Fable 2
Preview
An Action RPG that is not to be missed
by Liquid306
previewed on X360
One Button Combat (cont.)
For the novice player, he or she can go into a combat situation and mash on the controller and get through most of the earlier encounters. For the more experienced player, the one button controls have a system that track the rhythm of how you press the button, the force you press it with and the time you hold it down to power up. There are many variables that come into play when you are battling foes in Fable 2. For example, if you are battling an enemy and he is near a wall, you can turn to face him and hit the melee attack button. You could thrust my sword through him and into the wall, nailing him there for a second or two before removing it from his body. Another possibility is if you are fighting by a cliff or balcony: you can hit the ranged attack button and hit an enemy in his leg, making him lose his footing and, hopefully, causing him to plummet to his death.
There are hundreds upon thousands of possibilities in this very simple combat system that allow for a very flexible experience. This caters to some players who may have not tried an RPG before, exposing a totally new audience to this unique and innovative system. Hopefully, the above-described system actually works in the game, as on paper it sounds great. However, a button mash fest never sounds very appealing nor does waiting for enemies to get into a specific position for me to hit X every time to defeat them.
Death in a RPG
Now death in any game is a touchy issue. Does the developer want you to load a save and start that area from a checkpoint or have no Game Over screen and just have you respawn in that relative area. Action RPG’s have some of the most dire deaths in gaming, some force you to load your last save and redo what you have done and some actually take away experience that you earned for hours and hours. Well, in Fable 2 there are actually a few options.
First, let's make it clear that you are going to die in Fable 2, just like you do in any other game. It’s inevitable. When you are in combat and your health bar goes down to zero, you hit the ground motionless as your enemies stomp and slice you up on the ground. At this point you have a couple of options: you can use some gold, experience points or renown (fame) in order to get up quickly. You also have the option of just waiting and your character will eventually get up. When your character does get up, he/she gets an action moviesque burst of adrenaline for a short amount of time, making your moves faster and more devastating.
Regardless how long it takes for you to get up, elongated periods in combat give you battle scars and wounds that stick with you throughout the entire game. If you are a bad fighter and get knocked out a lot, your character will have many wounds and deep scars on the face and body. This will no doubt affect the reaction you get from townsfolk and especially potential spouses.
The Total Package
Fable 2 promises to be one of the best western Action RPG’s in the last few years. With very innovative features, such as the one button combat and mature themes like love, this just might be one to keep an eye out for. What we know of the game thus far looks great but it is not without its rough parts. But not to worry - this cake has a few more months in the development oven.
