Fable II Previews, Molyneux Opinions

Fable II is due out next month, so it's been making the rounds for previews. So has its creator, Peter Molyneux. He talks with Joystiq about the game's Co-op feature, which allows players to drop into the games of others, getting a look at how it would have played out had they made different choices. Molyneux also offered a frank interview to CVG about flaws in the game, such as poor lip-syncing and the occasional "low-spot." (This comes two weeks after he unabashedly rated it as a 9/10 game.) Joystiq also got several hours to preview the game, and Gamespy gave it a test drive recently as well.

Comments

Re:Only a 9/10 rating from Molyneux himself?

[Chyeld]

I don't think you quite realize the extent of things.

Peter is famous for both being someone who brought us amazing games back in the 'pre-history' of PC gaming, but for being one of the most renown over-promisers of features in the 'new world' of PC gaming.

He was the co-founder of one of the most revered (and lamented) old school game company's out there, Bullfrog. Most of their games are classics:

        * Populous (1989)
        * Populous II (1991)
        * Powermonger (1992)
        * Syndicate (1993)
        * Magic Carpet (1994)
        * Theme Park (1994)
        * Syndicate: American Revolt (1994)
        * Tube (Game) (1994)
        * Hi-Octane (1995)
        * Magic Carpet 2 (1995)
        * Genewars (1996)
        * Syndicate Wars (1996)
        * Dungeon Keeper (1997)
        * Theme Hospital (1997)
        * Populous: The Beginning (1998)
        * Theme Park World (SimTheme Park in the US) (1999)
        * Dungeon Keeper 2 (1999)

But he's also the founder of Lionhead, whose games are pretty much known for being the worst overhyped games out there:

        * 2001 - Black & White
        * 2002 - Black & White: Creature Isle
        * 2004 - Fable
        * 2005 - Fable: The Lost Chapters
        * 2005 - Black & White 2
        * 2005 - The Movies
        * 2006 - Black & White 2: Battle of the Gods
        * 2006 - The Movies: Stunts & Effects

These weren't horrible games, but you'd be hard pressed to make the argument that even one of them delivered half of what Peter sold the game as.

We are talking about someone who sells magic beans to little children. Only in our case, the beans never bother to sprout anything but beans.

If you go in expecting just beans, it's OK. You paid for beans and you got beans. But a lot of people have been burnt getting excited over his promises on games like Black & White and Fable and that makes most people a bit skeptical.

Worth Criticism, but also worth Respect.

[Rog7]

I enjoyed Black & White. Fable was okay.

Populous, Syndicate, Magic Carpet, Dungeon Keeper-- these were all truly amazing games for their time, although if you speak with Peter Molyneux, he will say of his own games (these included) that he wished he could have made them more 'complete'.

PowerMonger is easily on my list of best games of all time, although the versions many saw (Sega Genesis port? ugh) weren't as impressive as the Amiga original. I only wish it could be remade, since the low resolution it was locked into is hard to tolerate now.

I've also spoken with Peter Molyneux directly on several occasions at E3. He's charming and charismatic, his love for games comes across strongly and it shows as he's quick to excitedly talking about them.

Whatever people feel like complaining about as far as overhype is concerned, if people like Peter Molyneux didn't do what they did, we'd have a lot less exciting games in the first place and a lot more corporate-pushed boredom.

But hey, this is the Slashdot crowd right? Always eager to roast someone.