Fable 2 Previews
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We've known for some time that one of Molyneux's goals for Fable 2 is to make you experience unconditional love, but at previous presentations, the only characters cited as examples were your offspring and, to a lesser extent, your husband or wife. The pet dog that was introduced during today's demo is, perhaps, a character that you're even more likely to bond with, because while your family will welcome you back with open arms when you return home from a quest, your dog will be fighting alongside you every step of the way.
The second is at TeamXbox:
The relationship between man or woman (yes, you can play as a woman in Fable 2) and four-legged friend is unmistakable in today's society. The fact that pet meds can be shipped to your door and the existence of dog shrinks will attest to that. Thusly, in Fable 2, LionHead truly felt as though a canine companion was the absolute best way of putting emotion into this sequel of a game (Fable) that Molyneux admitted lacked the ability to really tug on the heart strings.
The third is at Xbox 360 Advanced:
One of the major problems Molyneux had with the first Fable was the fact that his team spent hundreds of man hours constructing a lush 3D world for players to explore, and in reality they could play through almost the entire game without taking their eyes of the simplistic 2D mini-map. Fable 2 ditches the mini-map and places the canine in the role of the guide as the player is moving through the environment. The dog will always attempt to keep in front of the player, and will give subtle cues to the player about which way to go to the next destination.
The fourth is at GameSpy:
Beyond just being an adorable dog, your hound will serve as an early warning system, bounding off to bark exactly outside of the earshot of enemies when he senses a problem. If you engage a group of enemies, he'll pick up your tactical slack. Use a ranged attack and he'll occupy the melee fighters; use melee and he'll pick off that bowman as you charge. The demo we saw was impressive, and part of that "do not be aggravating" goal is that the dog requires no controls from the player directly. To make him attack, begin your attack. If you want him running around all over, don't scold him when he does so. In a forest you know well, he'll be playful and bounding, but in a city he'll walk in heel position naturally. It could well be better to give players the option of fiddling with his AI in some way, though.
And the fifth is at IGN:
Money will be much more scarce this time around and Molyneux promises that wealth and poverty will play an important role. The good and evil system is being rethought as well after research showed that 70% of the people who played Fable took the good route. Rather than forcing people to be evil to get another side of the game, there will be a cruelty and kindness dynamic that blurs the line between good and evil. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, we were reminded.
