DoFuss’s 2008 Xbox 360 Game of the Year

This year has seen the current generation of consoles starting to reach their peak. Companies are finally getting to grips with what the current systems can do with an install base which makes it a safer to invest and development. For no system is this truer than the 360. The oldest of the current generation of consoles, Microsoft’s machine is now really showing what it’s capable of.

It is sad therefore that this year the number of 360 exclusives have been the most forgettable. Gears of War 2 was a phenomenal ride and one of the most solid game experiences of the year, but didn’t stay with me. Too Human (which I enjoyed) performed relatively well at retail due to a well timed release but was paned by critics and attacked on message boards. Ninja Gaiden 2 also suffered from problems, a broken camera made combat cumbersome and the steep difficulty curve made it too hard for many.

Xbox’s game of the year therefore falls to Fable 2. Indeed of all the 360 exclusives this year there is only one experience that I am eager to jump back into. I want to experience the game from the other side. I want try growing horns and helping villains, I want to be evil.

Fable’s world of Albion feels like a Terry Pratchett book bought to life. From urban city to green meadows everything feels consistent. It is flawed, but all of the blemishes are easily forgiven when you are in whimsical world that developer Lionhead managed to create. An experience which draws you in and manages to foster a relationship with characters and story in a way rarely achieved in this medium.

It may not deliver on all of designer Peter Molyneux’s promises but when you aim as high as he consistently does you are guaranteed to fall a little short. Or maybe it was a design choice, cutting back on complexity and scope in order to make it accessible and keep the appeal as broad as possible, a theme of many games this year. While Fable was a harder choice than games on the other consoles the epic journey it takes you on makes it a worthy 360 game of 2008.