Fable II: Talk Softly and Carry a Big Sword
Discover the way of the blade and how you’ll use your sword to save all of Albion.
October 13, 2008 – Lionhead’s long-awaited
Fable II ships to stores next week. In celebration, we’re giving you five days of Fable II coverage this week. Each day we’ll explore a different aspect of Fable II in both text and video. The first three days focus on the different aspects of combat — strength, skill, and will — with the final two days looking at relationships in the world of Albion and the differences between playing as good or evil.
Though we are breaking up combat into three parts, it should be noted that no one should focus on a single aspect when fighting. Combat is meant to be a mix of sword, guns, and magic. Focusing on just one, while certainly acceptable, isn’t going to look very cool. If you want to impress the ladies, you’re going to want to mix up your styles. Slow time with magic, then get in a few hacks with your sword, and as your enemy is reeling, whip out your pistol and blow off their head. Not only does this look slick, but it boosts the amount of general experience you earn, which will help you level up faster so you can more easily separate an enemy’s head from his body.
The X button is dedicated to the sword. There are no other required buttons to hack and slash your way through the evils threatening Albion. The left thumbstick is used to point your sword in the right direction. Where you hold the thumbstick, when you press X and how long you hold X determine the type of attack you unload.
Your prowess with the sword is tied to your strength ability. There are three places to spend experience in strength to boost your performance in battle — Brutal Styles, Physique, and Toughness. Physique and Toughness are easy enough to understand. The first increases the amount of damage you do in hand-to-hand combat (and also hulks out your character) with the latter boosting your health bar. It’s Brutal Styles that unlock new combat functionality and will likely be the focus for your experience point spending.
NHL 09 Review
One of the best sports franchises around has upped its game yet again.
September 5, 2008 – A championship season is both a blessing and a curse. Obviously, everyone always wants to come out on top, but doing so raises expectations considerably for the next year. Such is the case with NHL 09 whose predecessor is widely regarded as one of the best sports games in memory. Luckily, this year’s hockey offering from EA Sports not only doesn’t disappoint, it raises the bar set by NHL 08 in nearly every way, from awesome new modes to slight refinements, to the already stellar controls.
The first feature that hockey nuts are going to want to dive into is Be A Pro. As soon as NHL 09 begins, you’re prompted to create your virtual likeness, complete with all the customization options that you’d expect from today’s crop of sports games. You’ll find more licensed products than you can shake a stick at, plenty of hairstyles and lots of other little nuances to toy around with.
From there you’re given a brief tutorial on the right analog stick controls and then it’s time to jump into your fledging career. You’ll begin in the AHL unless you elect to control an already established NHL player (aka the weak sauce route). Before heading into your career, be warned, Be A Pro is a mode that is built to last quite some time.
Each attribute for your player needs to be advanced individually and with experience points being handed out in increments as low as 16 (it takes over 200 points to advance some attributes a single point) there’s little question that you could spend dozens of hours with the mode. You’ll slowly work your way from the third line of your minor league squad and, if your talents impress the coaches enough, you’ll get bumped up to the big time.
On the ice, Be A Pro is very similar to what we’ve seen from other EA Sports franchises. The camera angle drops down behind your player for a more intimate perspective on things. The game allows you to call for the puck and direct your players to shoot when you feel it’s appropriate, but for the most part you are controlling your player and your player alone.
Questions and Answers with Ryan
From Ted,
If a certain species of animal were to die out, would scientist’s create robotic replica’s of the creature to replace them.
Ryan – No, because robots hate humans and one day they would form a gang and try to kill the human race. Also a robotic bear cannot eat and digest a robotic salmon.
From Clancy,
If you were being attacked by a bear what would you rather have? A phone with GPS so that they can locate your dead body, or a lazer pointer so you can distract the bear?
Ryan – Neither, because I’m not a stupid person who wanders in forests looking to find bears.
Jeff writes,
What is your favourite game to play on xbox live?
Ryan – My favourite game to play on xbox is Gears of War or NHL 09. In Gears of War I can play wihtout really trying and still manage to have fun as long as I’ve got people I’m talking with. But once a group of selfish mexicans come in, the game loses it’s fun. Nhl 09 on the other hand is great because little kids don’t play it and mexicans hate hockey. The only problem is that not that many people use their mic’s, which kind of makes it boring if you’re playing on a team that has no mic’s.
Jeff writes,
What is your gamertag?
Ryan – …Don’t even worry about it.
