During last Friday's Game Developer's Conference in London, genius/bonkers game designer Peter Molyneux talked about some of the areas in which Fable 2 will improve on theoriginal game.
Steering clear this time of hyping the game as "the greatest role-playing game of all time," as he did with Fable, Molyneux instead listed what would definitely be making the cut. You'll now be able to play either a male or female character and, as well as getting hitched and owning property, you'll be able to raise children - who will take after you by being bullies or a goody two-shoes, depending on your play style.
The promise of a world that's actually changed by your actions - something that the first Fable didn't really end up doing any more than Final Fantasy VII - is to be fulfilled in Fable 2, from towns being founded or abandoned depending on the outcome of a quest, to trees sprouting from acorns you plant (yes, another original Fable boast).
And after Molyneux demonstrated a next-generation combat system concept at the Leipzig Game Convention in August, it's no surprise to see that it was destined for Fable 2. Rather than just hammering buttons, you'll have to take into account the size of your weapon, the surrounding environment and the number of attackers, as they'll all affect the moves at your disposal.
We're still a good while away from seeing any of this in action but at least Fable showed its developer could make a solid old-style console RPG; now they just need to add all the exciting stuff that didn't quite make it in last time and it'll be a tale worth hearing again.
October 10, 2006
