acted out the entirety of the game and story -- this was all before we had any tech. We let them rewrite and improvise it, all in order to get it right. That was done entirely at Shepperton Studios. It was a real learning process for us.
"And...at that point, I realized how terribly I had approached game design at that point. I realized that a fundamental error I made was mistakenly believing that if you added more and more features into a game it would make a game great."
The interview itself is fairly lengthy and frank, showing that the hype backlash Lionhead and Molyneux himself experienced over the last few game releases have caused him to reflect a bit more on what he does as a creator and how he manages his projects. Check out the extensive coverage of Fable II here on 1UP, including our recent review of the game, to see if we think this new attitude has paid off in the final product.