by Robert Workman on Sunday, August 17, 2008
In an attempt to build hype for its upcoming open-ended role-playing game Fable II, Lionhead Studios gave Xbox Live subscribers a chance to gamble with their characters' fates with the release of Fable II Pub Games. This simulation gives you the opportunity to rack up gold with three separate games. Given that creator Peter Molyneux's name is all over it, it should've been a fun way to pass the time while waiting for the real deal. Sadly, it's not.
The simplest of the three is Spinnerbox, a slots-like game that flips emblems on a triangular board. The goal is to match up two or more similar markings with each other to win gold pieces and extra turns. This one is the easiest game, since all you do is place your bet and tapping on the button to spin. However, aside from moving to bigger triangle boards with more spinners, this game fails to excite.
Then there's Keystone, a game resembling a roulette table if it were at Fred Flintstone's house. Cobblestone pieces surround the board, with numbers placed on each one. You place inside and outside bets on particular numbers and colors. A dice roll follows, with their combination total deciding the winner. There's more chance involved with this game than Spinnerbox, although the odds work against you as cobblestones disappear from the board.
Finally, there's Fortune's Tower, a game where you stack playing cards. You start out with three cards, two face up and one face down. From there, you build rows around those cards, avoiding pairs as they "burn" off the board. Hero cards and your top cards act as saviors, saving your numbers for a high gold count at the end of the round. Out of the three, this one is probably the least fun, since the cards are always working against you. Even the Hero cards fail to save the day.
You choose from six characters, but their playing styles don't differ much at all. Furthermore, they're not even real characters – they're drawn out on pieces of paper that look like "Wanted" posters. In fact, the game as a whole looks too simple, with the dice getting the most attention. Even worse, the music is repetitive medieval drivel that'll get on your nerves quickly, unless you have a customized soundtrack.
Outside of playing these games on your own and gathering a ridiculously low (or high, if you're mega-talented) gold count, there's also a Tournament Mode. Unfortunately, you can only play against the computer, instead of real-time players through Xbox Live. There are a few unlockable bonus items and Achievements, but most of them aren't worth the effort.
What really angers us about Fable II Pub Games is how Microsoft wants to cash in on it. The company sells the game for 800 points, which is terrible, since developer Lionhead confirmed it will come with Fable II once it ships in October. The best way around this is to pre-order the game at certain stores, where you'll receive a code to download it at no charge.
Even free, however, Fable II Pub Games isn't worth the gamble. The games are only fun for a little while and without the element of human competition, they get dull quickly. Go to a real pub instead. It's way more fun.
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