Although the 360 is already faring far better, the original Xbox wasn’t exactly overflowing with quality role-playing games. Luckily the original Fable was able to make up for in quality what the Xbox lacked in quantity, with one of the most original and entertaining action role-players of the previous generation. The sequel is set 500 years after the first, with technology improving from a medieval level to something analogous to the Tudor period. As such guns are widely available but very primitive while the small towns and hamlets of the first game have now evolved into much larger cities and castles. The main appeal of Fable was that you had complete freedom in how you played the game and went about your virtual life. This is expanded on in the sequel, with the chance to be either a man or a woman, to get married, have kids and even own pets. Or you can ignore all that and get on with the job of challenging bad guy Lucien by putting together a posse of other heroes. Or, as the game is perfectly happy for you to do, you can turn evil, get together a fellow bunch of malcontents and take Lucien’s place as the big bad. The combat has also been greatly increased in scope, with much greater use of the environment – from throwing people off buildings to making proper use of the furniture in a pub brawl. With the graphics getting a similar makeover the sequel should finally fulfil all the potential which the original only hinted at..Harrison Dent