With the impending release of Fable II looming next week, we thought it might be nice to quiz a few GameSpies on their experiences in Albion up to this point. With a game so supposedly expansive, we knew that we'd need to wrangle a few extra copies to ensure that we covered every angle possible. Fortunately, your tireless servants have been picking through Albion's every nook and cranny for the last three days and what follows are their findings up to this point.



Gabe: After a few hours in Albion, I have to admit that I'm sort of paralyzed by all of the opportunity that seems to be available. I decided that I wanted a female rifle gunner, but was almost immediately presented with a ton of other jobs that I could work for a few quick doubloons. I chose blacksmithing (though you aren't limited to just one job or anything like that) and wasted a good 20 minutes without even being aware of the time, trying to earn enough dough to buy some new weapons. I kitted my heroine out with a flashy new rifle and a middling sword (just in case).


I noticed an immediate improvement in my combat abilities, which led to more experience points... which led to a second level of Dextrous Styles (the key gun skill). Now, I can zero-in on enemies from quite a distance; really helpful when using a gun as your primary weapon. Initially, I found the combat a bit simplistic, but I'm delighted to see it grow more complex as my character progresses. Dextrous Styles also gave me a cool roll ability that I have used a bunch, because most of the foes I've faced have been melee-based and they like to close distance quickly.

At first, I felt pigeon-holed into adopting at least some melee attacks into my repertoire, but with the new Dextrous Styles skills I can actually rely more on my firearms than I could at the outset of my adventures. I understand my colleagues have been exploring different areas of combat though, so what do you guys think of Fable II's fighting?

Gerald: Gabe, before I get to the fighting stuff, I have to echo your experience with blacksmithing. I came upon the job pretty early into my journey, and sat there smacking sword blades for over an hour before I realized how much of my precious review time I'd sunk into the mini-game. I mean this was easy money, and since I couldn't import my Pub Games gold into my reviewer's copy, I could definitely use the cash. The mini-game itself isn't particularly inventive, it's just a reflex game where you have to press the A button at the right time as a little dot swings along a meter. The woodcutting job is pretty much the same reflex game, a bit easier but requiring more successes to get a combo chain going. But they both serve to just make the time fly.

I think it's the "high score" incentive and greater gold rewards behind chaining successes together that keeps you at it, as you try and improve upon your previous chain. It's also cool how you get encouraged by either the blacksmith or your own faithful dog as you steadily toil away. After getting like fifty successes in a row, things got really tense. My palms would start sweating, and anyone walking by my desk would piss me off.

"Hey, whatcha playin'?" they'd ask.

I'd reply without taking my eyes off the screen. "I'm playing Fable II, go away I'm in the middle-- ugh!"

Time to start all over. I'm currently a four-star blacksmith and a four-star woodcutter, and resolved to not dump any more hours into the jobs until I'm playing on a retail copy where I can actually earn achievements.