You know those emergency “flash flood warnings” that interrupt your television viewing experience with the ever soothing sound combination of nails on a chalkboard and a car alarm? Well, they may be making their way to your video game console in the not so distant future if one government official gets his way.

As it turns out, the state of New York is currently testing an Xbox based emergency alert system. New York State Deputy CIO, Rico Singleton, who seems to be spearheading the push, believes that the majority of kids these days play video games instead of watching TV or listening to the radio — mediums which already have emergency alert systems built in.

The goal is to tap into the online networks already established by companies like Microsoft and Nintendo to more effectively reach this video game obsessed demographic when natural or man made disasters occur.

Okay, serious hat off for a moment. Where the hell are the parents? In the other room snorting cocaine off of dead hookers? “Mom! Dad! The Xbox just told me that terrorists attacked an airport! … Wait, never mind, that’s just a level in Modern Warfare 2.”

I personally find it funny to hear a government type sounding like they miss the “good old days when kids rotted their brains out watching TV, and stayed glued to the raido for a chance to record a new song for their  mix tape.”

What say you? Do you feel that there is a need to have a video game based emergency broadcast system, or is this simply going too far? Sound off in the comments section below, and look out for that killer Yoshi!

[Thanks InformationWeek]

In an on going effort to eliminate modded consoles from accessing their Xbox LIVE service, Microsoft has reportedly banned an estimated 600,000 accounts — a tad over one-fortieth of their LIVE subscribing customer base.

Banned users will likely still be able to use their console offline, assuming they don’t throw it into a wall or drive over it upon receiving the news.

Oh how high society frowns upon you! If you happen to be an Xbox LIVE Silver Member that enjoys decapitating zombies when you aren’t drowning kittens in your bathtub, you know that the Left 4 Dead 2 demo wasn’t available to you last week. Well, put the kitten down and power up your 360. Valve’s zombie fest sequel is waiting and your clogged tub drain will thank you.

Fans of Activision’s Action/RPG Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 will be happy to know that new DLC content is out today on both the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3. The download will unlock five new characters; Magneto, Carnage, Cable, Black Panther and Juggernaut (previously only available with pre-orders). It will also open up a new Civil War storyline with four challenge missions.

The cost of the update will run 800 MS points (about $10) on Xbox LIVE and $9.99 on the PlayStation Network. Full press release available below.

MARVEL: ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 2 DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT NOW AVAILABLE

Fuse Powers with Magneto, Carnage, Psylocke, Cable, Black Panther and Juggernaut in New Missions

Santa Monica, CA – November 5, 2009 – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that the greatest Super Hero™ action/RPG team-up just got a super-powered upgrade with Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 downloadable content, now available until December 31, 2009, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Players can now experience Marvel’s epic Civil War storyline with five all-new playable characters in their arsenal: Carnage, Psylocke and Cable make their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system debuts in the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance series alongside returning fan-favorites Magneto and Black Panther. The downloadable content also includes four new challenge missions, including all-new boss encounters, dangerous gauntlets and more, all downloadable from Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points and from the PlayStation®Store for $9.99. Also joining the dream team will be Juggernaut, now available for download from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for 160 Microsoft Points and from the PlayStation®Store for $1.99.

The official game demo will also be available to download from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for free and allows players to play through the Washington, D.C. mission as either a pro-registration or anti-registration team.

Weighing in at 2 gigs, the Left 4 Dead 2 demo is available on Xbox LIVE for all Gold Members as of today. As in right now. Seriously. What are you still doing here? Go download it.

Grand Theft Auto IV’s second downloadable episode, titled “The Ballad of Gay Tony”, is available on Xbox LIVE marketplace right now (complete with Sprunk Extreme Base Jumping) and will run you 1600 Microsoft Points (roughly 20 bucks).

If you get your hands on it, let us know what you think in the comments section.

Excited for Capcom’s upcoming Lost Planet 2? If so, Xbox Live Gold members should mark their calenders for August 19 in which a co-op demo of the highly anticipated sequel to Lost Planet: Extreme Condition will be available to download from the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Celebrating the first day of Gamescom on August 19 in Cologne, Germany, Xbox Live Gold members will be the first to get the demo, while Silver members will get their chance on August 26. Hit the jump for the full press release from Capcom.

Xbox LIVE Gold subscribers around the world will be able to experience the desperate battle against the enormous G-Type Salamander Akrid boss in online, co-operative shoot outs. Utilizing a host of weapons scattered through out the arena, squads of up to four players will face off against the huge monster in an attempt to bring it down. Players can assault the Salamander in a number of ways, from shearing off its legs to actually being swallowed and fighting their way out from the inside! Superior firepower comes in many flavors, including numerous beam and projectile weapons and several Vital Suit robotic combat units that up to three players can ride at once. There are new support weapons which allow teammates to boost attack and defense abilities, while players can share life-giving thermal energy amongst injured members of their squad. Additionally, the new Dash feature allows players to sprint for short distances, bringing greater speed to combat.

The demo is a brief glimpse into the world and possibilities of Lost Planet 2, highlighting the range of weaponry available to players while showing off the high definition graphical capabilities of MT Framework 2.0, the latest version of Capcom’s proprietary 3D game engine. The first generation of MT Framework powered Capcom games like Dead Rising, the original Lost Planet and Devil May Cry 4, while an updated 1.5 version made possible the award-winning visuals of Resident Evil 5.

The next installment in the popular action series returns in Lost Planet 2, sequel to the 2.3 million selling Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. Lost Planet 2 will offer deeper insight into the world of E.D.N III and the uncertain fate of future mankind. A decade has passed since the first game, and the face of E.D.N. III has changed dramatically. Terraforming efforts have been successful and the ice has begun to melt, giving way to lush tropical jungles and harsh unforgiving deserts. Players will enter this new environment and follow the exploits of their own customized snow pirate on their quest to seize control of the changing planet.

Players will control their heroes across 6 interconnected episodes, creating a truly unique interactive experience that changes depending upon the actions of the players involved. With this concept, players will have the opportunity to engage in the story in a much more dynamic way as plot threads evolve from different players’ perspectives.

Beyond the deep single player mode, Lost Planet 2 is loaded with extensive multiplayer modes. The intense and action packed campaign mode comes with the ability to form teams of up to 4 players online to clear mission objectives with friends. The grappling hooks that made the gameplay in Lost Planet a true 3-D experience are back, allowing gamers to gain tactical advantage by quickly scaling buildings and other obstacles that have become exposed by the wide range of environmental changes to the world of E.D.N. III.

It’s August 11 folks and that means the Xbox Live New Xbox Experience summer update is now up and running for everyone to download. I’m actually downloading it right now as I’m typing this, so I’ll be able to enjoy all the new perks like Games on Demand, the Avatar Marketplace, new updates to Netflix and more in just a few moments. Oh, I think it just finished downloading. Time to check it out, holla!

Okay, we all know that the Twitter and Facebook integration into Xbox Live will not happen in the upcoming Dashboard update on August 11, but we do know that it will happen sometime soon.

Well, in a discussion with Eurogamer, Mircrosoft Marketing rep James Halton said that they are aiming for an “autumn” release and that the Twitter and Facebook integration will be separate applications instead of another huge dashboard update.

Halton addded, “It will be before Christmas. A lot of the background work’s been done for a lot of applications that are coming.”

There you have it Xbox Live peeps. You’ll be able to Tweet and update your Facebook status over your 360 in just a matter of months. But are we really that pumped up about this? I mean you can already do this on your computer and even your cell phone, in which both options seem like they would be easier to do. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 was finally released yesterday on Xbox Live and will be hitting the PS3 in just a few weeks. I know many of you are very excited about MvC2, so while you guys are enjoying the game and brawling with the likes of  Spider-Man and Wolverine vs Ryu and Mega Man, take a look and listen at the upcoming Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 Mixtape coming out soon starring many well-known hip-hop rappers such as Talib Kweli, Raekwon and the Bay Area’s own, E-40.

Being a big fan of hip-hop/rap music, I was pleased to see a game publisher the likes of Capcom hook up and integrate the likes of one of their biggest games with a Mixtape featuring artists rapping about the game and it’s characters. Check out the first premiere video from the Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 Mixtape dubbed “SuperHeroes” featuring Planet Asia and DJ Toure after the break.

Dope beat and badass lyrics fo sho! I’ve never really heard of Planet Asia nor DJ Toure, but I liked the song and the video was tight. Look at for the Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 Mixtape coming soon, in which you’ll actually be able to download for free through Capcom-Unity. Word!

Today mark’s the release of the highly anticipated Gears of War 2 Dark Corners and All Fronts Collection DLC. The Dark Corners DLC features seven new multiplayer maps and a bonus deleted single-player chapter, “Road to Ruin,” from the Gears of War 2 campaign. In “Road to Ruin,” Marcus and Dom face the Locust but can either choose stealth or the usual run and gun action to survive. The seven new multiplayer maps include a new War Machine (the classic Gears 1 map), Allfathers Garden, Highway, Memorial, Nowhere, Way Station and Sanctuary (a favorite from Gears for Windows).

The All Fronts Collection DLC is geared towards players who have yet to download any of the previously released DLC map packs. Along with the “Road to Ruin” campaign chapter and the seven new multiplayer maps, the All Fronts Collection DLC will also contain all maps included in the Flashback, Combustible and Snowblind DLC.

The Dark Corners DLC will run you 1200 Microsoft Points ($15), while the All Fronts Collection will run you 1600 Microsoft Points ($20).

Microsoft announced today that a major update to Xbox Live will be arriving on August 11. The update is set to include many new features including Games on Demand, improved Netflix performance (complete with Movie Parties), Avatar Marketplace, the ability to rate games and more.

Confirmed titles for the Games on Demand service include Mass Effect, BioShock, Assassin’s Creed, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga and Sonic the Hedgehog.

The Facebook, Twitter and Last.FM integration will not be included in this update, but will arrive in a future fall update alongside 1080p streaming support.

Source: Shacknews

Ikaruga, the crazy shoot’em up that seems completely impossible to me, is the Xbox Live Deal of the Week at a smooooth five bucks (400 MS points). The deal lasts until this Friday, June 17th.

DICE is currently performing maintenance on the soldier profiles in the recently released Battlefield 1943, so you may have noticed that your stats have been reset. Not to worry, my friends, as this is temporary.

Simon Dalziel (I presume of DICE) explains that the soldier profiles are actually being made “better than they already are” and that all of the kills will still count towards the Coral Sea challenge. After maintenance is over in the next few days, ranks and badges will be restored.

Game Stooge

Battlefield 1943 hit XBLA and PSN this past Wednesday with three maps – Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, and Wake Island. When the global kill count on one of the services reaches 43 million, a fourth map, Coral Sea, will be unlocked for that service. While 43 million is quite a bit of kills, it’s coming faster than you think.

Players on Xbox Live have already racked up almost 10 million kills, almost a fourth of the way there, while PSN kills are almost at 6 million. Blend Games seems to think that the kill count will slow after the weekend is over, but consider that the service has been riddled with bugs and they’re currently working on it, I think the kill count will remain steady as more people are allowed to actually play.

I’ll see you on the Battlefield!*

*As long as the servers allow us to play.

1 vs 100, the new Xbox Live online game show for the 360, will feature prizes of Xbox Live Arcade games and Microsoft Points beginning this week. Starting July 10 at 7 p.m. PST, Xbox Live Gold Members will have the chance to win up to 10,000 MP in every round played in 1 vs 100.

The easiest way to win Microsoft Points is to be chosen as “The One” or being part of “The Mob”. If you’re lucky enough to be chosen as the One, you’ll need to eliminate players in the Mob, earning MP for each member you eliminate, up to a total 10,000 MP if you can eliminate every player.  On the other hand, if you’re part of the Mob and the One makes a mistake, you’ll be able to earn an Arcade game and a part of the One’s MP. If you’re one of the people stuck in the crowd, you still have a chance to win a prize if you’re one of the top three highest scoring members.

Sounds like a lot of fun and a great chance to win some Microsoft Points and even some Arcade titles. Good Luck!

Source: 1up

The 1 Vs. 100 beta has been going on for some time now but it’s only been available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, and if you’re a cheapskate like me, that’s a problem. From today until Sunday, however, Silver members can join in on the scheduled games. According to the main 1 Vs. 100 website, the games start tomorrow at 3:00 PM (PST, I believe).

Game Stooge

*gasp* Man, that title is a mouthful.

The second Call of Duty: World at War (seriously, I refuse to call it Call of Duty 5.) map pack just hit, and while presumably thousands of people are having fun with it right now, you might’ve just hoped it would hit the proverbial online bargain bin soon enough, even though it’s a measly $10. Well, now you don’t have to, because we at Ripten are giving away 5 PS3 codes and 5 Xbox 360 codes for the map pack.

Of course, we can’t just give them to you. That would be crazy! No siree- but you can hit the jump to see what you can do to win a code.

(header image by AgentMOO. Play his game, yo!)

To win one of these codes, all you have to do is make a drawing in MS Paint (or Paintbrush for Mac, Tuxpaint for Linux, or whatever) and leave a link to the picture in the comments below, but don’t forget to tell us which console you want the code for. The drawing can be of anything- as long as it’s gaming related, and the Ripten staff will choose the 5 best PS3 artist drawings and the 5 best Xbox 360 artist drawings. The main point of the contest is that you absolutely cannot use anything other than a rudimentary paint program. You can even use an iPhone paint program if you want to, but if we see any hints of Photoshopping, GIMPing, Paint.NET-ing, or A.viary-ing, your painting will not count.

Keep in mind though- best doesn’t necessarily mean most skillfull. If your drawing is though provoking, or funny, or artsy, or even just totally outrageous enough to make us like it, then you’ll probably win. That’s not to say that skillful artists won’t win- you can make a drawing of anything, as long as the drawing is related to video games. It doesn’t have to look like a Monet, though- Pollacks and Picassos are just as welcome.

You can submit as many masterpieces as you want, but make sure you leave a link to them before midnight (between Tues. & Wed.), Tuesday June 23rd, one week from now. Get to it, guys!

Okay that’s all cool with me, but on a night when it’s double experience points for World at War? That’s whack and it’s even more whack that Xbox Live will be down all day today until midnite. No Xbox Live gaming for today me, guess I might hop on my PS3 and play some Killzone 2, maybe SOCOM? Or I could possibly hit up my Wii for some Punch-Out!!?

That title may have been a little dramatic, but I sure as hell plan to never use MS points again. In a Live update later this year, Microsoft will add the ability to purchase items directly with a credit card, rather than using the points system, which oftemtimes forces you to buy a larger block of points than you need. However, Microsoft points will still be available for those who want to use them. This begs the question: why would you?

Would you guys ever use points if you don’t have to?

Kombo

After a brief time of being exclusive to people who pre-ordered the game, the Fight Night Round 4 demo is now available on Xbox Live for all Gold members.

The demo has two boxers, Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton and Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao.

Those with a Xbox Live Silver membership will be able to download the game next week, June 4, the same day the demo will be available for the PS3. EA Sport’s Fight Night Round 4 will hit retailers on June 30.

Here’s something strange: Microsoft’s decided to publish a game on Xbox Live Arcade- for free! I already checked, it’s not April 1st.

Microsoft, in all of their infinite wisdom, has announced that when 1 vs. 100 hits Xbox Live Arcade this Spring, it will be free for all Gold members. I assume this has something to do with the insane amount of Sprint advertisements this game has. All I can say is that I hope it’s fun- if I remember correctly, the last time Xbox Live had a free game, the game was Yaris.

*shudder*

Bungie has just confirmed that their biggest title, Halo 3, has set an impressive benchmark in console online gaming. Over Xbox Live, over one billion matches has been played in Halo 3 which beats out the previous record of 798 million set by it’s predecessor, Halo 2.

“Thanks a billion for all the good games and the continued community support,” wrote the Bungie team. “We’re in awe of the success Halo 3 has been met with, but we’re not done yet. Stick around and stay tuned, there’s definitely more to come.”

This momentum is expected to continue throughout the year as Bungie sets to release they’re highly anticipated Mythic Map pack for Halo 3 which brings in 3 new playable multiplayer maps. For those who purchase Halo Wars, the map pack will come bundled in but for those wanting to wait, Bungie will release the map pack worldwide this September.

It is very rewarding to see Halo 3 garner this continued success. It just shows what may happen when a developer decides to stick hard with their games, even years after it has released instead of disbanding them. Personally, some of my greatest Xbox Live memories come from playing Halo 3 online. I just hate it when people on my team in a Ranked match decides to bail out, really sucks, but I believe Halo 3 will always be a dominating factor over XBL over the course of the 360 lifespan.

Source: Games Industry Biz

A few days ago, Range posted that Capcom would be revealing a new game on the Xbox Marketplace today. Well, that game has turned out to be Lost Planet 2. The teaser can be found here, or directly on your 360.

Gamezine have dug up a lot of information on the new game; the new game will feature new environments including melting snow and jungles, and is likely to have many co-op features- mechs with passenger seats, anyone? Plus, the story will feature perspectives from different factions this time around, and Jun Takeuchi, the producer of Resident Evil 5, will be helping out with the game. All I can say is, Capcom are doing a good job of earning our money this year.

Hot off the release of Street Fighter IV and just weeks before Resident Evil 5 comes out, Capcom is ready to announce a new game in the form of a trailer through the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The announcement will come sometime in the evening of Monday, February 23. No further details have been released.

What could it be? A brand new IP? Another sequel to one of their famous games? How about a new game for the Xbox LIVE Arcade? I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Source: Joystiq via Capcom

According to the folks over at TeamXbox.com, Larry Hryb, the Xbox Live Director of Programming, has posted a list of the top 10 most-played games over Xbox Live, revealing that Halo 3 is back in the #1 spot. Hit the jump to see the other nine games that made the list.

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU’s)

1. Halo 3
2. Call of Duty: World at War
3. Gears of War 2
4. Call of Duty 4
5. GTA IV
6. Left 4 Dead
7. Madden NFL 09
8. Fable II
9. Fallout 3
10. FIFA 09

That’s right. Even with new releases like Gears of War 2, Call of Duty: World at War, Fable II and Left 4 Dead, Halo 3 (which is now over a year old) is currently the most played game on Xbox Live. Not totally hard to believe seeing that Microsoft recently put a discount on the Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack, which might have gotten a bunch of gamers back into the Halo 3 mood.

Personally, even after playing some of the newest games for a few awhile, I’ll always somehow manage to drift back to Halo 3. I think it just has that much depth, replay value, and not to mention a lot of my friends still play. Looks like there are a lot of gamers out there who might feel the same way.

Source: TeamXbox.com

As part of Microsoft’s Game With Fame program, Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D will be rocking out in Rock Band 2 tonight on Xbox Live. And the best part is, you can play with them!

The process is actually quite simple: add the GamerTags JBTenacious and KGTenacious to your friends list. Then wait for a game invite from the guys between 6 and 8 EST tonight, and you just lucked your way into gaming with Tenacious D.

Microsoft’s Game With Fame program has usually been, in my opinion, kind of lame. It usually involves some “celebrities” (that I’m not really sure qualify as being famous) playing Gears of War and that’s it. Tenacious D playing Rock Band is actually something that makes sense, especially considering the fact that Tenacious D has a song in the game.

I’m curious if they’re just going to play Master Exploder over and over or if they’ll let the fans decide the song. If any of you readers out there happen to get an invite from the guys, let us know how it goes.

Shacknews reports that Capcom are releasing a demo of Resident Evil 5, the next in their line of acclaimed horror games (more recently: zombie shooters) on December 5. The demo is unfortunately restricted to those with a Xbox Live Gold Account- no signing up for a Silver account for a sneaky go at the demo for you, you cheeky rascal. The demo is reported to feature two stages, playable offline or online with a friend. There’s no word on a US or European release, or even a PS3 version. Still, it’s nice to see a demo this early; the full game doesn’t release until March 5 (JP) and March 13 (US). Those of you who just can’t wait to find out what the game is like, you’ll just have to read our preview.

Earlier today, Rockstar confirmed that the much-talked-about downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV would be released on February 17, 2009, exclusively for the Xbox 360. The DLC will be titled ‘The Lost and Damned’, and it won’t star Niko Bellic. Details follow.

The DLC will feature a new character named Johnny Klebitz, a member of the gang you’ll likely recognize called ‘The Lost’. Rockstar’s vice president of creative development, Dan Houser, had the following to say:

“Johnny is a very different character than Niko, with a very different background. I can’t go into too much detail on the story, because we try not to give away too much plot before the game is released. But I can say that the story will show you a different side of Liberty City.”

“The story is not directly impacted by decisions you took in the main game, but tons of details and mysteries from the main story get explained, so it will add a lot of color to the main story. We feel like we’ve only scratched the surface in terms of the depth and detail.”

As previously stated, the DLC is expected to hit Live on February 17th of next year. Analysts predict it will end up in the $15-$20 price range. I personally predict that I won’t buy it.

Source: USA Today

Fable II is one of those games that some people have been waiting for even before the original was released.  Peter Molyneux tried as hard as he could to keep things low key, but try as he might, the hype machine just could not be stopped.  So, does the game live up to expectations or does it soil itself trying to impress the ladies?  Read on dear reader, and find out….

Fable II takes place 500 years after the first Fable.  The story has relatively little to do with the first game, so if you haven’t played the original (shame on you), you won’t be missing much.  There are little hints and easter eggs thrown in here and there, mostly in the form of books and stories laying around the world.  Even if you don’t get some of the references, it won’t hurt the story or gameplay too much.

It’s 500 years in the future, so of course most of the events from the original have become children’s tales and myths.  It’s actually kind of neat, but you really won’t know one way of another if you haven’t played the original, it will just be one more book of flavored text to help bring the world of Albion to life.

You start off as a orphan kid (boy or girl, your choice) eking out an existence with your older sister on the rough-and-tumble streets of Bowerstone’s Old City district.  It’s a hard-knock place to grow up, and all your sister wants is to be safe and happy in a castle.  Through the course of the child tutorial-type stage, you’ll help her get a chance to make a wish that will change your life forever.

This portion of the game really lets you get a feel for the way the rest of the game runs, and it’s one of the better tutorial-type sections of a game I’ve played.  The advancement of time going from the end of your childhood days to that of a young adult also allows the game to show off how much of an impact your character can have on the world.

Even as a young adult moving out of the big city, the game still takes your hand for a little while yet, but this allows the character progression to really focus on how your actions affect the world around you.  It also gives you a direction while you figure out exactly what you want to do with your character.  It can be a little frustrating playing a game like this and being dragged along a quest with little or no freedom to explore, but it works out for the best once you get through it and finally get to go out and explore the world at your leisure.

The story is very good and quite compelling.  It’s not often that I get into a game’s story as much as this, but I could really relate to the motivations of the main characters, as well as the views of all the secondary characters.  Even Lucien, the villain, was complex enough that you could identify with him.  It wasn’t a matter of being evil for evil’s sake, there was actual depth to the character.

It makes things much more interesting when you have a character that actually has motives behind his actions that are more than just a lust for power. This makes an all the more satisfying story because it’s so much more plausible, in my mind, for someone to turn to evil as a last recourse rather than just wanting to destroy things for the hell of it.

One of my favorite characters (and one that received a lot of attention) was my canine companion in the game.  While I don’t think it went as far as Molyneux had hoped when he talked about it in press conferences, I certainly did like having the dog around.  I didn’t exactly fall in love with him or anything, though.

I enjoyed playing fetch and watching him run in front of me while I was exploring.  I genuinely got upset when he wasn’t around, afraid that he had been injured in a fight and I hadn’t noticed.  This wasn’t only because I liked the cute little guy, but because having him around and healthy has tangible game benefits — he will find treasure chests and buried treasure for you and warn you of enemy threats, even going so far as attacking enemies that you manage to knock to the ground.

Frankly, the benefits of having him around are enough to pay attention to him, but it’s because of that that you’ll start to feel closer to the dog.  He’s pretty much at your side all the time, and the few times we were separated because of the story, I actually missed the little guy.  He does change with your character’s alignment, but not as much as your character will.

Good characters will have a golden blond-colored dog that plays with all the villagers, while evil characters will have a black dog that growls menacingly at the locals.  There is nothing more satisfying than hearing some stupid yokel say “Aww, ain’t you a cute little… oh, nice dog!  Please don’t hurt me!”  Maybe that’s just me, of course. I’m sure there are people out there that will choose to actually be good (bo-ring).

Good and Evil are not the only things that affect your character’s look, unlike the original game.  It’s actually fairly complex and a fun little game in and of itself if you’re going for a certain style.  First of all, not only is your look affected by your actual in-game statistical number for good and evil, which can change quite quickly if you work at it, but also by the quest decisions you make.  If you want to be the ultimate evil-looking badass, you have to stick to your guns, no matter how hard it may be to steal that orphan’s lollipop.

The biggest thing that affects your look is where you put your experience points.  If you want to have a heavy-hitting melee fighter, expect to bulk up, while shooty types who spend points in skill will get taller, and magic users will get Tron-like blue glowy vein things all over their body.  If you don’t like the way an attribute makes your character look, that’s too bad.  You can’t have a waif thin heroine and expect them to be able to deliver awesome damage with each swing of their Master Greataxe of Fiery Vampirism.

Another layer of the character’s look is Purity and Corruption.  It’s similar to good and evil, but it’s different enough that after a few hours of playing you’ll understand what the difference is.  Doing things like eating meat, having pre- or extra-marital unprotected sex, and charging a lot for rent are things that will corrupt your character, making them uglier and more evil looking.  Doing things like charging low rent, eating vegetables, and banging only your wife (or at least using a condom if you bang someone else) will purify your character and clear up their skin.

The last two things that affect your look are scaring and fatness.  You get scars mostly from “falling out” in combat, but there are other things that may cause you to get scars.  Generally, combat doesn’t seem to cause scars like it did in the original, which is good since there is no armor in the game this time around.  Eating fatty foods and drinking alcoholic beverages will get your character to beef up in the gut if you’re not careful.  Throwing in certain veggies and other magical foods will decrease your cellulite levels and make you hotter to the local virgins, but just like real life it’s a lot easier to put it on than it is to get rid of it.

All of this combined can really force you to think about what you are going to do with your character.  I mean, do you really want to eat that apple pie to get some hitpoints back when it’s going to add ten pounds to your butt?  Are you still going to want to play dress-up with your female character after they start to look more and more manly?

I personally spent a lot of money on fish since they are a corrupting food (you know, they used to be alive and all) but were mostly fat free.  I did spend some time buying up celery after a drunken binge one session, as that is one of the few foods that will actually burn fat.  I’ve never had to think about what my character was eating before.  The best part is that I spent all this time running around looking for healthy food while I was sitting there smoking a cigarette, drinking a Pepsi, and eating junk food in real life.  Sort of made me feel sick and pathetic that I was taking so much better care of my character than I was of myself.

A lot has been made of the one button combat of Fable II, but I have to say that it works surprisingly well.  The X is for melee attacks, Y is ranged (bows and guns) and B is magic attacks.  You get experience based on what attacks you do and bonuses for mixing things up.  It’s also neat to me that the colors of the different experience orbs, and thus the skills, match up to the colors of the buttons on the controller.  It’s a small thing, but it seems to make things easier for non-gamer-types to get what button does what into their heads.

While one-button combat may seem overly simplistic and make the game sound like another Dynasty Warriors slash fest, it’s complicated and deep enough to keep things interesting.  It’s cliché, but it’s one of those things that’s easy to do, hard to master.  Okay, maybe not hard, but complicated enough to be interesting.

Things are definitely a little lame at first, but once you get some of your skills leveled up a bit and get new combat skills and magical powers, and the enemies actually start to put up a fight, the combat can be quite rewarding.  The best thing about it is that even when you’re getting your ass kicked, you still feel like a badass.

Another great innovation to the combat is the complete lack of magic points.  There is no mana or MP or anything to manage at all.  You can throw fireballs or lightning bolts just as easily as you can shoot your gun or swing your axe.  It’s just another small thing that allows the combat to flow without having to worry about trivial things like ammo or other typical RPG-type micro-management malarkey.

It also allows the combat to just look awesome.  There is something to be said for shooting a dude with a lightning bolt, knocking him into the sky with your axe, and then shooting him as he flies through the air.

The world is rich and beautiful and the graphics are top notch.  The world of Albion really seems to be alive, and each area is distinctive and remarkable in its own way.  The separation of the different sections is a bit of a downer, though, as you never really feel like places connect.  There is no overworld map or anything, just a magical exit between different zones, and going from one zone to another requires traveling through some kind of unknown, non-existant wilderness that basically just gives you a load screen and advances the game time a certain amount.

It breaks up the areas a bit too much for my tastes and really damages the feel of it all being part of the same world.  It’s a small thing and a bit nitpicky, but besides that relatively small gripe, the areas are fantastic and world overall is just amazing.

Another problem with the graphics and art style isn’t really a problem exactly, but it is something.  The world is very well done and much more realistic than the first Fable (for the most part).  It’s still got that fantasy vibe going, but it’s much more believable than the first one.  My problem with this is that there is a definite silliness to the game that just sort of clashes with the harsh “realities” of the rest of the world.  I mean, the town of Bowerstone just looks incredible and the characters look great, but your interactions with them are limited to goofy interactions like dancing and belching.  Well, and chopping their heads off, but that’s a different kind of interaction.

It’s just strange to be the most evil and hated person in Albion because I ran around growling like a dog and farting in people’s faces.  It is funny and it works for the game, but it did seem to sort of clash with the rest of the game’s atmosphere. That may be more of a personal thing, though, as there were times where I genuinely enjoyed farting for the sake of a child’s laughter or taking off all my clothes and pelvic thrusting my way to a public disturbance charge.  It’s definitely not a level of character interaction like Mass Effect, but it tends to work for this game even though it clashes with some of the harsh realities of other aspects of the world.

No matter how evil you are, people will still laugh at you.

Lastly, and one of the biggest things for me, is the multiplayer.  I was really looking forward to being about to run rampant around the world with my wife or brother in tow, or being able to go in and help my wife with her game when she asks for it (and only when she asks for it).  There are very few games she’ll play, and Fable II is one of them, which says something about the accessibility of the game right there, especially if you know my wife.  Which you don’t, so this does absolutely nothing to help you.  I guess that whole thought process just wasted a bunch of your time. Sorry!

Unfortunately, as fun as the co-op can be, there are some definite problems with it.  First, you play as a henchman if you join someone else’s game.  In Lionhead’s defense, it’s exactly what they said it would be as far as that goes, but it’s still a little disappointing not being able to be your character in someone else’s game.

The henchmen does have your character’s stats if you choose it to, but otherwise they’re just generic NPC-looking types.  Even their weapons are not based on what your character has, but you can select whatever types of weapons you want and the generic weapons will have stats based on the level of that character.   You will still have your spells and experience and the like, so it’ll still be your character as far as the stats go (sorta), but it just won’t look like it.

The only other issue with the multiplayer, and also the biggest for me, is the camera.  Whether you’re playing on the same system or over Xbox Live, the camera goes from being controlled by the right analog stick to being static.  That’s right, you can’t just move the camera around wherever you want.  Instead, you have to tap the left bumper to center the camera behind your character.  Either player can do this which just leads to other problems if the two of you keep fighting over the camera.  It’s especially problematic in the more hectic fights with large groups of very agile enemies.

I just don’t understand that design decision at all.  I mean, I can see it making sense if you’re playing on the same system, but it just seems silly to do this over XBL.  Camera problems aside, though, co-op is a ton of fun if you’re in later stages of the game.  Mostly the game is too easy to make co-op really enjoyable, but there are parts where it is an absolute blast…  as long as you don’t have a partner that likes to shop or look at menus all the time.

While the other person is shopping or browsing around the menus, the game just pauses for the other player.  More could have definitely been done to make multiplayer more enjoyable, but as it is, it’s good for short stints into a dungeon or helping someone else out against a tough boss, but mostly it will fall to the wayside because of these small but annoying problems.

Overall, I’d say that Fable II is a fantastic game and does what the original set out to do and then some.  While there are certainly aspects of it that could have been better, or just strange design choices in some areas, overall the game is superb and one of the best games I’ve played this year.  If things seemed a little picky, that’s because I was being picky.

Fable II is a wonderful, wonderful game where the sum of it’s parts far exceeded my expectations.  That being said, it’s a strange juxtaposition of silly and serious, where you can fart in people’s faces then take them back to your place and have sex, complete with pregnancy and STD concerns.  It’s a strange combination of mature and immature that somehow manages to come together and work, and it helps solidify the world of Albion as a strange yet wonderful home away from reality that forever lives on in my Xbox 360.