Fable 2 gets two-player co-op play, plus two other secret features

By Sid Shuman
February 21, 2008 18:01 PM PST
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Today, Peter Molyneux officially unveiled one of Fable 2's "three big ideas" in the form of two-player, online cooperative play.

Two-player cooperative play was announced today for Fable 2.

New Fable 2 details at a glance

Two-player co-op play demonstrated.
Two players can team up online in Fable 2, sharing loot and experience. Two-player combat allows one player to focus on swords, while the other player uses guns or magic from afar. The second player can join at any time.

Pistols shown for the first time.
We saw Fable 2's pistol for the first time. It's quite powerful, but with a slow, single-shot firing rate. Tapping the button fires, while holding it activates a crosshair for precision aiming.

A deeper, bigger world than before.
Fable 2 players can buy almost any house or dwelling in the game, then remodel the interior and objects to their specifications. One of the biggest buildings in Fable 2 is a massive castle; if you buy it, you can choose to defend it against invaders in a set of side-missions.

Two more secret features to be revealed this week.
Check back to GamePro.com later this week for the full report.

UPDATE: In an earlier edit, GamePro incorrectly described Fable 2's co-op as online. Online co-op play is not yet confirmed; "couch co-op" is currently the only confirmed co-op mode for Fable 2.

Today, Peter Molyneux unveiled two-player cooperative play for Fable 2, the Xbox 360 action-RPG expected to launch this fall. Molyneux demonstrated the new co-op feature in real-time, inviting a friend into his game without a hitch. The second player warped in with a slick, Matrix-style distortion effect and the two-player gameplay began. Molyneux's character fought side-by-side with his partner; Molyneux also said that players could invite a friend at any time -- even in the middle of battle.

Two-player Fable 2 appears to be a more energetic experience, especially in combat. Molyneux and his partner slashed through mobs of monsters; Molyneux said players would earn bonus experience points for double-teaming enemies. Co-op players can also keep the loot they earned to take back to their single-player quest.

Also, Molyneux described Fable 2's combat system in more detail: quick button taps triggers unskilled strikes with the pistol or sword; tapping in a set rhythm unleashed more powerful attacks; holding the attack button charged up a slow, devastating blow. The pistol worked slightly differently in that holding the attack button triggered a crosshair for precision aiming. Molyneux begged off on explaining anything related to magic, which is a crucial part of Fable gameplay but has yet to be seen in Fable 2.

Co-op play in Fable 2 appears to broaden the game's combat tactics. Molyneux's character focused on shooting enemies with a powerful pistol, while his partner slashed away with a sword. Molyneux explained the simplicity of Fable 2's combat: magic, melee, and guns each have a dedicated button, so it's apparently quite easy to swap between them in the heat of battle. Also, Molyneux described Fable 2's combat system in more detail: quick button taps triggers unskilled strikes with the pistol or sword; tapping in a set rhythm unleashed more powerful attacks; holding the attack button charged up a slow, devastating blow. The pistol worked slightly differently in that holding the attack button triggered a crosshair for precision aiming. Molyneux begged off on explaining anything related to magic, which is a crucial part of Fable gameplay but has yet to be seen in Fable 2.

Overall, Fable 2's graphics look much improved since its appearance one year ago. The woodland environments we saw looked colorful and detailed, and shimmered with a sort of mythical ambiance. The graphical upgrade isn't all eye candy, though, with the smooth character animations making combat look closer to God of War than Fable 1. Overall, the graphical presentation was promising. As long as Lionhead Studios smooths out the frame rate, we expect Fable 2 will be one of the better-looking Xbox 360 games.

Molyneux also shed new light on Fable 2's currency. Players will no longer find "gold drops" from chests or enemies. Instead, you'll need to take on a job if you want to earn money. In co-op play, the second player works as a sort of hired goon, earning pay for his help in combat. When co-op play starts, both players can configure their resource sharing via three sliders for gold, experience, and renown. This would allow, say, a rich player to eschew gold in favor of experience, meaning his partner would get far more gold and less experience.

Molyneux has promised to unveil two more "big new ideas" for Fable 2 later this week. Check back to GamePro.com for the full report.