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Molyneux's Redemption?

Posted by Bob Mackey

If you asked me a few years ago, I never would've believed Fable 2 would be so highly-reviewed--or that I'd be having so much fun playing it. Even the ruthless gang over at 1UP Yours likes Fable 2; in their latest podcast, they go so far as to recommend that you play it before the highly-anticipated Fallout 3--and that's saying something. So, after a series of disappointments this decade, is Molyneux finally back in our good graces?

Maybe; it's possible that he never left them. Games like the original Black and White may be mocked and derided in the Disappointment Hall of Fame, but, if you do a simple Metacritic search, you'll notice that nearly all of Molyneux's 21st century games were highly regarded upon their release. Hell, as of this writing, Fable 2 is pulling in the same Metacritic score as Black and White. Metacritic isn't the best tool for judging the quality of a game, but something fishy's going on here.

Will there eventually be a Fable 2 backlash? I think it's inevitable. While I'll agree it's a quality product, Molyneux's game is one that's made to be broken--even though in this case, "breaking" the game means having a blast exploiting the social interactions and economy of Fable 2's world. It's a messy sandbox, but a fun one nonetheless--and Fable 2's land of Albion is much more immersive than the over-hyped and sterile Grand Theft Auto 4. Still, I believe disappointment is a Molyneux meme that isn't going to disappear soon; and, by early next year, I'm sure we'll hear rumblings about how much Fable 2 sucked. But bookmark this post, friends--as of October 27, 2008, Fable 2 is officially awesome.

I promise to not eat my words on this one.

Related Links:

Impressions: Fable 2
Screen Test: Fable 2
Non-Gamers Reviewing Games: Wait, What?

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Posted Oct 27 2008, 10:00 PM

Filed under: xbox 360, fable 2, peter molyneux, fable, bob mackey, black and white

Comments

Amber Ahlborn said:

Perhaps it would be appropriate to say his games don't age well but do age quickly?

October 28, 2008 9:19 AM

Will said:

I think the backlash will start when they announce a DLC for fable 2 after the holiday season.

A DLC with content addressing the lack of a proper ending that fable 2 shipped with.

October 30, 2008 10:58 PM

About Bob Mackey

For a brief period of time I was Bull from TV's Night Court, but some of you may know me from the humor column I wrote for Youngstown State University's The Jambar, Kent State University's The Stater, and Youngstown's alternative newspaper, The Walruss. I'm perhaps most well-known for my bi-weekly pieces on Something Awful. I've also blogged for Valley24.com and have written articles for EGM, 1UP, GameSpite and Cracked. For all of my writing over the years, I have made a total of twenty American dollars. It's also said that I draw cartoons, which people have described with words such as "legible." I kidnapped the Lindbergh Baby and am looking to do so again in the future.

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John Constantine, our superhero, was raised by birds and then attended Penn State University. He is currently working on a novel about a fictional city that exists only in his mind. John has an astonishingly extensive knowledge of Scientology. Ultimately he would like to learn how to effectively use his brain. He continues to keep Wu-Tang's secret to himself.

Derrick Sanskrit is a self-professed geek in a variety of fields including typography, graphic design, comic books, music and cartoons. As a professional hipster graphic designer, his recent clients have included Nerve, Pitchfork and MoCCA, among others.

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