|
It’s only a few more months before all of the Fable faithful can blow their hordes of gold won in the pub on armor, houses and whatever else catches their eye in Fable 2.
Like the first game, Fable 2 will allow you to take control of your character’s life; you’ll begin as either a young boy or, for the first time, a young girl whose life is turned topsy-turvy at a young age, setting them on the path to adventure. All of your choices will have some sort of impact on your character’s development. You can choose to focus on magic, melee or find a soft spot in-between. Combat is limited to three buttons: melee, ranged and will (magic). Although this would suggest that you can button-mash your way through battles, mindlessly pounding on the button is a bad thing. Combat instead requires careful timing and knowing when to attack and when to block. It sounds simple, but in practice it takes a little more skill.
Magic has its own little nuances. You are only afforded five slots during the game, so you need to carefully choose which spells you’ll use. Additionally, each has a ranged and area-effect variant. Fire, for instance, can be used to create a protective ring of fire or as an accessory as you try and emulate Mario.
Compared to the original, combat affords you loads more choices since you’ll now be able to use guns and will even have a dog as your companion who is sure to jump in and protect his master. Aside from being another paw in battle, your dog will also act as a friend throughout your adventures. You can train your dog to perform different tricks and he’ll help you find hidden treasures or spot ambushes.
Your dog won’t be your only friend along the way. Fable 2 also spots a really cool drop-in, drop-out co-op mode. As you wander around the game, you’ll encounter glowing orbs that represent friends who are also playing. At any time you can step up to one of these orbs and invite your friend to play along with you. Once they accept, the transfer into your game is instantaneous.
The wait for Fable 2 has been a long one, but based on my brief hands-on, it should be well worth it. |
