A trio of Fable 2 Molyneux walkthroughs

by Griffin McElroy { Jul 20th 2008 at 8:30PM }

We realize that not everybody was fortunate enough to attend E3 last week, and therefore, missed out on their first chance to get their hands on some of the expo's much-anticipated titles. This group will have to settle with living vicariously through those lucky enough to actually get some facetime with these upcoming blockbusters -- really, though, who's a better candidate to serve up a slice of secondhand gaming than the notorious creator of one of these aforementioned high profile releases?

GameTrailers recently posted three Fable 2 walkthroughs given by the title's ambitious creator, Peter Molyneux. The first of which, posted above, gives a brief demo of the combat, followed by a preview of your hero/antihero's canine companion. In the second and third parts, posted after the break, Molyneux discusses contraception and murder, respectively. We'll be looking forward to getting our hands on this dog training/sexual health/township massacring simulator when it drops in October.

Tags: developer-walkthrough, e3-2008, fable, fable-2, lionhead-studios, peter-molyneux

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Robert @ Jul 20th 2008 8:37PM

I don't know, the first video was pretty boring with the button-mashing fighting. And the stuff about the dog sounded kind of lame. But maybe it's better when you play it on your own.

randomshagz @ Jul 20th 2008 8:47PM

I dont know. Looks pretty cool to me.

Negativecool @ Jul 21st 2008 1:10AM

Holy crap the lighting engine in that game is the best I've ever seen. EVER.

DVersion @ Jul 20th 2008 8:54PM

Oh Peter, you do know how to get one excited only to horribly disappoint.

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 20th 2008 8:57PM

Regarding the Swordplay, you can actually do a more. It depends on how fast/slow and the rythm of the button presses. You can spend points in swordplay to earn new moves, you access these by pressing the sword button+analog stick in a certain direction.

Also, the environment plays a big roll. Say you're up against a wall in close quarters, you might grab your enemy and smash them into it. Or say you're on stairs, you might stab downwards to make them tumble down.

The videos don't do it justice, he's very low lvl and only really smashing. He's got other videos that show off atleast 4-5 sword animations.

One other thing, different melee weapons have different moves. For example, an axe or mace.

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 20th 2008 8:58PM

"Oh Peter, you do know how to get one excited only to horribly disappoint."

A good chunk of what he's said will be in-game has been shown to be possible. Add to the fact that the game is "done", I think he's the telling the truth. The core gameplay/story is done, they're just ironing out the bugs now.

He admits Fable 1 was not what he had envisioned but they simply ran out of time and he regrets it. Now they even have time to spare after 3 years of development.

Just thought i'd bring it up.

Robert @ Jul 20th 2008 9:50PM

Yes, but it doesn't even look anywhere near what he said the original fable would be. And it's on a new console. What I see is "Fable" with some graphic updates and... a dog. Oh, but the dog helps you find treasure! What a stupid idea. I'm sorry, that's just stupid. Pete basically said the dog finishes off people who are close to death, alerts you to enemies (who were in plain view on the demo), and leads you to treasure.

I find none of that helpful. First, I can finish off my own kills, thank you very much. Second, the element of surprise is great and adds to the fun of the game (so don't let me know exactly when I'm going to be attacked). Third... is it really treasure if the game tells you where to look for it?

I'm constantly reminded of a little game called Morrowind that actually rewarded you for finding things on your own. If you played it and you know what I mean, then you get my point. If not... play it. And yes, I know there are other games that award your for that same stuff (but don't say Oblivion...).

Sorry to make you scroll past the long post. To make up for it, if I win the jackpot on Powerball on Wednesday I'll give the first four people who comment on my post (and it's up to my discretion to determine who actually commented on MY post) $10,000. Done.

Unless a large amount of people also win. Then you're out of luck.

albinogoldfish @ Jul 20th 2008 9:07PM

"Did you see the dog?! right there! oh you missed it. Look! look! his tail is wagging!"

sifer2400 @ Jul 20th 2008 9:08PM

lol she takes half your assets wheres an annulment when u need one

Steve519 @ Jul 20th 2008 9:24PM

if you want to see a great interview with Peter Molyneux check out this link, http://www.platformnation.com/2008/07/19/exclusive-peter-molyneux-about-fable-2/

mcatrage @ Jul 20th 2008 9:29PM

Looks awesome. I hope we can rank the dog up enough so we can basically tell it to attack random people for those evil times.

Shaq-Fu @ Jul 20th 2008 9:35PM

Still can't get over how broken the first felt. This is setting up nicely, but there's the "Peter Molyneux made this game" voice in the back of my head.

I'll wait for reviews.

riggs @ Jul 20th 2008 9:57PM

phew i thought i was the only one who heard that

Eh @ Jul 21st 2008 1:16AM

I'll trade you your peter molyneux voice for my "burn the orphanage" voice.

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 20th 2008 9:55PM

Robert, the dog AI is impressive and a nice companion. If you think Fable II is just updated graphics and a dog..I'm sorry but you've not done any research beyond this video I think and even then I wonder if you saw all 3.

The amount of detailed things you can do in this game are astounding.

Please look up more information before posting:/

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 20th 2008 10:10PM

Infact, Robert. Going back to the dog part, how's it now helpful? Not only is it cute(lots of mini-games to play with him) your dog evolves along with how evil or good you are.

He not only can finish off enemies on the ground, he can AID in actual combat, you can teach him many moves. The reason peter does not do this is because the dog is based off his own, so he feels a little bad risking it's life.

You've got around 80 different dog barks you can learn, or dog signals which tell you different things. Sure, you can choose to ignore him but he's like a radar/map and a cute little companion.

Robert @ Jul 20th 2008 10:25PM

I am SO excited to learn 80 dog barks!

But the second video was also boring (I can dance to get a gift? Oh, joy!). And the third video? "The amount of detailed things you can do ... are astounding." I can kill everyone in the village. Astounding? No. Fun? For about two minutes. Look, I'd love to not be disappointed with this game, but if all you're looking for is a cute dog to play with or lots of things to do, then buy Nintendogs and play it simultaneously with something like GTA or Oblivion.

Otherwise, stop believing everything Pete tells you.

Shaq-Fu @ Jul 21st 2008 3:57AM

Is it like Nintendongs where I can choose a certain breed? Because if I'm on a quest to be the evilest bastard that ever lived, I think I'd rather have a German Shepard than a random mutt.

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 21st 2008 4:02AM

You can't choose the breed Shaq, the dog is tied into the game. However! Depending on how you act, your dog morphs to suit your character. So, if you're an evil S.O.B, your dog will look just as intimidating.

Jawmuncher @ Jul 20th 2008 10:23PM

Looking good, just like the first fable.

juju187 @ Jul 20th 2008 10:29PM

ive done community serice in real life i think ill pass on that aspect of the game

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 20th 2008 10:34PM

Robert, what exactly would you like the dog to do? I've already said he helps in combat, do you want it to fly on rocketboots?

If your'e going to add a dog companion, you might aswell do it right. You don't HAVE to do a lot of these things but a lot of people will enjoy it, it's not just about you. However, since you insist on being stubborn..

A second player can come in and out of the game at any time as a guest. This player keeps all gold and experience they earn and takes it with them back to their own game world.
The host can determine what share the guest gets of the gold and experience gamed when the guest is in their world.
Guest players will get an hourly rate of pay for helping the host out.
Guest players can kill the host player's family.
NPC's will be able to recognize and respond to any guest playing with the main player. For example, if you have an evil guest with you and you're a good character, people will react accordingly.
If you go into another persons game as a guest the look of the character will be based off of your character's look. If you don't have a character of your own you'll have a generic pre-determined look to your hero.
The host can give the guest items to take back with them to their own game.
Demon Doors are returning for Fable 2 and are still only opened by meeting certain requirements or performing certain actions. Some can only be opened in co-op.
The game world will alter according to your interactions with it. If you trade with a small camp you may find that it's given the camp the push it needs to turn into a small settlement in the next 10 years.
Good and evil are being tracked as well as rich and poor, and both can affect your physical appearance and how the world reacts around you.
Morphing is going to have a large part in Fable 2, with the different morphs relying on , , corruption, purity, strength, will, and more.
Experience is affected everytime the player passes out or collapses during a fight.
Because so many people played as good characters in the first game it's going to be more difficult to be good in Fable 2.
A dog is going to be the main characters main companion in the game from near the beginning on forward.
You can use expressions towards the dog to help train it.
The expression system is back for the main character, including some expressions such as "flirt" and "pose", among others.
You will have no direct control over the dog.
You can play with your dog, such as throwing it a ball to play fetch.
Your dog works with with you to alert you of danger, hidden areas, and assists you in combat.
Your dog will morph according to your actions as a player. If you're a good character your dog will look pleasant. If you're an evil character your dog will appear scary.
If you go into a fight with your sword drawn your dog will attack the gun-wielding enemies first and vice versa.
You can feed your dog but you're not responsible for feeding him.
If you overfeed your dog it can become fat.
The lower your health is the closer the dog will stay to you rather than venturing off further down the path.
A gambling mini-game called KeyStone (a cross between roulette and craps) will be released before the release of Fable 2 on Xbox Live. Any money won in the game can then be imported into Fable 2. This game will cost points to download in advance but will be included for free in Fable 2.
You'll get more experience for a good "style" of fighting and less experience for "button mashing".
Instead of picking up gold from enemies you'll have to rely on getting gold from gambling or various jobs offered around the world. You will also get no gold for completing quests.
Jobs you can have include blacksmith, farmer, assasin, and henchmen.
The more you work at a job the more your skill in that job will increase.
Village shops will offer you free items as thanks if you happen to have saved that village from a particular evil.
When you marry somebody you become a part of that community.
You can have a dowry during marriage.
Due to marriage you can have a father-in-law.
Instead of mini-maps there will be a new breadcrumb trail.
If your spouse is killed your son or daughter will have to go to an orphanage.
You can purchase and own any building in the game, ranging from dungeons, houses, inns, to castles.
Most buildings or structures you can buy have specific quests associated with them.
You can play as a male or female.
You can get married and have children.
Just as in the first game same-sex marriage is possible.
The appearance of your children will be determined by the appearance of your spouse as well as that of yourself.
If you leave home for too long your family will react accordingly upon your return, either by being very happy you're back or by being upset that you've been gone for so long.
If you're evil your child will exhibit evil characteristics. If you're good your child will exhibit good characteristics.
As the breadwinner of your family you will be responsible for your families survival by making sure they have enough money to eat, etc.
You can have protected or unprotected sex.
If you play as a female character you can become pregnant.
Combat will be used via a one-button system. There will be one button for your sword, one for gun, and another for magic. This kind of combat is based off of timing and positioning of the character.
Combat will be position oriented; your character will interact with the environment around him to help him fight.
You can pick up and throw bottles at enemies.
Your combat style will change according to the kind of weapon you're using.
The player will unlock more skills and combos with particular weapons as they become better at fighting.
Aside from swords and magic the player can use guns.
The player can use a more accurate aim with a crosshair during gameplay.
Hobbes will be making a return for Fable 2.
While Peter says you can complete the main story in 12 hours if you rush through it it would much longer to do everything in the game.

A GOOD chunk of these have been proven to be in-game and some are not even listed. All i'm saying is give the game a chance and try to be less cynical. I understood some of these features may not be your taste but many will love them.

Robert @ Jul 20th 2008 11:02PM

wow. Copy/paste much? And were you not around for the original pre-Fable hype? I could have written (or copied) twice as much as you just did about the previous Fable before it came out and then had about 5% of it be true (maybe even 3%).

Look, the game could be great (it won't be... I predict an average of 85% on gamerankings, which isn't good) but I was commenting on the video(s) and if you don't appreciate my opinion, don't call me out on it. It's an opinion.

Jcarpio @ Jul 21st 2008 12:00AM

And this is why you shouldn't look at game scores and read the text instead.

Last I checked, 85% is a pretty good score in life generally.

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 20th 2008 10:36PM

Just to add, all these features are nothing to what the game actually has. You know how I believe this? I've seen a lot of it in-game.

I believe Peter learned his lesson, that's all.

Mao @ Jul 20th 2008 11:05PM

Robert you are correct to an extent....Fable 2 still isnt what Project Ego(the old name for Fable) was supposed to be but you should give the guy a little credit for trying to make up for the mistakes he made wtih Fable 1. I played the first Fable and yes I was dissapointed that it wasnt all that it was cracked up to be but I still did enjoy it. The impressions I have read of Fable 2 so far do seem to imply that it is more than just Fable with better graphics and a dog. The dog I do agree seems a little gimmicky but some of the other additions to gameplay I do like. On the matter of social interaction Peter did a bad job of showing it off. I am going to remain somewhat optimistic and assume there is much more to it then just dancing for gifts.

I do agree that the game shouldnt make things too easy when it comes to treasure and the like...who knows mabey there is an option to turn that part of the dogs ai off...probaly not but you never know.

Fable 2 is likely more than Fable 1 with better graphics and a dog and a little less then the original concept of Fable...however I do think ole pete is taking steps in the right direction...from what I have heard time actually passes in this game rather than in Fable 1 your charachter would age when you leveled up and everyone else would remain the same age. I do not like the new combat system however...but mabey there is more to it than meets the eye. The lack of a HUD(other than health? And the expressions) is a plus for me but I am worried the game will be to oversimplified when it finally releases...I suppose we shall just have to wait for the game to come out

Robert @ Jul 20th 2008 11:07PM

I agree with pretty much everything you said (and I only say "pretty much" because I skimmed it).

But am I the only one that gets a little bit nostalgic/tingly when I hear the words "Project Ego"? Back then it was such an awesome game-to-be. Then it was just okay when it came out (compared to what it was promised to be/could have been).

Boss @ Jul 20th 2008 11:12PM

nah thats fine you just skimmed it....it twas a wall of text

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 20th 2008 11:06PM

How many times do I keep having to tell you I think Peter learned his lesson? Does it matter if I copied and pasted? Seems like you didn't read the bottom. A very good chunk of what's been said, i've ALREADY seen possible in-game. THAT is why I believe it.

Add the fact the game has been 3 years in development and is now DONE, says something. He announced the game is done, only the bugs and some technical issues still remain.

If he was not done he would still be adding features. The reason the first Fable turned out that way is because they simply ran out of time to finish it.

Seriously, stop being so cynical.

VSpeck @ Jul 20th 2008 11:08PM

Good Lord Pixeldaemon, are you the leader of the Fable 2 booster club or something?

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 20th 2008 11:11PM

I just dislike people with misinformation, or people who critique a game without little to no information on it.

Nitpicking at little things like that just seems so..silly. Why can't people just realize the game isn't catering to only them?

Boss @ Jul 20th 2008 11:14PM

one other thing...yeah me and Mao are the same

Robert @ Jul 20th 2008 11:19PM

Is it really that hard to hit the "Reply" link. Come on...

Look, you've obviously either bought into the Pete hype or seen something I haven't (or just have a different taste in games than I have - in which case, I'm giving my OPINION!). I watched the videos, got bored, and commented about it. You saw my comment and replied with a description of the game from the game's website (or somewhere else for all I know). In the non-internet world, that just isn't very helpful. But then again, in the internet world, not much at all is helpful. It's just fun.

Also, the fact that it's been 3 years in development and is now done says NOTHING.

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 20th 2008 11:27PM

Yes, i've probably seen a lot more videos of this game then you have. I don't mind if you dislike the game, I know everyone has an opinion. However if you're going to say Fable II is just updated graphics and a dog, you really should have some information to back it up.

All I did was provide information as to why I think you're wrong. If you want more videos, i'll gladly link them.

The 3 years might say nothing to you but it also is an indicator that they've added all the features they want(and are satisfied). If not, why delcare it done?

I've said it before, Fable 1 turned out that way because of the time limit. He got overexited yes but it was still enjoyable, just not what it should have been

From what i've seen(videos, interviews, screenshots, etc) Fable II corrects that, it's what Fable(not project) should be.

I apologize if I came on too pushy but your comment to me, was uncalled for.

Fourdee3 @ Jul 20th 2008 11:52PM

umm did anyone else notice that the 360 is upside down in this video LOL Look below the table. Wow!

Red Leader @ Jul 21st 2008 12:11AM

Effin fanboys and their arguments with trolls.

coldbrand @ Jul 21st 2008 12:29AM

If some bitch tries to take half my assets I'll be earning a few points towards the dark side on that day.

Churchy @ Jul 21st 2008 12:36AM

I remember being late to the party on the original Fable, so I really didn't have to deal with the pre launch hype and ended up really enjoying the game. I'm basically approaching this one the same way, so even if it is more Fable 1 with prettier graphics, that would be ok by me I spose.

Taco_Hell @ Jul 21st 2008 12:43AM

"Explore the world"
Wow, it already sounds better than the 1st Fable [Insert joke about how linear the 1st Fable was here].

ThePerfectCompanion @ Jul 21st 2008 12:45AM

Graphics look meh...

Little to no cutscenes isn't a good look IMO.

And the gameplay does sorta look meh from that game. For some reason I have high hopes for the game and I WANT to say its a must buy for the 360 but unfortunately I'm not completely sold on the game.

vdeogmer @ Jul 21st 2008 2:14AM

no cutscenes? count me in please!

juju187 @ Jul 21st 2008 5:31AM

who cares about CGI except Final fantasy fans...
in game FTW

Pixeldaemon @ Jul 21st 2008 1:19AM

I'd take a look at some High-def trailers before judging the graphics, these videos are filmed on a cam, not from straight feed. Also the graphics are being touched up.

The games will have cutscenes actually, not "little to no". You'll also be able to use emotions during cutscenes that trigger different responses from the person in the cutscene. The only thing this game won't have is CGI cutscenes, it'll have cutscenes that run on the games engine.

Also, another thing. Bare in mind you'll be able to get a lot more skills. You can spend points in swordplay to get more moves that are all controlled by rythm button presses, holding the button and pressing it at the right time. For more advanced moves, you use the analog stick in a certain direction.

The enviroment also plays a roll in how you fight, for example..if you're close to a wall in close quarters, you might grab your enemy and smash them into it.

Different weapons have different moves, aswell.

Hope the info helped!

Castle @ Jul 21st 2008 1:32AM

Makes me wish I had a 360. Looks good.

juju187 @ Jul 21st 2008 5:32AM

360 fire sale is going on save up home skillet

rruss79 @ Jul 21st 2008 2:24AM

Personally, I think the game looks great and it sounds great. The dog may sound like a gimmick but the way I see it, it does a lot of things that enhances gameplay. As beem said many times, you can use the dog or ignore him so the concept is not forced on you.

There is a lot of good ideals that I am hoping are fleshed out successfully in gameplay. So far this is a buy in my book.