When asked if he'd fulfilled his vision for Fable II, Peter Molyneux gave the title "9 out of 10," reports CVG. The developer explained that it's the "best, most complete game" he's done, expressing his happiness with how the game looks and plays.

Molyneux supports his excitement over Fable II by acknowledging his mistakes from the past. He explains that Black & White, The Movies, and "pretty much every game [he's] ever done," had interesting features tossed in without looking at what the final experience would be like. After more than a decade-long streak of making "brilliant but flawed" games, we'll be happy if Molyneux can finally shed that image with his latest work.

Each week Mark Methenitis contributes Law of the Game on Joystiq, a column on legal issues as they relate to video games:

Despite the relatively small amount of time I've had to play them, I've so far enjoyed Fable II's Pub Games, especially Fortune's Tower (pictured above). The idea of minigames has been around for ages, but Pub Games adds deeper elements than the norm, as well as pre-release hype for Fable II. Of course, this begs the question: Is this a sign of things to come?

I could certainly see other RPGs following suit, pre-releasing a related Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, or WiiWare game that interacts with the core game, like a Final Fantasy XIII card game stand-alone. If this becomes a trend, then developers will be looking to the next evolution of this idea. I would imagine the next step would be external games that affect MMO environments; and beyond that, perhaps gambling with real currency. Think of the evolution this way: You start with a game like Texas Hold 'Em, where your play only affects that game, then the next logical step is something like Pub Games, which affects you alone in a virtual environment. From there, the evolution would logically move to impacting a multiplayer virtual environment and, ultimately, to affecting a real world environment, specifically your bank account. It's these last two steps that present some legal issues.

For those of you who have resisted the urge to cheat your freakin' Albionian (Albino?) butt off in the Fable 2 Pub Games, the Fable 2 development blog states that a patch is incoming to remove the infamous exploit. That's fantastic, because for those of us with certain moral or ethical issues about cheating, it was becoming hard to resist the Siren's call of all that yummy money.

The Fable 2 development blog also has some handy tips and tricks on how to play the games and improve your odds. Remember, if you're looking for in-game items and less risk, check out the tournaments. They're a great way to brush up on your gambling strategies without losing gobs of cash.

[Via X3F]

Let this be a lesson to developers: If you're planning to make a tie-in XBLA game that lets you earn gold in your main title, make sure to vet the game as much as possible for potential exploits. A trick has been found in Fable 2 Pub Games that lets you bet 60 on Tower of Fortune and potentially earn 600 each time. We've embedded the video after the break, should you wish to start Fable 2 with a gazillion trillion gold.

When you make a promise to something, you expect its end of the bargain to be equally fulfilled. Such is not the case, apparently, for numerous pre-orderers of Fable II, whose early commitments came bundled with download codes for Pub Games released on Xbox Live Arcade today. According to a thread on the Xbox Forums and comments dropped on Major Nelson's site, many pre-order codes are returning an "Invalid Code" error when entered on Xbox Live. Microsoft seems to be aware of the problem, and at least one report suggests that a new batch of codes will be issued within 24-48 hours. What gives, Microsoft? Lionhead's tab no good any more?

Update: The codes should be working "later today," says Major Nelson. All codes should be working now.

[Via X3F]

Ben Fritz writes about video games for Variety and was one of the E3 judges this year -- and he's not too happy with this year's winners. He calls Mirror's Edge "gimmicky" and the Gears of War 2 improvements "minor." He was really pulling for Resistance 2, which he felt offered up a lot more than the original, and we'll admit that's a good point.

However, he really laments the fact that Fable 2 didn't win anything. He hated the original Fable, but thinks that "the human interactions, from multiple gay marriages to public drunkenness, seem really fun" in the sequel. He also admits that he didn't care for last year's Super Mario Galaxy and disliked Mass Effect. Which is probably why the second comment from Just A Guy is "You suck."

Update: Ben Fritz actually contacted us to let us know he didn't hate Super Mario Galaxy, he just "didn't lavish superlatives" on it. He goes on to tell us that the review he wrote of the game was "positive," but you can judge for yourself right here. With friends like that, who needs negative reviews? However, he did point out (and rightly so) that the headline implied that he doesn't like the E3 awards. In actuality, "I just personally disagree with the majority of the winners." Our bad, and we've fixed that.

If you've been curious precisely how you were going to import all that virtual gold you win in the Fable 2 Pub Games over the next ten weeks into Fable 2 proper, Lionhead is here to sate your curiosity and even assuage your skepticism. Eurogamer has the breakdown, but it goes something like this:

1. Buy Fable 2 Pub Games (either outright, or through a pre-order)
2. Play the three games contained therein to earn gold
3. Merge your Pub Games gambler with your Fable 2 hero in a permanent, one-way process
4. Then "gain access to all the Live Arcade gambling funds you previously accrued"
5. The process works the other way around also: you can take your Fable 2 money back into Pub Games
   

There are some additional details for those of you really interested in the nitty-gritty (ie: merging several gamblers together) but if you're like us, you'll be content knowing that your predilection for virtual gambling has a safe spot somewhere between "no money" and "real money."

Part 3 of the exciting five-part XBLAugust series, in which our heroes now throw aside their time warping abilities and receive an implanted bionic arm for swinging around and shooting non-Hitlers into oblivion. If you wish to enlist into Bionic Commando Rearmed on Xbox Live this Wednesday, you're going to have to shell out 800 MS points (US $10). PC and non-Euro PlayStation 3 owners will also get their BCR fix this week, although those who favor the keyboard and mouse will pay a $5 premium.

Also coming out this week is Fable 2's XBLA gambling counterpart Pub Games, which will let you earn money now before the game's October 21 release. Entry fee to ye olde casino is 800 MS points (US $10), or free if you pre-order Fable 2 at a participating retailer.

A supposed list of achievements for Fable 2 has popped up on Xbox360Achievements.org and though we can't vouch for the validity of the list (it looks a little off, doesn't it?) we really hope it's on the level. Some of the achievements on the list, say getting married to more than one woman or taking part in an orgy "responsibly," are, as our Gammy might say, a real hoot.

But, troublingly, neither of the displayed Gamertags show up when searched, so we're a little bit nervous about the whole ordeal. However, we're still holding out hope that we'll one day be rewarded for kicking a chicken "a respectable distance."

[Via X3F]

[Update: Is it possible to hint at a confirmation? If so, Lionhead just did it. Looks like this is pretty much legit. Thanks to HeartbreakRidge for the heads-up.]

If you noticed in the details to Fable 2's Collector's Edition, there was an "Otherworldly Bonus" for in-game content. Packaged with the announcement were screenshots, including one conspicuously labeled "Fable2_MasterChief.jpg." Yep, that's not just a coincidence, you're looking at a faux-medieval variant of the Halo superstar. (Halo 3 ending spoiler alert) I guess we know what universe he crash-landed in.

And here we thought Minstrel Chief was the only Halo reference we'd find. Fable 2 is coming October 21 for US and October 24 for Europe.

Although we already knew Fable 2 was arriving in October, Lionhead Studios has revealed the awaited title will hit US store shelves, then proceed to raise a family while it waits to be purchased, on October 21. European gamers can expect the game days later on October 24. For those who want to start padding their virtual wallets early, the Xbox Live Arcade Pub Games will land August 13.

Lionhead also unveiled an image of all that you can expect to get if you pick up the Limited Edition copy of the game. Details of the LE after the break.

[Via X3F]

Lionhead's head lion Peter Molyneux recently said in an interview with GameTrailers that it took three years to make Fable 2. We note this because in the same interview, he also talks about doing three more Fable games. "We've got plans for Fable 3, 4 and 5 actually," he said. "It's a big story arc and if you play Fable II you'll recognize things from Fable 1." Extrapolating on Fable 2's development time, expect to see the series continue in 2011, 2014 and 2017, respectively.

Additionally, Molyneux said that Lionhead is working on another, secret project that was the "kind of the result of an experiment that went incredibly well." He then went on to say that he likes projects that are challenging and made references to the sports genre, which may or may not indicate we'll see a fantasy RPG based on Brockian Ultra Cricket.

[Via IGN]

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.

I should come right out and say that I'm probably not going to be giving you the most objective view on Fable 2. I know, exactly what you wanted to hear, right? I'm sorry in advance, but I'm a big fan of Fable, and that's the viewpoint I'm coming from.

To that end, I should open by saying this: If you too are a fan of Fable, you need read no further, though I know you will. Judging from the build I played, it's more of the stuff you love with richer combat and ... well, you're just going to adore it. Promise. But not everybody played Fable. In fact, there are a sad few that played it and didn't even like it. It's for them that I'm soldiering on.

We had a lot of fun playing Fable 2 last night (more on that in a bit), so we were disappointed when we heard from several Lionhead staffers that the game's main story would take most around 12 hours to complete. It's not that we thought we were getting ripped off, after last night we just hoping the answer would be a little closer to a hojillion.

Also, keep in mind: That's just for the main story. That's not figuring in the time you'll spend gambling, romancing, trying to get fat and all the other side quests that make Fable so Fabley.