fable II released yesterday

If you eavesdrop on some dorky gamers these days, chances are you may hear the title Fable II being bandied about. Lionshead Studios just released the sequel and it's scored good reviews and plenty of anticipation in the leadup to its release. This game looks pretty sweet although there's no way I would start a character in it while I'm still playing Oblivion (...and Zelda). Still, this game looks cool and different from other RPGs. One major aspect is that everything you do, every choice you make or action you take, determines the shaping of your character towards good, evil and other moral spectra. This reminds me a lot of Black and White for the PC (interestingly also a Lionshead title) which I always loved and admired for its focus on choices determining your alignment. Also there's a lot of emphasis placed on the emotional connection you develop with the land through your loyal pet dog (see pic) who also finds treasure for you. Looks like it features beautiful (although apparently "cartoonish") scenery and character animation along with a compelling soundtrack, but perhaps will be lacking in the depth of story and character development, as well as apparently having a crappy map (sounds like someone's been spoiled by Oblivion's amazing map). Regardless, I'm sure this game will end up on our game shelf eventually. Read the full Gamespot review of Fable II here.