Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion vs. Fable II

what's daggerfall and what console? i don't remember that one..

Oblivion and Fallout 3 both kept me enthralled for quite a while, but I grew tired of both before long. Fable II did the same, but unlike the other two games I can take breaks and come back and play again. I'll give the nod to one game or the other in different aspects.

Combat: Fable II. Both games utilize one button for melee combat, but Fable II has many different styles rather than one single swiping motion. Once you gain experience in the strength category, you can unlock counter and chain attacks that are both effective and visually satisfying. Oblivion is unique in that you have the first-person camera and see your foe up close and personal, but it's just not as good to me.

Environment: Fable II has superior graphics, and an unfair advantage being two years newer than Oblivion (though Fallout 3 came out at the same time as Fable II and the graphics really aren't that great). Oblivion of course has the sprawling, free-roam map with less loading sequences and more realistic features. To me, the textures are just too uniform and for the most part the colors are just mundane. This was done to make the world look very stark and sort of bond fantasy with reality, but it's just not very exciting. Everything in Fable II is like a damn Thomas Kinkaid painting. I can't think of another game where I will actually stop and pan the camera around to admire the scenery at places like Bower Lake and Knothole Island (Activate the sun totem... the place looks amazing with the rock textures and the sun sizzling). Bethesda really couldn't do much better than they did with the graphics engine because of the extreme size of the map, but Fable II's visuals are incredibly impressive.

Characters: Both games have their fortes in certain aspects of people in the world. I think Fable II has superior storyline characters and Oblivion has superior "riff-raff" characters. Fable II is designed to make everything about the community, so the lack of individuality among different people is just a choice they had to make. YOU are the star, the hero, and everyone else serves to praise you or fear you and boost your ego. In Oblivion, though, it is very individual-driven. Everybody has a first and last name, different clothing, a unique face, and a house in his/her name. At the same time though, making every individual consequential makes people very uniform and the more important characters suffer due to this fact. The character models are also superior in Fable II, with Bethesda's engine creating some really weird and robotic faces all patched onto the same body. There's also the issue of the voice acting. In Oblivion, it really sucks. Bethesda has a habit of creating characters you don't give a shite about because of lame dialog and the mechanical faces I just mentioned. In Fable II, even though the characters lack individuality in a lot of cases, I feel something for them when they cry out in anguish, or when I return home to my family and one of my kids is meeting me for the first time. And the fact that it draws emotions is the most important aspect of characters in a video game. I'm going with Fable II again in this category.

Story: This is really a matter of preference. Oblivion and Fable II's differing features allow for unique elements in each game's stories. For example, places like Cloud Ruler Temple and the grandiosity of the imperial city really add to the epicness of the story... whereas the fairy tale environment and picturesque scenery in Fable II add to the excitement of being a hero, and make you forget about all of the cliches you're perpetuating in the pursuit of just plain fun. I prefer Fable II's storyline because it's not just about revenge. It has several unique ideas, like the mammoth of a plot device known as the tattered spire. The fact that you spend ten years there and come back to find a lot of things changed, and changed depending on your previous actions, is incredibly cool and keeps the game fresh and inviting. There's also the choice you get to make at the end... the fact that it really draws forth your emotions in making a tough decision. Usually games give you a black and white decision where if you have played through the game as a good guy you know what to do, and the same for an evil character... but here, regardless of your prior allegiance, it's legitimately a tough decision. You find yourself wanting to restore the lives of all of these innocent people, but you want to see your dog and family alive again at the same time. And then there's the gigantic money prize, which is really easy to pass on once you realize that accumulating real estate wealth is really not difficult. Oblivion also has a unique storyline, but the Oblivion gates get really irritating. They are all basically the same, and although you don't have to close all of them, you'll have to suffer through enough. Again, it's a matter of preference, but I prefer a revenge plot over an interdimensional plot.

Music: Both have really great music... Fable II's is a bit more subtle in a lot of places and you really have to stop and listen to take it in. Oblivion's music envelops you and you find yourself humming and whistling along with many of the tracks quite frequently. In both games, the music fits the environment perfectly. Being a musician, I'm giving the nod to Jeremy Soule's Oblivion score. Even though most of it is rehashed from Morrowind, there is a lot of brilliant stuff there.

I can't believe I typed out basically a review of both games, but I really love both and this is a topic I've often thought about myself. When I dissect the games into certain aspects as I've done above, Fable II is heavily favored... but there's still something about the whole portrait of Oblivion that makes the sum much greater than its parts (yeah, that cliche makes me cringe too). When I just think about which game I enjoyed more, I have to say Oblivion. I played that game for about three weeks straight, and that is partly due to the fact that there is a lot more to do than in Fable II with all of the different guild quests and places to explore and weapons/armor to find. It's because Oblivion has very open-ended gameplay and Fable II is very linear... and comparing these games has made me realize that one is not necessarily better than the other. It's all about what the game means to you. Just for perspective, I'm playing Fable II right now (it's paused), but I haven't played Oblivion in quite a while. I find Fable II to have more replay value, despite the degree of customization in Oblivion, just because your decisions are much more consequential and you get a totally different gameplay experience depending on your alignment. There are a lot of combat styles and skills to experiment with in Oblivion, but none of them really change the game all that much.

I've gone on long enough. My verdict is that both games are exceptional in their own right.

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Oblivion remains the best console RPG ever made.

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I actually think the Knights of the Old Republic games are the best console RPGs.

The load screens in Fable 2 were annoying

What about Morrowind? I have always thought it was better than Oblivion.

I love Fable 2 but would have to say it is not the greatest rpg. The story is very short and doesnt take long to beat just about everything in the game. Also, I think the DLC while fun is extrememly weak when compared to games like Oblivion and Fallout. So as far as the debate goes Oblivion is better than Fable 2 because it has a longer story, more stuff to do, a lot better DLC, character customization, and overall more replay value.

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The modding community on Oblivion made the game so much better than what you got out of the box.

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That's something I neglected to mention. There are some really masterful modders of this game and Morrowind.

I've thought about doing game review videos and let's plays (Like Mystery Science Theater but riffing on video games instead), but I don't really have the time, equipment, or skill with making and editing videos.

And really, there's enough of that out there.

Kige and I would make a great review team!

"This is Lenny and George for Youtube Games."

Seriously though brah, if I ever did anything I'd make sure you were involved.

what? i need someone to do the grunt work of editing and rendering and posting while I read fan mail and cyber with my throngs of youtube followers (i really should ask kige for advice on how to handle that).

I prefer you do it. I need you to plug my youtube channel at the end of every customer service call. Tell them to find a house that has a computer. They'll jump all over free shite!