See Glimpse The Future

by TWODOGSz

© 2009 Aaron Bertinetti:- NE (News Editor)

Whilst it may not have been the game of the year for some, I have no doubt that Fable 2 was one of last year’s most important. The franchise is now established as one that will continue to push itself in style and form, and in turn broaden its appeal beyond its RPG roots.

Its evolution of long accepted mechanics and gameplay was largely glazed over by those expecting a more traditional RPG or an explicit blockbuster with a set list of PR friendly features.

The latest DLC package “See The Future” provides (perhaps) a timely reminder of Lionhead’s ingenuity and endless passion for ideas, even when some are as flawed as others are perfect.

But “See The Future” also promises we’ll learn a lot more about the evolution of the franchise.

So naturally it needs to be asked if it lives up to expectations or if it’s simply a reminder that old habits die hard.

Much like its predecessor Knothole Island, there’s minimal fanfare for the arrival of the new quests other than the appearance of Murgo the Trader on your map. The dodgy old bugger is up to his old tricks again, selling you assorted and successive trinkets in the form of a snow globe, a skull, a spire, and a miniature Colosseum.

In stark contrast to the singularly contained world and narrative of Knothole Island, using each trinket takes you to a separate quest in seemingly unrelated worlds and (almost non-existent) narratives. They are in some ways related, but only the fastidious hardcore are likely to discover the underlying themes.

Whilst some will tell you there are four quests,

the reality is you’re really only getting two thirty minute quests, a slightly interactive cutscene and an arena with one room.

Thankfully the two quests offer enough ideas to maintain interest and yet are short enough to not outstay their welcome.

The first quest, activated by the snow globe, takes players back to a black and white Oakfield, cursed by humanoid creatures who have consumed the world’s colour. It’s a strange mix of Schindler’s List, Prince of Persia and old school elemental RPGs.

The first encounter of Blue Man Group wannabes had me reliving laughs from Intel and Arrested Development, before it became painfully obvious that the blue X button is the only attack that’ll kill and give said men the blues… permanently. The rules are the same for reds (B) and yellows (Y).

Upon completing your genocide of the “coloured” people, the lovely folk of Oakfield return.

It’s an aesthetically interesting quest but the colour coded combat has the effect of stripping away much of the elegant complexity that was such a highlight of Fable 2’s combat system. The result is an almost banal point and click exercise that is carried by the franchise’s innate character, beautiful art design (even in black and white!) and promises to “see the future”.

The second quest, activated by the skull, is far more interesting as it layers some surprisingly explicit puzzling on top of the established gameplay formula. Taking place in a cemetery, the player is compelled to help the resident of a talking grave rise again.

The light puzzling is never taxing and is an entertaining addition in what proves to be a humorous fetch quest for disguises of some of Albion’s less pleasant residents (“Hollowmen, Hobbes and Balverines, oh my!”).

Combining costumes with expressions yields entrance into deeper areas of the cemetery and also provides the player with new ways to humour, disgust and terrify Albion locals. In addition, the combat towards the quest’s finale proves to be more challenging thanks largely to new enemy types and confined space.

After an hour, players should have completed the above quests and be prompted to “See the Future”. It’s a moody and barely interactive cutscene that gives players some key clues about “merely one” of the “three paths” to the future.

And whilst I won’t spoil it for readers here, it’s safe to say that players are far more likely to appreciate it if they search for all the secrets, hints and constant themes in the earlier quests. Not only will that give more context to the “future” of the franchise, but you’ll encounter some very cool “stonefaced” enemies, unique hero dolls, and inexplicably, hair dye for Murgo!

Having said the above, keep your eyes open for a conversation about that “future” sometime soon.

Upon your “glimpse” of the future, and it really is a glimpse, Murgo will congratulate you with a whole new “future” outfit along with a miniature Colosseum.

Sadly the much touted hardcore version of the Arena is perhaps the DLC’s greatest disappointment.

Whilst certainly more difficult than anything else in Fable 2, I am still yet to “die” in more than thirty hours of gameplay that includes the Colosseum.

It is a lot of fun, and the technical ability of the engine to keep up with what’s on screen is impressive, but you’ll have it beat within twenty minutes. There are some more difficult achievements to keep you coming back for longer, but they should be no trouble in co-op with another hobbe-slayer by your side.

The missed opportunity is the failure to embrace a high score mechanic that’s more than a local pissing contest. I’m without doubt that the single room, wave attack and combo meter format could have created a potent competitive incentive for players if they were aware of other players’ high scores on Xbox Live.

Unfortunately for a game that otherwise embraced online interactions no such Geometry Wars 2 like feature is present here, rendering high scores pointless once you win the ultimate prize for a relatively easy 15000 points.

Beyond the quests, there’s a raft of new items that range from Fable 3 hints to cosmetics. Also included is the much publicised potions that let players morph their mutt into one of three, more distinguished breeds. It’s certain to be a welcome piece of content for players who (like me) have grown attached to one of Fable 2’s most notable inventions.

One note of warning is that I did experience technical difficulties during five rounds of the Colosseum, with my hero falling through the level and eventually freezing my console on two separate occasions. I also experienced some jerkiness and slowdown in the earlier quests. However, it was only ever of slight annoyance until I decided to uninstall Fable 2 from my hard drive and had no further problems.

At a minimum, “See The Future” confirms that Lionhead is undeterred by traditionalist concerns regarding Fable’s genre, style and form.

Molyneux and his disciples are continuing to investigate, experiment and implement new ideas about how to broaden the appeal of Albion’s (and Aurora’s) fantastical worlds with the ease it attracts its hardcore base.

The good news is that “See the Future” makes it clear that the franchise is only going to get bigger and bolder. And at 560 Microsoft Points, it’s not a bad deal if you need an excuse to get back into Fable 2.

For hardcore fans, the DLC is ripe with hints of what the future might entail. But for casual fans it’s not essential and they’ll probably have a far better idea what the future holds if they just play other games until the inevitable sequel turns up.

“7/10

© 2009 Aaron Bertinetti:- NE (News Editor)

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