Fable 2: See The Future Review

Now you see it, now you don't.

You know that teaser at the end of a movie's credits? The one which usually shows nothing interesting (apart from a release date, maybe) and is only part of something bigger, yet gets more attention than it deserves? And only makes you wait a long time in order to see it through, if at all? See the Future plays the same trick for fans of Fable 2: It serves as a mini-teaser with a few new quests and items thrown in for good measure.

After the relatively small file (484 MB) is downloaded and the update is installed, the game starts with Murgo, a merchant, making a return to Bowerstone Market with yet another batch of mysterious items for sale. Alas, with Murgo there's always a catch, this time being that his treasures are cursed. Each item takes you to a different area with its own set of quests and characters, areas like a coastal village plagued by shadowy creatures, a cemetery full of wisps, and a coliseum.

None of these quests take more than an hour to complete, since they are mostly simple rescue and search-and-destroy missions, with a few collectibles scattered around for discovery's sake, like dyes and statuettes. One of the areas also presents you with new costumes to wear, each conferring a different set of attributes that effect people's reactions to your character, ranging from fear to laughter. These sets of clothes are an integral part of a particular quest and are amusing to own, if just for a chuckle now and then.

The actual "See the Future" portion of this downloadable content pack is a barely playable section in between the cursed item quests, and does not last for very long at all. If this is the only hook reeling you in for this pack, it is sure to come up short.

The coliseum area is about the only thing that demands more of an effort in difficulty and depth, presenting a puzzle to figure out and waves of enemies to defeat for prizes. The new items, bought from Murgo, earned from quests, and discovered by exploration are interesting enough, giving more options not only to your wardrobe and arsenal, but to your dog's as well, giving you the chance to change its breed. [Go huskies! ~Ed. Nick] Worth mentioning as well is how, strangely enough, this download pack contains Achievements for its content as well as the core Fable 2 world, rewarding you for exploring the world - and your character's personal life - a bit further.

This download pack would've been much better off if it did not promise so much on "seeing the future" of the Fable 2 story. It's a relatively satisfying 3-hour adventure for around 6 dollars (540 MS Points). But if a continuation of the story is the only thing you're looking for, than you're better off waiting for the inevitable Fable 3.