Fable II Pub Games (Xbox 360)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.5 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Chris Watters
• Reviewed on: 08/12/2008
• Released on: 08/13/2008
• Originally published on GameSpot: Fable II Pub Games (Xbox 360) Review

Fable II Pub Games is a collection of three games of chance popular throughout Albion, the world of Fable. The games themselves will feel familiar to anyone with a passing knowledge of common gambling games, and on balance, they're mildly entertaining. Their real appeal lies in their eventual integration with your Fable II game. Any gold or items that you win (or debt you accrue) can be passed on to your hero in Fable II, for better or worse. If you're not excited about Fable II, these games aren't anything special. But for those counting the days until October, the thoroughly Albion-esque presentation and the two reasonably engaging games make Pub Games an appealing purchase.

If you think that you'll download this game and easily earn thousands of gold pieces to use as seed money for your plan to purchase every building in Bowerstone, think again. Unless you have a good knowledge of gambling strategy, you'll likely find yourself plunging into debt fairly rapidly. There is a silver lining to this, given that each coin you wager will earn you points toward your gambler's rating. As your rating grows, you'll be able to play on higher-stakes tables that have slightly better odds. In theory, this will let you earn your money back more easily, though it will take a calculated approach to keep from sliding further into pauperdom.

A higher gambler's rating will also earn you access to tournaments for each of the three games. There are 15 tournaments in all, and placing in the top five in the field of AI competitors in any given tournament will earn you gold and an item for use in Fable II. Some of these rewards seem fairly common, such as foodstuffs, tattoos, and a backflip trick for your dog, whereas others seem more precious, like potions that will permanently increase a given attribute. There are also items that you won't be able to buy in Albion, though you'll have to win the toughest tournaments to earn those -- and that's no mean feat.

The most entertaining of the games is Fortune's Tower, a card game akin to blackjack. After you place your bet, the dealer lays down cards in a pyramid, one row at a time. The sum of each row of numbered cards is the dealer's offer for that row, and you choose to either take that offer or risk another row. As the rows get longer, your chances of winning big increase, as do your chances of busting and losing your bet. You'll have to do well over time if you hope to profit, and this requires that you choose wisely when to push your luck and when to play conservatively. The more you play, the more nuanced your strategy becomes, and this can become quite engaging. It's easy to tell yourself, "Just one more hand...," and still be playing 20 minutes later.

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