Joystiq impressions: Fable 2 'Combat Testbed'

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jul 16th 2007 at 11:26AM }

Peter Molyneux describes Fable 2's combat as "kind of a little bit mad." It's just one blue button; a system that doesn't punish casual gamers (button-mashers), but still satisfies hardcore players. The number of experience points earned in any given skirmish is determined by how skillfully one uses the X-button. Timed button presses, including counters, are worth more than mashing, while incorporating blocking and charge attacks (both accomplished by holding X) will net you even more points to build your hero. The attack button is also context sensitive, as you'll automatically pick up and toss items strewn about the ground if your foes are at a distance, or you'll grab an enemy and shove him into a wall if you're battling in close quarters.

Magic and ranged attacks (mapped to the Y- and B-buttons) will apparently operate in much the same way, but only the X-attack was on display at E3 in Lionhead's "Combat Testbed," a visually-lacking demo not meant to impress, but to arouse curiosity. "I know, it's bloody awful," Molyneux said of the current level of polish, while urging us to focus on more abstract concepts, like the amount of dedication that the development team has put into Fable 2's design. Molyneux is still haunted by his bold claims about the original Fable, lamenting his infamous 'greatest RPG evar' comment, made while Fable was still a rough draft. But the celebrated game designer insists that this -- to be the greatest -- is the goal for Fable 2, he's just not as (publicly) convinced he'll get there.

Gallery: Fable 2

As demoed, Fable 2's combat was looking good (but not great). It played like a simplified version of the system Ubisoft has designed for Assassin's Creed; an assessment that Molyneux would likely approve. The danger of being so inclusive is that Lionhead's game will probably end up too easy for much of the core gaming audience. To balance the issue, the team is going to have to work hard on other elements that will hold our attention. Like polish. With much of Microsoft's E3 presentation focused on the near-future, Fable 2, tucked away into a small room on the fourth floor of the Viceroy, is a reminder that there are still some far-off projects worth remembering.

Also at E3: No death in Fable 2; Seafaring nixed, ninjas added?

Tags: e307, fable2, impressions, lionhead, molyneux, PeterMolyneux, Xbox360

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Anam @ Jul 16th 2007 11:30AM

The demo was not meant to impress?

LOL

Tony @ Jul 16th 2007 12:01PM

Not meant to impress graphically, but rather show off some of their gameplay ideas... I'm not sure why it would be taken any other way lol.

Stevo @ Jul 16th 2007 11:35AM

I still remember hearing about the first Fable, for a while it was my most anticipated game (evar)...my guess is we still aren't going to see those original promises fulfilled until Fable 3.

Greg @ Jul 16th 2007 11:39AM

I realize that this is a very early demo, and my criticism is not for the level of the graphics... But the design doesn't seem to have the same character as the original Fable. Fable's world and characters had so much personality, and that was a huge draw for me- I hope that these are just quick character mockups, and not finished designs.

Tony @ Jul 16th 2007 12:03PM

The combat system sounds OK to me. People liked the timed attacks in PSO, for example, and this seems like a more complex version of that. Clearly combat is not all the game offers, for one, but beyond that, do we really need to use every face button to attack in a battle? I almost kind of welcome stuff like this and hope it works out.

Patrick @ Jul 16th 2007 12:14PM

One button combat.. so this is a Wii title?

cwolf267 @ Jul 16th 2007 12:15PM

"Greatest game evar" boasts aside, I thought Fable was a great game.

Mustafa @ Jul 16th 2007 12:18PM

No matter how enthusiastic one might wish to be about the "true" Fable, the fighting mechanic with a single button does not seem bright at all.

How is it supposed to impress action-adventure players? Timed single button-presses with context-sensitive utilization of the environment will make players feel out-of-control. Does not sound satisfying at all.

--
http://codesurgeon.blogspot.com

Jake @ Jul 16th 2007 12:19PM

Fable 1 was great fun. It was too short. That is an easy fix, make Fable 2 longer. It was too easy for a hardcore like myself. I only died once through the entire game (excluding my first hour with it when I died a dozen times). I didn't even come close to dying on the main boss the first time I got there. wtf?

shoeshine @ Jul 16th 2007 12:49PM

The first Fable was an extremely well done and very fun game. I see no reason why the second won't bring me as much if not more enjoyment. But please, for the love of god, let us keep playing after we beat the game. I hated that after I finished I had to start all over again if I wanted to go back into the towns and beat on some more people insulting me.

JerJer @ Jul 16th 2007 12:56PM

you....you know you can....keep playing...you do know that right?

Jake @ Jul 16th 2007 1:16PM

Yeah dude. You can keep finishing sidequests, beating your gay husbands, doing it with the evil black haired chick, and weilding around the "evil sword" or whatever it was called if you made the "evil choice" at the end of the game.

harrison_schaerr @ Jul 16th 2007 2:39PM

haha... i was impressed. The combat looks really cinematic, but i guess we won't know if it works until we play it.

the game graphically looks gorgeous, i like it visually as much or more as i do crysis or killzone.

shoeshine @ Jul 16th 2007 2:52PM

Weird, my game must have glitched. Because it would only let me reload my save right before the fight after I beat him.

BananaBoat @ Jul 16th 2007 4:13PM

Fable was a perfectly fine game, that was never disputed. It was Molyneux's promising the moon and not delivering that made Fable a let down (It didn't help that all the stuff he SAID he's put in the game, was IN the game, but only as place holder code >

Consolcwby @ Jul 17th 2007 4:09AM

=o PM is evil. You DO realise this, don't you?... I swear it was his revenge on everyone who ever said that RPGs are too long and are too difficult... i think that's why he did what he did. Now, as for that placeholder code, he seems to have done similar things with all his other games right around the time Dungeon Keeper 2 came out. =( I hates him. I just hates him! PM teases on purpose, and I hates him... (sob!) ='(

tobin92 @ Jul 16th 2007 5:27PM

Well we basically had a one button combat system in Fable 1. Only the block and roll feture were given there own buttons.I bet roll still has it own button.

I just hope MS lets him take his time. Overall I am kinda meh on the scar things. I mean evil charecters won't mind and will love to die to scar up. I never died in Fable 1. Potions were vastly abundant and healing spells were powerful. So I wish for this to change in Fable 2. I mean seriously Jack of Blades was Cakewalk, I just Beserked and tore him apart and then spammed fire pillars. The easiest battle since Yu Yevon.

Wooster @ Jul 17th 2007 6:28AM

so is the dog gonna take a beating in a large scale fight like the one shown? Its gonna be interesting to see how that factors in.

Im just so happy that its an open world. And an open world 10x bigger than fable 1 at that.

mikewalsh19 @ Jul 17th 2007 12:10PM

To continue playing in the original Fable you had to sit through the entire credits at the end, then you could continue playing with the character you had built up.

With regards to Fable 2, I thought the work they did on the expansion (Fable 1.5) was pretty damn good. And if Molyneux wants to mostly focus on the mechanics now rather than polish (which he has, historically done very well with), then I am very excited to see what the future holds for us. Especially because there was such an epic story told in the first, which you KNOW will be referenced in the second.