It’s not a bad game, but it’s not great either. I like the simple control scheme. I like that you can wear whatever you want without it affecting your defensive rating. I like that you can purchase properties and have money rolling in even when you’re not playing. I like that you get a whole freakin’ HUNDRED gamerscore points just for completing certain parts of the story. The voice acting is terrific, if a little hammy, and the jobs are kind of addictive, too. The game is fun in the same way that Animal Crossing or The Sims Bustin’ Out on the Game Boy Advance are fun.

What I hate are the floaty controls, the sluggish menus, the corny socializing system, the ubiquitous load times, the bad animation, the cordoned off Crash Bandicoot-like pathways, the intrusive text boxes at the top of the screen, and the crappy, choppy particle effects. The game is clearly unfinished. If there is a Fable III, I will approach it carefully, and probably play it, but I won’t listen to a word that Peter Molyneux says about it.