Fable II's most interesting game mechanics are the combat system. The combat system conceals a great amount of depth behind its accessible exterior. Melee combat, ranged attacks and magic are all controlled independently by a single button, but it doesn't lack in depth. You're judged on how skillfully you've defeated any particular encounter, rewarding you with bonus experience, so every battle becomes a test to improve yourself. This ratings system serves to make every combat important and worth your attention, since you'll always strive for that extra experience and the kudos for a job well done.
Sword vs. Gun vs. Magic
Swordplay is a surprisingly fulfilling combination of timing and strategy, as you'll have to balance your defenses and offensive strikes while also taking advantage of context-sensitive strikes that depend on your opponent's situation. Once you've maxed out the melee combat options, for instance, you can counter a blow and spin the enemy around, opening them up for a strike from behind. If your opponent is fighting with their back to a ledge, you can kick them over the edge, finishing the battle quickly and efficiently.
There are timing-based chain combos, as well as a variety of flashy Flourish attacks that cinematically slow down the action on screen, allowing you to strategically plan your attacks in succession. It's incredibly simple to attack enemies as they come at you from all directions, yet still challenging enough to require you to strategically approach the more skillful opponents.
Ranged-focused Fable II characters can be absolutely deadly, particularly when they get the drop on unsuspecting enemies. Once you've mastered the zoom in technique, you can aim at different parts of an enemy. You can disarm an opponent by shooting the weapons from their hands, shoot them in the groin to stop them in their tracks, or aim for the head and the decapitating kill blow. Once you get the timing down for reloading quickly in combat, taking down a swarm of enemies with nothing but your fast-firing pistol or powerful turret rifle is a breeze.
Fable II's magic system is deep in the sense that there are a variety of different spells to choose from, but there's little difference between a low level magic and a high level one, besides the increase in efficiency and/or damage. You have a couple options with each magic type, though, so you can, for instance, use inferno to lob balls of fire at enemies, or instead vie for a circular area effect attack with a little less power for taking out crowds. Time control can be used to instantly appear behind an enemy, opening them up for an attack, or if you activate it without a target, you can slow down time in your vicinity, fighting enemies that move in slow motion while you're still attacking at full speed.
Experience points in Fable II are earned in four categories, Strength, Skill, Will, and general experience, and amassed by collecting the multi-colored orbs that spawn from defeated enemies. Experience is awarded based on your style of play, so that if you focus on killing enemies with swordplay, you'll get a combination of blue strength orbs and green experience orbs. You can focus your character development in any of the three combat styles, though you'll have the opportunity over the course of your adventure to max out your abilities in melee, range, and a spell or two. If you aspire to mastering all of the game's spells, you'll need to dedicate yourself to using Will exclusively.
