Whether or not the original Fable lived up to expectations is still up for debate. Some people say it was exactly what they wanted, and some said it was "a great game, but it didn't live up to expectations". I would probably put myself in the latter group of people. However, Fable II is not only great, but it lived up to what I expected from it. This is, in my opinion, Peter Molyneux's best game, and he should be proud.
Fable II is set in Albion 500 years after the original Fable took place. This time, the world is ten times bigger than the original, and as a result, there is a lot more to do. You start the game as a young boy or girl, accompanied by your older sister. In the beginning, she buys you a music box from a merchant who claims the box will grant you one wish. Your sister wishes to live in Castle Fairfax with Lord Lucien, and that night, Lord Lucien's men bring you and your sister to the Castle, seemingly the wish has been granted, but Lucien proclaims that, after analyzing you, you're both heroes. Lucien decides to kill your sister, and attempts to kill you. He shoots you through his window and you fall lifeless into the town below, only to be preserved by Theresa the Seeress.
Many years pass where you live with the Gypsies. This opening pretty much leads to you growing up and wanting to avenge your sisters death, which in theory sounds cliche, but serious moral decisions affect the events leading up to the ending. A new addition to the series is your dog, who follows you around and notifies you of treasures and digging spots, which hold valuable items or gold. Decisions are a huge part of the game. You can choose to be good or evil, and in my opinion being good was just incredibly difficult with all the evil choices you can make. Crazy things can happen if you're evil, such as people kicking your dog, who I just shot if they touched him. In the storyline there are moral decisions such as saving people or killing them, or sacrificing yourself for others.
The social aspect of Fable II is huge. At times it feels like The Sims set in a fantasy world. You can get married, have children, have protected or unprotected sex, cheat on your wife or husband, and many other things. You will gain more social expressions by either buying books on expressions or having certain moral choices unlock expressions. For example, if you're evil, you can learn to threaten or extort people. A portion of the game I thought was really cool was the option to buy and sell property. Money is no problem in Fable II, because there are jobs to do such as being a Blacksmith, Lumberjack, or Bartender. You can buy food, tattoos, meat, clothes, change your hairstyle, get fat, and a lot of other things that really do prolong the experience of Fable II. This is a good thing, because Fable II's main quest is unfortunately way too short.
The length of the main quest is actually one of the very few complaints I have with the game. I spent probably 17-18 hours with the game, and only about 8 or 9 hours were spent on the quest. Also, it seems too easy. You don't die in Fable II. You only get knocked out and lose some experience, which I never found affected me at all. Sometimes the game has some ugly aesthetics at times, and in others, it looks absolutely gorgeous. The music and overall charm of the game is great. The fantasy/medieval feel just boosts it up in my books.
Overall, Fable II is a fantastic game. It packs humor, entertainment, and serious decision-making in one package and the social aspect of the game prolong the experience totally. Definitely check it out. The main quest is very short, but you'll be entertained no matter how much time you spend with it.
