'Fable' expansion pack fun, easy addition

The expansion is targeted at new gamers.

By Chase Koeneke

Published Jan. 23, 2009

"Fable II" was one of the best games of last year -- quite a feat considering all the juggernaut releases ("Gears of War 2," "Left 4 Dead" and "Burnout: Paradise") that came out in the last 365 days. Now in 2009, "Fable II" is getting an entirely new island to explore, courtesy of the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

A disclaimer for when you're purchasing the new content: There's a "premium" version and a "free" version. The free version does not actually grant you access to the new island. Instead, you will get a software update for Fable II and a couple of new items. If you have no interest in getting the Knothole Island downloadable content, but still love playing Fable II, first: What's wrong with you? And second: Getting the free update is completely worth it. However, if you're planning to buy the $10 premium version, Knothole Island offers up a wealth of new content for players to collect, trade, explore and kill. The island is full of vibrant people, from the grease-ball mayor to Jessica, owner of the coolest little shop ever, The Box of Secrets. There are new items everywhere, including potions that affect the height and weight of your hero, new armor, clothing and some new legendary weapons. A lot of these new items are on the lighter side of things, like a bowtie for your dog, a guitar that doubles as an axe (see the play on words there?) and a special "future rifle" that may have belonged to a certain green space marine.

But Knothole Island is not all silliness. The island is suffering from an eternal blizzard and is enlisting the help of heroes, like you, to find a special totem that will bring the warm sun back to the frostbitten villagers. But you'll soon find that the totem is not the answer to everything.

Now for some bad news. The story isn't anything groundbreaking and the new enemies you'll encounter will get old quickly. Even the new quests are bogged down by tired puzzle cliches and very linear gameplay. Nothing here is really new, except for the setting and a few items. In fact, these scenarios pale in comparison to the game it's updating.

Plus, if you've already beaten the main quests of "Fable II," you'll have no doubt collected weapons much better than any available on Knothole Island. To make matters worse, this expansion is a breeze for Fable II veterans, which really sheds light on who this content is for. If you haven't purchased "Fable II yet," or own Fable II but haven't beaten it, the new Knothole Island is perfect for you. It was made to visit during your main "Fable II" quest. Take a mainland quest, visit Knothole for a few hours, then repeat. Vets will find no challenge on the island, but what they will find are some fun new items.