Fable II Preview
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Of course, Molyneux's grandstanding aside, it is not the presence of those features but the manner of their implementation that is remarkable. Molyneux has spoken before about putting an entire combat system on one button, and here he reiterated his desire for anyone, even someone who has never touched a joystick before, to be able to pick up and play Fable 2 immediately. It turns out that there are now three buttons one for melee attack, one for ranged weaponry and one for magic. A game-naïve person might be able to trounce a pack of enemies using only one, but the number of experience points you get from each victory increases as you mix combat styles and use the environment to best effect. And given that combat is entirely context sensitive in Fable 2 the environment becomes an essential part of your arsenal; stand near a wall, hit the melee button and you might flip off it to slam a knee into an enemy's face. Attack whilst near an object lying on the floor and your character will kick it into someone's stomach.
It's the realization of a mantra heard echoing throughout GDC this year: simplicity and depth. You don't need a complex system for combat to be rich and rewarding, so the claim goes and if additional experience points aren't enough of an incentive, then Fable 2 ensures that experimentation leads to flashy camera angles, jump cuts and slow-motion sequences. High scores are a goal that seem arbitrary to the uninitiated, and likewise the intimidating sequences of buttons that are required in many a beat gm up but Fable 2 smartly erases the barrier to entry, tying player ability to tangible things, such as speedier character progression and, more importantly, visual drama.
