Fable 2 - Review @ PopMatters

PopMatters has a review of Fable II written by Michael Abbott, who writes The Brainy Gamer, which we've occasionally linked.  The score is 10/10 and here's the intro:

Fable II is the final draft of a thesis Peter Molyneux has been writing for most of his career. Famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) for his grandiose promises and pre-release hype-stoking pronouncements, Molyneux can hardly be accused of taking the easy road as a game designer. After all, this is a man who built his reputation creating “God games” that simulate the management of peoples and worlds from the perspective of an omniscient, all-powerful deity. Given such an orientation, it’s easy to forgive Molyneux for occasionally overreaching. Thinking small is hardly conducive to success in the design domain Molyneux inhabits.

Fable II isn’t a God game, but it is no less ambitious on its own terms than any of Molyneux’s previous efforts. It is an epic game in scope, chock-full of adventure, sexual escapades, and political intrigue. If you are drawn into all it has to offer—including its rich social interactions, job system, and quirky but germane side-quests—Fable II will have you exploring, evolving your hero, and generally messing around in Albion for dozens of hours. It is, perhaps, the most seductive game world ever created.