Using their incredible powers of persuasion, the crafty kids at Joystiq have landed an interview with Peter Molyneux. They have also, somehow, managed to play Fable II. And now, they want to talk about it. Molyneux is happy to oblige, talking about the game's moral choices and cooperative gameplay. Molyneux also talks about Fable II's combat system and how it promotes a sense of community. The interview covers a few other topics, including Molyneux's opinion of Too Human ("Dennis Dyack is going to come and kill me now.") -- and the original Fable -- "For me, going back to Fable is a terrible experience." Head over to Joystiq for the full interview.
Lionhead has released a new batch of screenshots from the upcoming Fable II. The six screenshots serve to highlight the variety of possible heroes available to gamers in Peter Molyneux's latest opus. All told we have an evil Slash wannabe, a pirate, a gun-toting gentleman wearing a Mardi Gras mask, a pale, white-haired vixen, a sideburns-sporting, purple-coated hero and ... a man in a dress. Yes, there's quite a bit of variety possible thanks to the many clothing and style options, not to mention the many moral and social choices that alter a characters appearance. And now, thanks to Fable II's Live co-op, you can actually show off your unique hero to your friends.
Check out a hi-res versions of these images in the gallery below.
A while ago we tipped our readers (that's you!) about GameDaily looking for questions to ask Fable II maestro Peter Molyneux. Well kids, the time has come. The 10 Questions feature with Peter Molyneux is now online and ready to read. Molyneux fields questions about the size of the game world (about 12 times bigger), whether or not players can choose their breed of dog (nope) and whether or not he dreams about Fable II (yup). We should probably warn big Fable II fans that the piece contains no major revelations about the game, but then there really isn't much left to reveal. For example, Molyneux does not confirm any player-vs-player support in Fable II, though he does admit "It would be cool to fight against other heroes, as everyone's hero will be unique."
Yes, it would be cool, wouldn't it? Head over to GameDaily for the full feature.
It looks like Amazon is looking to grab the attention of 360 RPG gamers, because the company is currently listing the Fable II Limited Collector's Edition for $66.99, a full $13.00 off the retail price. Our instinct is to believe it must be an incorrect listing, but the page makes it quite clear that the listed price is 16% off retail and it includes the correct October 21 release date. So, if you're looking for some Fable goodness on the cheap (don't forget that pre-ordering at Amazon also nabs you the Fable II Pub Games for free), head over to Amazon and snatch one of these babies up. If you do so successfully, be sure to mention it in the comments!
The Tales of Albion, a website designed to fill gamers in on the back story of Fable II, has been updated with a new section. Entitled "Fall of the Heroes," it chronicles the journey of one young hero who has just graduated from the Heroes Guild. As the name implies, this particular section of the Tales of Albion deals with civil unrest caused by heroes after the events of the first Fable. Let's just say that the adventure embarked upon by the young hero is not a happy one. One interesting note, this section of the Tales of Albion includes screenshots of locations from the original Fable in each chapter. Here's hoping the final section, "Travels in Today's Albion," will show us how these locations have changed over the years between Fable and Fable II.
It may not be as exciting as, say, the actual release of Fable II, but we are required by gaming law to inform you that Lionhead has posted new Fable II wallpaper. There are four such wallpapers, three of which feature the citizens of Bowerstone or Bloodstone. Bloodstone, by the looks of it, is full of some less than savory characters, including a man sporting what appear to be rouged knees and a sign that reads "Call me Doris." Whatever you say, Doris.
Hardcore gamers rejoice for Bionic Commando Rearmed is finally here! What's more, it's good. Definitely not for the faint of heart though, so take heed. We also get Fable II Pub Games, which are ... pub games. While they may look simple on the outside, make no mistake because they are very addictive. The only problem: no online multiplayer. That actually applies to Bionic Commando as well, though it does have offline co-op and versus multiplayer. Overall, we've got two solid games this week, and one of them is free if you pre-order Fable II. Check out the latest episode of XBLA in Brief to see if either one is worth your hard-earned MS Points.
[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.
[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).
[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
Lionhead dropped a veritable bomb today, announcing the release date for Fable 2 along with its XBLA Pub Games. On top of that, we now know the entire contents of the Limited Collectors Edition. Fable 2 will hit US shelves on October 21 and will land in Europe on Oct 24. The Fable 2 Pub Games will arrive on Xbox Live Arcade on Aug 13. Pub Games will be available for free to those who pre-order Fable 2 "at participating retailers", while those who haven't can snag them for 800 Microsoft Points. We're not sure which retailers are participating, but we imagine we'll find out soon enough.
The Limited Collector's Edition of Fable 2 will retail for $79.99 and will include:
The bonus DVD includes a "Making-of Feature" and a concept art viewer. The in-game content includes "'The Hall of the Dead' Dungeon, 'The Wreckager' Legendary Cutlass Weapon and Otherworldly Bonus." We're not exactly sure what Fate Cards are (like Tarot cards maybe?) but all in all the Collector's Edition sounds very hefty indeed. Now everyone has just over two months to start saving for it.
If you've ever wanted the chance to pick Peter Molyneux's brain without going to the trouble of concocting a brilliant kidnapping scheme, now is your chance. GameDaily has chosen Fable 2 creator Peter Molyneux as its next participant in its 10 Questions series. We're not terribly familiar with the series, but we're guessing that the questionee (that would be Molyneux) will be asked 10 questions by the questioner (GameDaily). The twist here is that the questions will be submitted by gamers just ... like ... you. Head over to GameDaily and submit your questions. Be quick though, as GameDaily will stop accepting questions on August 7.
If it wasn't for those Microsoft PR wranglers, Peter Molyneux would sing like a blue-jay regarding upcoming Lionhead projects. But that's in a perfect world, darn those PR wranglers. Though, Molyneux isn't gagged completely as Eurogamer found out after probing Molyneux about his interest in MMOs.
When asked about his interest in MMOs, Peter Molyneux gestured over to his PR wrangler saying that "there's someone in this room to make sure that I don't say too much about that question", but did confirm his interests in the genre saying that "I have been looking at MMOs". He continued, "I love the interaction, and I'm fascinated by the idea of really feeling secure and cool enough to actually do it." Just then, as juicy Lionhead MMO information was about to roll from his lips, Peter was silenced by his wrangler. If you ask us, a Lionhead developed MMO sounds delicious.
Alongside Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts at the Microsoft press reception earlier this week was Lionhead's anticipated Fable 2. For the first time, I was able to test out all of the game's combat options, perform social interactions -- including playing with the adorable dog -- and glimpse the game's story, which once again begins during the hero's childhood. While much has been said about how Fable 2 innovates on the concepts in the first game, what I really took away from the demo is that the game is essentially just more of what was great about the original Fable with plenty of refinements. In other words, it's good stuff with more good stuff added to it. Read on for new hands on details.
Microsoft is set to announce a 2 player online co-op mode for Fable 2 to go along with the drop-in drop-out offline co-op mode already announced at GDC 2008. The online mode seems to be the missing piece of details regarding the anticipated role-playing adventure. Expect to be able to play through the entire story with a friend when the game releases -- which is expected to be this fall.
Fable 2 from developer Lionhead Studios is the anticipated sequel to the popular 2004 role-playing game for the Xbox. Recently it was revealed the title would do away with a HUD and cutscenes to tell a more immersible story as well as the ability to create your own henchmen, to abide by your good or evil bidding.
[Update: We've got the details on how online co-op will function: In the game world you'll see purple floating spheres which represent the location of your friends in their own single player games. All you'll need to do is approach the orb, and you'll be able to bring your friend into your game. And this is available at any time, from the beginning of the game to the end]
Fable 2 community guru Sam has posted a hopeful (and obviously tired) developer blog over at the Lionhead community site. It seems like the crew at Lionhead has been in crunch mode for quite, working late nights with no days off. Sam notes, "The work is done, sort of. Not really, but most of it is." We feel for them, we really do, but we must admit that's not the interesting part of the blog. This is: "E3, next week. A lot is going to be happening. You'll just have to wait and see what exactly, but if any of you say 'this wasn't worth it' I will chase you and burn down your house." Dare we hope that our Fable 2 online co-op prognostication will finally come to be? We already scratched off one of our bingo spaces, here's hoping for another.
Oh, and the game will be playable at E3 and, yes, we will be playing it.
Really want to play some Fable 2 co-op but don't have a character to import? No problem! Revealed in an upcoming OXM UK article, Peter Molyneux has made it known that second players will be able to create and customize their own henchmen in a flash. Plugging in a second controller brings up a menu which then allows the second player to create a new henchman and carry on playing. Sounds like just the ticket for some casual gaming friends who don't want to bother creating their own full character. The full Fable 2 preview will be in the next issue of the UK's Official Xbox Magazine, which goes on sale tomorrow. We expect details of that article will hit the net shortly thereafter, so stay tuned.
Keeping tabs on the Lionhead Studios website, as we are wont to do, we noticed that the website was down for a significant amount of time last week for upgrades. It is now live once again sporting fancy new layouts and even a new feature or two. Undoubtedly, the biggest new feature is the Tales of Albion, which is essentially a digital story book. You can crack it open and read the first section entitled "Fragments of the Old Kingdom," which tells the story of Albion's past. Two other sections -- "Fall of the Heroes" and "Travels in Today's Albion" -- will detail events that occurred between the first Fable and Fable 2. If you're a Fable nut, go check it out.
If it wasn't for those Microsoft PR wranglers, Peter Molyneux would sing like a blue-jay regarding upcoming Lionhead projects. But that's in a perfect world, darn those PR wranglers. Though, Molyneux isn't gagged completely as Eurogamer found out after probing Molyneux about his interest in MMOs.
