The first Fable was released unto the world with high expectations. Gamers took off the veil and found themselves a bit short-changed after the creator, Peter Molyneux, hyped up the game and lived up to very few of his promises. Regardless, players got a quality action-RPG. The combat was fun -- a mix of swords, magic, and archery -- but how is Fable II shaping up compared to the solid foundation of the first?

The Goal: Simple Gameplay

For Fable II, Lionhead Studios simplified the series' combat to focus on the Xbox 360's face buttons; whereas, the first game had you pressing multiple buttons for one move at times. Fans might feel a bit worried, but they shouldn't.

Fable's intricate level-up system that had you slowing down time and "force" pushing is fully intact, but it works a bit different here. Now, the experience you gain from each encounter is based on what type of attacks you do. Melee moves grant you "physical" orbs, long-ranged moves give you "accuracy" orbs, etc.

Co-op In My RPG?

One of Lionhead's main selling points for the game was the inclusion of co-op gameplay. We've seen it appear in other games successfully like Crackdown, Halo 3, and Gears of War -- but never in an RPG.

Fable II auto-updates as soon as you boot the game up -- negating the developer's previous statements that it might not make it -- to let gamers play with a pal, online and off. It's a great addition to the game which allows you to bring in a friend to battle hordes of enemies and shadow your adventure, but it isn't necessarily integral to the experience and doesn't affect the overall story.

Something that is instrumental to the story, though, is you're canine companion that you meet early on. Lionhead made the game so you could get rid of the dog, but if you keep him around, he proves to be a good scout. He'll help you find secret treasure chests along the way and even aid you in combat. Choose to keep him, or go it alone -- Fable II lets you decide.

Limited Edition Troubles

Originally thought to be an extravagant collector's item, Fable II's Limited Edition package contained plenty of goodies that would have made fans giddy -- unfortunately, that isn't the case anymore. The Limited Edition, as those who pre-ordered noticed, was missing the promised box set with five "fate" cards and a Hobbe figurine.

Instead, gamers were left with just the "Making-of" DVD and three downlodable items (an extra dungeon, a cutlass weapon, and spartan armor and energy sword fashion after the Halo series). Adding to the troubled limited-edition, many have reported to have the download code missing and retailers are hoping to rectify the issue sometime around the week of october 28.

Bonus, FREE, Material

Limited edition woes aside, if you've yet to pick up the game or want to add a bit more spit-shine to the experience, we have a couple of tips for you. You can download Fable II's sountrack here, free, and net yourself a few items that might come in handy during your quest on the game's site, as well.

A Modest Review

From our brief playtime with the game, it's looking like an excellent game already. Loading times have been shortened from the first game, the combat system is better streamlined, and the production values are higher than the original Fable.

Fable II is out now on Xbox 360. If you're a fan of action-RPGs, it should be on your "must-buy" list and, if not, go ahead and scribble it in. After all, it is the game Peter Molyneux, the visionary behind the series, says is "the best, most complete game I've ever worked on."

Carlos Macias is a featured writer for Xomba.com. Read the rest of his work here .