A problem of scale.

Fable II
Let's face it: you make a fantasy adventure game, you are going to be compared against Zelda. And while Fable II is absolutely gorgeous and manages to create a fairly deep and believable world, it fails in the most critical of areas: incentive. The Zelda formula consistently works because it is built around puzzle-like dungeons that require the accumulation of items which in turn allow you to unlock previously inaccessible areas. That conspicuous boulder? Going to need some bombs! One-eyed statues? Let me find a bow and arrow! It may not be sophisticated, but it is immensely rewarding.

Fable II, in contrast, allows you to work menial jobs (mini games that involve minimal hand-eye coordination) that reap seismically disproportionate amount of money. Within a couple hours of starting that the game, I had enough gold to purchase the best weapons and clothing. Suddenly quests became a joke. My threads made everyone instantly love me and my swords made adventures a tedious exercise in button mashing (which might have been forgivable if the dungeons weren't repetitive and unimaginative). Even hidden treasures lost their luster: why even bother digging for an item that I could buy a thousand times over? [I won't even go into the clumsy interface and unforgivable one-slot save system which make me wonder if anyone bothered beta-testing this game.]

Which is a shame. Because there is a lot to like about Fable II. But clearly Microsoft has a ways to go before it threatens Nintendo's cherished franchise.

Grade: B-