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Speaking of combat, Fable 2 transfers the originals simplified system with only some minor changes. Melee is taken care of by the X button, Ranged combat with the Y and deal out some magical (or Will) damage with the B button.
Mix up your techniques and the resultant experience earned is increased. Subsequently experience can be spent in the three combat areas to garner new or higher level skills (improved when using ranged weapons for example).
Despite the improvements in combat skills, the combat system sticks to the one button per technique approach, with only minor changes around how the button is pressed and/or combination of left stick as a directional attack. This makes the Fable 2 combat a simple and enjoyable experience, with only spell selection a bit of a pain. Make sure you go into a battle armed with the spells you wish to use – a piece of advice sometimes difficult to adhere to.
In between quests and battles, your Hero can hang out in towns, buying up stalls, shops and homes. If your predilection is for manipulating economies, a great deal of time can be spent in building or destroying a town’s economy by investment strategies. Stealing from vendors lowers the overall town wealth, while spending up big or decorating the local establishments will improve the fiscal level.
Then there are the social aspects of Fable 2. Utilising the ‘expressions’ system, a hero can impress passersby through a myriad of techniques. Dancing, heroic stances, animalistic growls, skilled flatulence and more all have their place in public dealings.
Using a simple slider bar system, and freely available listed dislikes/likes, a Hero can manipulate the target’s opinion towards the desired level. This can result in cheaper goods at vendor stores, the ability to get a following of adoring fans or ultimately a sexual encounter.
Wooing a partner into marriage and then the marital bedroom can result in the Hero gaining a family to look after (or something nasty in the form of a STD – yikes!). With a family comes responsibility, though, luckily this is a video game, and therefore you can simply ignore the naggings of a spouse and continue your adventurous ways.
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