Anticipation has been the death of many a game. The marketing machine is switched on too early and the developers invariably fail to live up to the heights that the PR men claim. It was 18 months ago when I first heard of Fable 2 and being such a huge fan of the original I decided that I would take the plunge and grab a shiny new Xbox 360 in preparation for its launch.

It would be a good few weeks before I was shattered by the news that the game was a whole year away (plus a further six month delay for good measure), so by the time of its release my salivary glands were bone dry and excitement virtually at fever pitch. Could Fable 2, or any game for that matter, live up to such expectations?

The Fable games, for the uninitiated, are Microsoft exclusive arcade adventures that see you leading a young hero in a journey of self discovery through the moral choices of life in the middle ages. The games are set in the world of Albion and centre on the Hero’s Guild, a kind of X-Men school for gifted individuals who whilst not having super powers, are strong in the all important areas of Strength, Skill and Will.

What you find early on in both games however is that in Albion a hero is not necessarily a good guy. Hero’s are human and are therefore put into moral quandaries that can lead them down the path of good or evil, or anywhere in-between. It is these choices that Lionhead Studios and it’s own hero-figure Peter Molyneux have explored and exploited.

The beauty of these games is the story that runs through them, so while I will try to give you a feel for its flow, I will also try to avoid spoilers and reveals that would lessen the games impact.