Fable II's See the Future DLC Dated, Detailed

As Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux divulged at GDC, Microsoft has confirmed the second downloadable content package for last year's Fable II, indeed titled "See the Future."

The new expansion adds several new quests, locations, items, and customization options for your hero. However, the biggest draw for the new pack is arguably the chance to get a sneak peak at what the future of the Fable series holds.

See the Future will be available for 560 MSP on Xbox Live Marketplace next month, though no specific date has yet been confirmed.

Anyone looking forward to more Fable?

[Fable II: See the Future Official Press Release]

Peter Molyneux Sort of Confirms Next Fable II DLC

Last week at GDC, Lionhead Studios boss and Fable creator Peter Molyneux had a few things to say about the rather popular action-RPG, and even went so far as to describe the next DLC chapter to Fable II, as well as hint at the in-development Fable III.

Molyneux confirmed that the next batch of DLC, titled See the Future, will be available "this spring," which he went on to clarify would be a matter of weeks, rather than months.

See the Future will apparently be much more story-driven than the previously released Knothole Island, and will supposedly answer some questions that long-time Fable fans may have (assumedly tying up some loose ends between the original and Fable II). More importantly, however, Molyneux states that See the Future will give players a glimpse at what is next for the series, going so far as to hint that the DLC will be a shadow of things to come in Fable III.

No word on specific dates or prices for See the Future, but we expect to hear more sooner than later.

Fable II is already available for Xbox 360 worldwide.

More Fable II DLC in the Works

According to Fable II's official dev blog, the team behind the very popular WRPG is hard at work on creating yet another offering of Downloadable Content.

The previous installation of DLC for the title dropped in January in North America, and featured new areas, quests, items, and stuff to do. Though the blog doesn't clearly define what the new DLC will include, when it will be available, or really, well, anything, I would assume it to be a similar package to Knothole Island.

Since I finished the game proper, I put it aside to work on my enormous mountain of backlog. However, should I someday wish to return to Albion, I could see myself picking up these DLC packs. It just may not be any day soon.

Anyone interested in more Fable II?

RPGs Dominate the Xbox 360 Charts in Japan

In news that should surprise roughly no one, 2008's biggest 3 Xbox 360 titles in Japan were all RPGs. And I bet you could name them all without even looking!

They are, in order, Namco Bandai's Tales of Vesperia, Square Enix's The Last Remnant, and tri-Ace and Square Enix's Infinite Undiscovery. Shocking stuff, right?

In addition to these obvious titles, other RPGs also managed to rank in decently. Bethesda's Fallout 3 ranked in at number 8, Lionhead and Microsoft's Fable II pulls the number 12 spot, and Mistwalker and Microsoft's Lost Odyssey shuffles in at number 26 (not bad for a 2007 title).

Check out the full list scanned from Famitsu Xbox 360 below.

Fable II DLC Release Date Confirmed (For Real This Time)

Announced back in November, Microsoft and Lionhead Studio's Fable II DLC, Knothole Island, was originally slated for a mid-December release. For some Scroogey reason, it was delayed to an unknown date.

Well, Microsoft came forward yesterday to reveal that the DLC in question will be available on January 13, 2009 (next Tuesday). Interestingly enough, it appears that this DLC will be available worldwide on the 13th, so regardless of what region you live in, you'll be able to pick in up next week.

I assume that the delay, then, was to make sure that Japan (who received the game a month and a half later than North America and Europe) was able to have some time with the game before the DLC, but Microsoft hasn't mentioned anything about that...

Anyways, Knothole Island features new quests, items, and a new area to explore for 800 MSP.

Fable II DLC Delayed

In news that could potentially ruin your Christmas, word has come down from Microsoft that the Fable II expansion, Knothole Island, will be delayed from its original mid-December release to a late-January one.

Microsoft has claimed the reason for the delay is related to technical problems, though no specifics have been given yet.

Having recently finish Fable II myself, I have to say that I need a break from Fable to play some other games, so the delay really doesn't bother me, but I'm sure there are some who are devastated by this.

What are your thoughts?

Fable II DLC Detailed

It's a DLC morning, apparently.

Yesterday Lionhead Studios announced the Knothole Island DLC expansion for Fable II.

Knothole Island will contain a new area (surprisingly named Knothole Island) that will contain new locales, enemies, and quests.

Additionally players will receive several exclusive in-game items like the Assassin's Gloves, the Knight's Boots, and the Weight Loss Potion.

I'm still very much enjoying Fable II, so I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little bit interested in some expansion.

Knothole Island will be available via Xbox Live for 800 points sometime in mid-December.

Fable II Launches Next Week, Here's a Trailer to Prove It

Microsoft and Lionhead Studios have released Fable II's "launch trailer," conveniently coinciding with Fable II's official launch next week.


The long-awaited sequel to the well-received original, Fable II looks to right the problems of its predecessor and offer a much broader, more robust role-playing game. It certainly looks cool. Here's hoping it plays cool too.

Fable II launches on Xbox 360 on October 21, 2008 in North America, October 23, 2008 in Europe, and December 12, 2008 in Japan.

Also, you apparently are advised to bring an extra change of underpants.

Play Flash Games, Get Stuff for Fable II

Getting Fable II next week? Love playing Flash games? Well now these two things are no longer mutually exclusive!

Via Microsoft's official Fable II website, two Flash games are available to play, both of which will score you free loot in the upcoming Xbox 360 RPG, including gold, items, and costumes! You must have an Xbox Live account and the ability to connect your 360 to the internet in order to take advantage of the offer, but I believe that even Silver accounts are eligible.

The two games, A Hero's Tale and Chicken Kickin, are free to play here.

Fable II will be available on Xbox 360 in North America and Europe next week on October 21, 2008 and October 23, 2008 (respectively), and will be available in Japan on December 18, 2008. Happy Chicken Kickin.

Fable II gets a Japanese Release Date, Z Rating

Lionhead Studios and Microsoft's upcoming RPG, Fable II, has finally received a release date for Japan: December 18, 2008.

The game will be available in both regular and limited editions, with the limited edition featuring the same bonuses as the newly downsized North American version.

The game has been rated 'Z' by CERO (Japan's electronic game rating organization), which is the most age-restrictive rating possible over there (age 18+).

Fable II Special Edition Gets Price Drop, Stuff Drop

Alright, everyone who has pre-ordered or was planning on buying the Fable II Special Edition later this month, I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is that the edition in question will run you $10 less than you were expecting. Instead of retailing for a hefty $79.99, it will run for a slightly-less-hefty $69.99.

The bad news is that you won't be getting about half the stuff in the box that was originally promised. The collector's edition will be losing the premium box, the five printed fate cards, and the Hobbe figure.

The collector's edition will still come bundled with the Making-of DVD, the bonus Spartan armour and energy sword for your in-game character, "The Wrecker" Legendary Cutlass Weapon (assumedly another in-game item), and a bonus dungeon called "The Hall of the Dead" (though these bonuses will require connectivity to Xbox Live).

You can check out Microsoft's official press release about it here.

I'm not sure what to say here. I was initially turned off of the special edition due to its price, so the price cut is nice. However, I'm sure this will be a big disappointment to a lot of fans.

What do you think? Is the collector's edition worth its price, or are you canceling your pre-order?

Fable II is Special, has Pub Games

In epically old news, Microsoft and Lionhead's Xbox 360 RPG, Fable II has received its own special edition for release in North America and Europe this October.

The special edition will feature a special box set that will include a Hobbe figure, limited edition trading cards, a trial Xbox Live Membership, and a set of Master Cheif-flavored armor (from the Halo series for those who shut themselves off from everything non-RPG).

The limited edition will ship at the same time as the regular edition, and will run you about $20 extra.

Fable II will ship on October 21, 2008 in North America, and on October 24, 2008 in Europe. There is currently no word on when the Japanese version will ship, other than "2008".

For those who can't wait until October, a mini-game feature that will reportedly carry over into the full experience, Fable II Pub Games, is currently available on Xbox Live Arcade, and will run you the standard 800 points. Those who pre-order the game, however, will receive a voucher to download the title for free. Free is always nice.

I suppose for those who really jived on the first one, the extra $20 for all of the above-mentioned goodies is probably a no-brainer. For the ever Western-RPG-wary me, however, that seems like a little much. Standard edition for me, please.

What about you?

Xbox Japan's RPG Site Updated and Sexy

So, remember back during E3 when Xbox Japan got their very own RPG-themed site? Well, as of today (most likely timed with the release of Tales of Vesperia), the site is up and running with a slick Flash interface, and showing off details for several of its upcoming games.

Cruise on over via the link here to check out art, screens, and videos for Tales of Vesperia, Infinite Undiscovery, The Last Remnant, and Star Ocean: The Last Hope. There are also less detailed sections for Fable II, Mass Effect (still not released in Japan yet), and Fallout 3. There are also details and a critical acclaim section for ToV for those among you with Japanese-reading powers.

There is still one spot left open on the site. This section could be for another Western RPG, like Rise of the Argonauts or Dungeon Hero, or it could be for something else (Cry On? Blue Dragon 2? Final Fantasy XIII?) Whatever its for, we are eagerly anticipating its arrival on the site, and will let you know as soon as we do.

E3 2008: Microsoft Mistwalkerless Round-up

Well, here it is. The last big publisher that showed off RPGs at this year's E3. Check out the coverage below.

Fable II (Xbox 360)


Developed by Lionhead Studios
Published by Microsoft
Available October 2008


Too Human (Xbox 360)


Developed by Silicon Knights
Published by Microsoft
Available August 12, 2008

The above developer walkthrough for Fable II is only part 1 of 3. I thought it would give you a good feel for it, and if you were interested you could check the rest out on GameTrailers.

Again, my wariness with Western RPGs prevents me from being overly excited about either of these games, but who knows? Fable II definitely looks like it has potential, and Too Human might be alright for a hack-and-slash fest. Only time will tell.

But my big question for Microsoft is, where the hell is my Mistwalker?!

That is all.

RPG Tsunami!

Say what you like about the Xbox 360, but it has the JRPG support of this generation in a choke-hold.

Last night (North America time), Xbox Japan held a special RPG Press Release where they showcased a number of Xbox 360 exclusive and timed-exclusive RPGs. Microsoft showed off their upcoming Mass Effect (which hasn't been released in Japan yet) and Fable 2.

Namco Bandai also made an appearance to showcase Tales of Vesperia, and added official worldwide release dates. ToV will be released in Japan on August 7th along with an Xbox 360 ToV Special Edition Premium Bundle. Though no bundle will be available over here, the North American release is scheduled for sometime during August. Asia will see a release sometime this summer. Unfortunately, Europe will have to wait until 2009.

Square Enix then took center stage to announce tri-Ace's Star Ocean: The Last Hope (previously titled Star Ocean 4) for Xbox 360 sometime in 2009. Additionally, tri-Ace's other Xbox 360 exclusive, Infinite Undiscovery was shown with more gameplay footage, and was described as "action-heavy." IU will of course launch in both Japan and North America this September.

Finally, Square Enix's own The Last Remnant was shown and revealed as a timed-exclusive for Xbox 360, arriving on the green console worldwide this winter. The previously announced PlayStation 3 version will arrive sometime later in 2009.

With such a large-scale RPG concentration on the Xbox 360 at this event, it seems odd that Mistwalker was not on hand to show off anything new. It may be that they are still hiding away some surprise RPG announcement for E3 or TGS.

Though the Xbox 360 has lagged behind its competition in Japan, such a constant stream of quality JRPGs for the system, and the incredible lack of on the PS3 will surely turn heads on both sides of the Pacific.

I personally couldn't be more stoked about this news. Though I was fairly conviced that SO4 would be on the 360 (there has been some very convincing evidence for a while now), it is nice to finally hear it officially.

Below are the new trailers from the event. Enjoy.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope


Infinite Undiscovery (this video has been posted before)



For detailed info on the games shown, check out IGN's LiveBlog of the event here.

Thoughts?