Fable II is a 2008 action role-playing video game created by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the second game in the Fable series, following the 2004 release of the first Fable. The story is set in the fictional land of Albion, 500 years after the events of the first game. Players take on the role of a young hero who must stop a former ruler who has become a madman from destroying the world. The game includes well-known actors such as Zoë Wanamaker, Ron Glass, and Stephen Fry, who voice important characters. The setting draws inspiration from the late colonial era, including buildings, social structures, and weapons like flintlock pistols.

Compared to the first game, Fable II introduced changes to gameplay, offering larger areas to explore. In addition to the main story, players can complete side quests and repeatable tasks to earn money, build property, and customize their character with clothing, hairstyles, tattoos, and makeup. Choices made by the player affect their character’s morality and appearance. New features include the ability to choose a male or female character, a fast-travel system, and a dog companion that helps find treasures and warn the player of enemies.

Fable II was released in October 2008 and received high praise from critics, who appreciated how it stayed true to the original while introducing new changes. Two downloadable content packs were later released, adding new locations, items, and quests. These were included in a compilation called Fable II: Game of the Year, released in September 2009. The game is often listed as one of the greatest video games ever made and was a commercial success, becoming the best-selling title on the Xbox 360 after its release. A third game in the series, Fable III, was released in 2010.

Gameplay

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In the world of Fable II, everything is dynamic, interactive, and mostly free to explore without a fixed path for quests. Since the game takes place over the lifetime of a hero, many things can change. For example, a trade camp can be either helped or destroyed by the player. Helping a trade camp can increase its profit, leading to the growth of a small town around it.

Every place in the world that the player can enter can be bought, except for the Tattered Spire. Owning special buildings can unlock more quests. Players can also buy or rent homes, businesses, and stalls. These businesses earn the player money every 5 minutes, depending on the quality of the business, the town's economy level, and the shop owner's opinion of the player. The rent and prices set by the player also affect income. This happens even when the Xbox 360 is turned off. Rent is also collected every 5 minutes. If the player visits their own shops, the quality of the goods and the shop itself will improve. Players can also furnish their homes with items for sale. Titles are given for buying property. If a player buys all the buildings and land in a town, they may become the mayor of that town. Owning more land can lead to higher titles such as king or queen, and eventually Emperor of the entire land of Albion. Players can become more Pure by setting low prices and rent, or more Corrupt by increasing them.

The environment in Fable II includes trees with branches and leaves that move individually based on their own physics, with each tree having about 120,000 leaves. There are also about 15 million poppies in Albion. The game includes both interactive and non-interactive cutscenes. According to Lionhead Studios, non-interactive cutscenes take less than five minutes of game time.

In fully interactive cutscenes, the player can use expressions during dialogue or even run away from the scene, skipping it. The player can return to the cutscene location to start it again. If the player runs away from a cutscene that contains important information, the character will wait for the player to return.

The player's companion is a dog that the player befriends as a child. This dog follows the player most of the time during the game. The dog can learn tricks, fight enemies, find treasure, and lead the way to quest objectives, though this is rare. The dog can also help in combat by attacking enemies that are down. The dog cannot be killed, but it can become injured and ineffective, requiring the player to heal it.

The dog's appearance changes based on the player's choices. If the player is neutral, the dog remains grey. If the player is good, the dog's coat turns golden. If the player is evil, the dog's coat turns black. There are no other animals in the game, except for neutral rabbits and birds, which one NPC comments on as odd due to carriages with no horses.

In the downloadable content "See the Future," it is possible to change the dog's breed with potions. The choices are Dalmatian, Bloodhound, and Husky.

In Fable II, the player's character can get married, including same-sex marriage, and have children. Divorce can occur, initiated by either the spouse or the player. Spending time with and interacting with the spouse keeps the bond strong and reduces the chance of them leaving. It is possible to become widowed through the death of a partner. The player's children can also die from cot death or disease, or run away from home to become adventurers, in which case the player can rescue them from danger.

Relationships are formed by flirting, giving gifts, and using common expressions. Performing a potential mate's favorite expressions or giving them preferred gifts can make them more infatuated. Beyond a certain level of interest, or through payment for prostitute characters, a character may proposition the player for sex. Unprotected sex may lead to the birth of a child, but can also result in sexually transmitted diseases, which may lead to sterilization. If the player has purchased or found a condom, they can choose to have protected sex. No actual sex is shown; the screen turns black when the option is selected.

Fable II improves the system of changing the player's character based on their actions, as introduced in Fable. Character changes are based on two main alignment scales: Good and Evil, and Purity and Corruption.

Good players will have a pleasant-looking Hero with tanned skin and light hair, while evil players will have a more frightening look with pale skin and black hair. Pure players will have a clear complexion and a halo, while corrupt players will have a flawed complexion and horns. These scales are independent, meaning that it is possible to be both good and corrupt or any other combination.

Character changes also include the player's slimness or fatness, determined by the food they eat. Fruits and vegetables, mainly celery, make the player thinner, while alcohol, meat, and pies make the player fatter. Fruits and vegetables give the player purity points, while meats and alcohol give corruption points. This has no effect on gameplay other than attractiveness in the eyes of NPCs.

Leveling up stats also changes the player's appearance. Increasing the Physique level makes the Hero more muscular. Increasing the Skill stat makes the Hero taller. A high level of Will power and spells creates glowing blue markings, called Will Lines, all over the body.

Unlike Fable, the player does not earn money through quests, but by doing jobs around Albion. These jobs include Blacksmith, Woodcutter, Bartender, Assassin, Civilian Displacement (Slaver), Bounty Hunter, and Merchant. The first three involve correctly pressing the A button during certain times, and the latter three are combat-related. The Merchant job involves buying low and selling to richer vendors for a profit. These jobs become available based on the player's renown and story progression. Trade skill jobs can be done repeatedly for a certain number of days, while side quest jobs are single-use, requiring the player to wait for another task. Trade skills can be leveled up to five stars through promotions, allowing for more money to be made.

Exploration is a major part of the game. Like the original Fable, gameplay is very linear; however, main story-advancing missions can be performed whenever the player chooses, and there are additional missions that do not affect the storyline. The player can also choose to perform various jobs, gambling-based mini-games, participate in the arena-style mini-game called the Crucible, explore dungeons, tombs, and caves, or roam the countryside. The player may even choose to kill innocents in town. All of these optional activities can result in rewards such as additional wealth, items, experience points, or character-altering attributes. Exploration is essential to the game.

Synopsis

Fable II is set in the fictional land of Albion, a large continent with many settlements. The largest city is Bowerstone, which is surrounded by untamed areas like forests, marshes, and coastal roads. The story happens 500 years after the first game, when the peace brought by defeating Jack of Blades caused people to stop trusting heroes. This led to the Heroes' Guild being destroyed in a riot. Since then, Albion has changed. New religions replaced old ones, and new technologies like firearms were created. Albion now resembles Earth during the late colonial and early modern periods.

The game also explains the "Old Kingdom," a civilization that existed long ago. It was destroyed when its people activated a large structure that could grant one wish to its user. The player's character, named Sparrow by default, is a descendant of a hero from the Old Kingdom. The story spans three time periods: childhood, young adulthood, and adulthood, similar to the first game.

During a cold winter in Bowerstone, a child named Sparrow lives in poverty with their older sister Rose in the city's poorer district. Both dream of living in Castle Fairfax, the home of Lord Lucien, which towers over the city. One day, they see a traveling seller offering magical items, including a musical box that can grant a wish. An old woman helps them earn money to buy it by doing odd jobs. Sparrow rescues a dog from a bully during this time. Rose uses the box to make their dream come true. That night, guards take them to the castle, where Lucien reveals he wants to use them to find the three heroes he needs to achieve his goals. He kills Rose and injures Sparrow, forcing them to flee the city.

The old woman finds Sparrow with the help of the dog and takes them to recover. Ten years later, now an adult, Sparrow is told by the old woman, who introduces herself as Theresa, a blind seeress, that they are a descendant of the Hero of Oakvale who defeated Jack of Blades. Theresa explains that Sparrow must find the three heroes Lucien seeks—strength, will, and skill—to stop him from using an ancient structure called The Spire, which can grant any wish.

Sparrow first finds the hero of strength, Sister Hannah, a monk from Oakfield. After proving themselves to Hannah's father, the abbot, they protect her as she performs a ritual. Lucien's men kill the abbot, angering Hannah, who joins Sparrow as Hammer. Next, Sparrow finds the hero of will, Garth, a scholar who once worked with Lucien but later opposed him. Lucien captures Garth and takes him to The Spire. Sparrow and Hammer join Lucien's guards at Westcliff to gain access to the Spire.

At The Spire, Sparrow becomes a slave for ten years, making difficult choices. Garth eventually helps them escape, and they return to the mainland. Hammer discovers the hero of skill is Reaver, a pirate lord who rules Bloodstone. Sparrow uses a teleportation system called a cullis gate to reach Bloodstone, where they impress Reaver. However, Reaver tries to betray Sparrow to Lucien but is later forced to help them survive.

After finding all three heroes, Theresa explains they must combine their energy in a ritual to obtain a weapon to defeat Lucien. Theresa disappears after the ritual, and Lucien kills Sparrow and their dog before kidnapping the others. Sparrow is sent to a dream-like paradise where they reunite with Rose and their dog. Hearing the music box play, Sparrow follows its sound, overcoming nightmares to find it. Rose reveals it was a test, allowing Sparrow to use its power. Sparrow returns to The Spire, defeats Lucien, and either kills him or Reaver does.

Theresa offers Sparrow a wish from The Spire: bringing back the thousands who died building it, resurrecting Rose, their dog, and family, or gaining great wealth. After making their choice, Theresa sends the others where they wish to go. If the player has the "See the Future" pack, they can later visit The Spire to see a vision of ruling Albion as monarch, with a hint that their child will become a hero in Fable III.

Marketing

Lionhead Studios created a section on their website called "Tales of Albion," which explains the history of the games Fable, Fable: The Lost Chapters, and Fable II. In "Fragments of the Old Kingdom," the section describes how the Archon gained power in Albion and how the Heroes' Guild was formed. "Tales" also tells the story of the Heroes' downfall and the destruction of their Guild in "Fall of the Heroes." The section "Travels in Today's Albion" (which was completed after its release) explains where certain places are located and gives short descriptions of important areas and objects.

Similar to The Movies, Lionhead offered online competitions through their forums. One competition asked players to suggest a title for the game, like the first Fable game, where characters could buy titles from a "Title Vendor." Lionhead said these titles would be available for purchase but only after being earned. In Fable II, titles are bought from a town crier. The winning title, "Lionheart," can be purchased for 2000 gold or earned for free by winning in The Crucible. Another competition invited players to insult the hero, but the winner was not announced. On May 30, Lionhead held an art competition for game designs, but no winner has been announced yet.

• On May 24, the first episode of The Lionhead Diaries was released, discussing the love and emotion themes in Fable II.
• On July 30, the second episode focused on the combat system’s one-button design and showed Lionhead staff playing football against Microsoft’s Rare team and winning. It also included a professional combat specialist teaching animation staff.
• On October 8, the third episode explored the Central Technology Group and celebrated Lionhead’s 10-year anniversary.

• On January 11, the fourth episode explained how the graphics team created the world of Albion.
• On March 19, the fifth episode covered magic, the GDC 2008 event, and co-op gameplay.
• On June 22, the sixth episode, "Art and the Hero," discussed the Hero’s artwork, Albion’s design, and characters in Fable II.
• On October 2, the seventh episode, "Music and Audio," showed where the game’s music was made, where voice-overs were recorded, and introduced the voice actors.

• On January 8, the eighth episode, "Finishing Fable II & Creating Knothole Island," celebrated the completion of Fable II and briefly explained how Knothole Island was designed and why it did not release in December 2008.
• In May, the ninth episode, "See the Future," was released.

In August 2008, Lionhead released Fable II Pub Games, which includes three games playable in pubs: Fortune's Tower, Keystone, and Spinner Box. All three could be downloaded for 800 Microsoft Points on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Some video game retailers provided product codes when players pre-ordered Fable II.

Before the game’s release, a production problem caused the Hobbe figurine, special box, and fate cards to be removed from the collector’s edition. Because of this, the suggested retail price was lowered to match the regular game price in some stores. As an apology, Lionhead offered a free music album for download (not on Xbox Live) that includes songs from Fable and Fable II, as well as printable PDF versions of the fate cards. Another issue in North America caused some Limited Edition games to miss the token card for in-game content.

The Limited Edition was released with these extra features:
• Alternative packaging with a cardboard slip cover
• 1 token card code for downloadable in-game content (downloaded via Xbox Live)
• Bonus disc with the "Making of Fable II"

A second European release of the Limited Edition included the extra features but without the token card code for downloadable content.

Downloadable content

The first downloadable content (DLC), called "Knothole Island," allows players to bring their dog back to life through a sacrifice. It was released on January 13, 2009. The DLC includes a new map, new items, and new quests. It adds 3 new achievements worth 100 points. A free update lets players who did not buy "Knothole Island" still play online with others who did. The DLC cost 800 Microsoft Points. It received mostly positive to average reviews. It has a score of 66/100 on Metacritic. Dan Whitehead from Eurogamer gave it a 6/10, and Tom Orry from VideoGamer.com gave it a 7/10. He said, "Knothole Island is a good effort but far from the standard the full game set."

The second DLC, called "See the Future," allows players to change their dog's breed. It was released on May 12, 2009. The DLC includes a quest involving three cursed items from Murgo the Trader. It also adds a new area, lets players change their dog's breed, and allows players to get their dog back if they choose not to resurrect it at the end of the main story. It includes 13 new achievements worth 250 points. It cost 560 Microsoft Points. It received positive feedback. One review said, "[See the Future] should be an essential purchase for Fable fans. It doesn't change things enough to win over anyone who didn't enjoy the main game, but as an expansion it extends the game in ways that are certainly worth experiencing."

As of September 2009, the entire Fable II game was available for download through Microsoft's Xbox Live Game Marketplace. When first released, the downloadable version was split into 5 episodes that play the same as the disc version. The first episode was free to download, and Episodes 2, 3, 4, and 5 could be purchased within the game. Players who bought the disc version after the first episode could transfer all save data. Now, only the full game can be purchased, and Episode 1 is no longer available as a demo. The downloadable version includes the complete disc-based game and works with previously released add-ons, "Knothole Island" and "See the Future."

A compilation of the Fable II disc with all downloadable content was released in Europe as "Fable II – Game of the Year Edition" in September 2009. The "Game of the Year Edition" was released in North America under the Platinum Hits brand in January 2010.

Reception

Fable II received a lot of praise from both audiences and critics.

Eurogamer praised the game's "bread crumb" trail feature, saying it "leads you ever onwards to your next objective, but even though you can't get lost, it still allows for deep exploration." OXM called the game "probably the most consistent sequel ever made" and noted that combat is "great when you're winning and nothing but irritating when you're losing."

Edge ranked the game #52 on its list of "The 100 Best Games To Play Today," stating that "with a quest that tugs you through to the plot and a bucolic paradise ripe for exploration, never before has so much work been put into making sure the humble player feels special."

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) praised Fable II for its animal-friendly nature, giving it the Proggy Award for the most animal-friendly game of 2008. They noted the game's pro-vegetarianism, which gives players purity points for eating non-meat products and corruption points for eating meat. However, the game also includes achievements that encourage players to hurt particular animals.

According to NPD, the game became the best-selling title in the United States across all platforms for its debut month of October 2008, with 790,000 copies sold. These sales occurred despite the game's release on 24 October, which allowed only nine days of sales before the end of the month. The game received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.

Fable II was a success, and, with approximately 3.5 million copies sold as of 11 March 2010, it became one of the best-selling RPG titles for the Xbox 360.

• IGN Best of 2008: Best Original Score (Xbox 360)
• Xplay's Best Game of 2008 award
• Joystiq's Best Game of 2008 award
• Best Action and Adventure Game of 2008, British Academy Video Games Awards

During the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Fable II for "Role-Playing Game of the Year" and for outstanding achievement in "Animation," "Game Design," "Gameplay Engineering," "Original Music Composition," and "Original Story."

In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. In 2023, it was listed as the 93rd best video game of all time by a GQ poll that surveyed video game journalists across the industry.

A number of users, writing on the Fable II message board, reported technical issues with the game. The most notable were freezing, progression bugs, and incompatibility with standard-definition television screens.