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Labeling Fable II as ambitious would almost be selling it short. For the past four years Peter Molyneux and his team at Lionhead Studios have been working diligently to correct past mistakes and assure the same overly-innovative stigma that plagued the series' previous installment didn't repeat itself this time around, and for the most part their efforts have come to fruition. Not only is Fable II a smashing success, but in a way we are at last treated to the groundbreaking adventure that was promised so very long ago. For all intents and purposes, we may finally have a product that's a clear reflection of its creator's wonderful and ingenious mind.
Much like a fairy tale, Fable II thrusts you into a world of poverty, where the constant struggle to survive weighs heavily on you and your older sister. With little food, no money, and only an alleyway to officially call home at night, it's clear that hope is dwindling by the minute. One day, however, you come across a traveling merchant who claims to have a magical box for sale, which is allegedly capable of granting the buyer a single wish. Unfortunately, it costs a whopping five gold pieces. Intent on changing your lives forever, the decision is made to somehow collect the gold needed, and roll the dice on what could be a complete hoax. Turns out, not only was the magical box special in a number of ways, but the events surrounding it have changed the lives of everyone around you.
Fast forward ten years and you discover Fable's already been crafting the world you live in, regardless of whether or not you realized it. Every action you performed during your childhood years has played major roles in deciding the type of person you're as an adult, along with the aura of the city that surrounds you. Any merchants or business owners you helped in the past are likely flourishing in present day, while choosing to facilitate with thieves and criminals will have likely led to an economic downfall. This is honestly only a small taste of what is soon to follow, though. Decisions will soon become much tougher to make, with morale dilemmas and direct consequences seemingly looming around each corner. It's now up to you to determine the type of hero or villain you wish to be.
This is of course accomplished in a number of diverse ways. You'll spend much of your time in or around bustling cities, so it's important to know that your actions towards their inhabitants will determine how well you're received. With hundreds of options at your disposal, you quickly realize that Fable II is hardly interested in holding your hand; in fact it almost encourages free will. If becoming a dashing hero is your desire, there are a number of decisions that will lead you down that particular path. For starters, choosing to eat right will help tremendously - consuming too many pies will cause you to put on weight, while eating vegetables like celery and carrots can have the opposite effect. You may also want to visit the various appearance merchants (tailor, stylist, and tattoo artists) located throughout town for some extra help. Having the right haircut, expensive outfit, or body art can cause some citizens to instantly respect or fall in love with you. And likewise, gorging yourself on fat-filled pies, disgusting amounts of liquor, or stenciling a tribal tattoo on your face will likely have an adverse effect. People in general will be less attracted to you, and therefore treat you accordingly.
Of course, superficial makeovers will only get you so far in the world of Albion, so using the Expression Wheel to further aid your agenda is a must. Any expressions at your disposal will fall into five main categories: Social, Rude, Scary, Flirty and Fun. With several more commands buried deep within each main class, there are dozens of ways to interact with each person you come across. You can show off trophies you've earned (most often a souvenir from a past battle), buy and give gifts, dance, laugh, spew pick-up lines, taunt, persuade others to follow you, and much much more. These commands can cause numerous reactions; some people will fall in love, some will fear or hate you, and some will even offer presents if you sweet talk them enough. You may even discover a lifelong partner before it's through. Keep in mind, though, that maintaining a marriage can be tough work. You not only need to purchase a ring, but also a suitable house, as well as provide your spouse with a monthly allowance. You can also build a family together, but make sure you use protection while behind closed doors if you want to bypass the children aspect, or you'll likely have several rug-rats scattering around the house before you know it. Failing to properly care for your family can lead to divorce, though, so make sure you're prepared for those long journeys away from home.
It's during these adventures and quests that you'll further determine the outcome of your character's overall image, along with discovering the surprisingly deep combat system. Anytime you defeat enemies you will be rewarded with multiple types of XP Orbs, which then can be spent on increasing any of the three combat discipline tiers (Strength, Skill, and Will). Strength is where you'll learn counterattacks, stack on muscle mass, and further your overall resiliency towards damage. Skill should be concentrated on for those looking to become more deadly with ranged weapons by increasing reload speed and boosting their accuracy. And lastly, Will is composed of numerous types of magic to unleash; Chaos (confuses enemies), Inferno (scorches opponents with flames), Raise Dead (calls upon spectral soles as allies), and Vortex (powerful windstorm that hurls all in its path) are just a few to choose from. And depending on the path you pay most attention to, you can alter your appearance without really knowing it. Casting spells will cause you to grow taller while at the same time line your skin with magical blue lines. Alternatively, you could end up beaming with muscle mass if you purchased multiple Strength upgrades and focused on combat instead. Nothing you do here will affect your morality, or send you down the path of good or evil, but these decisions will ultimately be just as important in the grand scheme of things. 
Thankfully, there are many more things that make the world of Albion seem utterly lifelike. Your pet dog (who you can name, play fetch with, scold, etc.) is faithful as ever to you. Not only will he pounce on downed enemies, but his appearance will change over time to reflect your morale alignment. He will also frequently reveal hidden paths and treasures, and you can even upgrade his abilities by finding or buying training books. The fact that you can literally buy and own almost any establishment is impressive as well. What's especially nice is that you can rent out your property to other citizens and receive a hefty paycheck from time to time. The same applies for shops, too; just make sure you treat your employees with respect or the business and your reputation will suffer for it. Own enough property and you can even buy the local castle and become King or Queen. Take the less-respected road though, and you could wind up in jail instead for a number of different crimes. Assault, Drunk and Disorderly Conduct, Extortion, Harassment, and Murder are just a few of the violations you can commit, and is honestly just another example of how brilliant Fable II is in its execution.
Not all is perfect, though. For starters the draw distance and pop-up are pretty sub-standard at times. At its worse you can honestly watch 10 or so feet in front of your character and witness shrubbery and plant life sprout right before your eyes. It's not that bad all the time, but does occasionally distract from the otherwise gorgeous environments. The map system is also overly frustrating and downright confusing. Not only is the map fairly small in size but you don't have the option of zooming in or making it larger. Furthermore, each map has a legend of places and interests associated with it, but sometimes they are very vague in detail (miscellaneous shop?). The world map, which can be only partially viewed, also lack any landmarks or information on it, so it's almost impossible to know where cities lie in accordance to one another.
Really though, these minor annoyances aren't enough to Keep Fable II from being both entertaining, and nearly perfect in its execution. Not only is the replay value steep, but the beautiful score, top-notch voice over, and endless character customization only help you become enthralled in the superb narrative from start to finish. Throw in on-the-fly seamless multiplayer, and you're left with one of the best games to grace the Xbox 360 in quite some time.
