Now that Fable 2 has been on the market for well over a month, we thought it would be a good time to start discussing what needs to be added in for the third installment. If you’ve haven’t had a chance to play through Microsoft’s amazing RPG, then you have missed out on a much more open world in comparison to Fable 1, an online cooperative mode, and a superb canine companion to assist in finding treasure. But even so, Fable 2 wasn’t without its imperfections and we’d like to present five features that need to be improved or added in.
A rival to our hero:
Back when Fable 2 was first announced, there were rumblings that there would be competitive rivals to our glorified hero. These rivals would not only contend for quests provided by NPCs, but they would try their best to become the most honored hero in Albion. If you’ve played Fable 2, you might even see the ghost work put in with guards killing enemies before you can mop them up.
Simply stated, Fable 3 needs friendly rivalries to be built up with other heroes to provide gamers with an incentive to push forward and complete side-quests. These rivals could join in the Crucible to break player records and give them reasons to go back to the tournament. Even if it’s akin to Pokemon’s usual rivalry, that’d be more than acceptable since it builds up tension that doesn’t necessarily have to revolve around the main quest.
Choice of different animals:
The addition of the dog was the most interesting aspect to Fable 2. This furry fellow helped find treasure, attacked downed opponents, and performed silly tricks in front of Demon Doors. What Lionhead Studios didn’t provide gamers with was the chance to purchase or select a different dog to create a more unique experience for the gamer. Lionhead even poked fun at the position that there are no other dogs included in the world of Albion.
What could Lionhead add in to mix up the animal options? First off, allowing gamers to select from variety of dog types would be beneficial. Outside of that, adding in horses and pet birds would be extravagant because not only would these animals make Fable 3 vastly distinctive, but they’d give gamers a chance to pick the style of combat before every quest depending on the animal they selected. The horses would allow for fast travel and the chance to swipe down enemies from the mount. With the birds, such as a hawk or a falcon, gamers could use them to attack enemies, retrieve items and deliver messages to NPCs instead of traveling all the way back their location. In any case, having a variety of animals other then the dog would be a great option for future installments of Fable.
Open up the world more:
A major difference between Fable 1 and Fable 2 is how Lionhead took away a lot of the linearity from the original. Exploring the world of Albion was refreshing and paved way to more replay value in Fable 2. Still though, Fable 3 will need to continue on this path if they way intend on improving the series. It doesn’t need to be the level of the Elder Scrolls series, but if Lionhead were to provide open fields such as Rare did with Kameo: Elements of Power, gamers could rejoice with areas to roam on horseback.
Two branching storylines:
Many alike thought that Fable 2’s main storyline ended abruptly; it was a short story arc that lasted about eight or so hours without side-quests or mini-games included. What Lionhead needs to focus on the next time around is two storylines that gamers can participate in. Whether it is two nefarious villains or two castles to siege, there needs to be a much larger spotlight on the storyline next time around.
What two storyline arcs could potentially provide is the ability to hop back and forth between the two and not get overwhelmingly bored. It could also grant a much grander scope to Fable 3; something that I’d welcome as Fable 2’s nemesis wasn’t threatening.
Created characters allowed in cooperative mode:
This is a need rather than a want – all gamers alike are crying out for a full inclusion of created character support in co-op. If gamers are putting effort into creating their own unique character and building up their stats, Lionhead should reward them with the chance to show off their character to their friend in co-op. Maybe this feature will be incorporated as download content through Xbox Live, but that’s yet to be seen or heard of.
It’s undeniable that Fable 2 was met with critical and financial success, so Microsoft and Lionhead can only go up from here with potential sequels. If you have any suggestions or ideas for Lionhead, feel free to chat with us in our forum boards. Until then, delight yourself with our brand new Fable 2 strategy guides.
