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We sit down with the sequel at E3, and share out first impressions from the upcoming RPG sequel for Xbox 360.

We’ve all heard plenty about Fable 2’s simplicity in control, upscaled world and menu systems and its general functionality. After having a good half hour of playtime, I can safely say that Fable 2 is looking to be the third easiest console RPG out in the market, just behind Eternal Sonata and Fable.

Peter Molyneux’s vision of creating simple controls and interface has worked. Face buttons all perform one specific function, though depending on how long the button is held or the circumstances of the button press, can have different effects. For instance, the X button is solely for sword attacks, but pushing X and pushing X while going forward on the left thumbstick will provide different attacks.

The same logic applies to projectile weapons, which are hosted by the Y button, and magic, the B button. A is for selecting and the action button. The entire D-pad is for four different functions dealing with the dog, such as delivering positive or negative reinforcement, or possibly playing catch with the animal. Other options become available depending on the items in hand and situation at hand.

Combat remains exciting yet simple. So far, using the dog to attack hasn’t been an available option, but smacking enemies around with the sword using just one button wasn’t about button mashing. It was about timing and the way the attack is done, as well as combo’s performed. Just the same, while combat is an essential part of Fable 2, it isn’t extremely diverse or heart-pounding. Put it this way: the stress of battle won’t affect players.

Menu systems are also highly simplistic, enough to make any hardcore gamer feel as if Molyneux believes gamers are stupid. At first glance, the menu is similar to Mass Effect’s wheel, which is becoming popular among many developers showing here at E3. Each menu has its own pinwheel to select through, including actions to perform (such as farting, burping, grunting, and other social comedic performances) to items in the inventory.

The only other function we had time to test out was the player instant-drop-in. Another player over Xbox Live can instantly join any of their friends games, if invited, to wreak havoc on one player’s world, but not the other. It opens many doors for players who may want to continue using their character but feel pressured about playing a certain way in their world. This is an excellent opportunity to be good in your world, and evil in a friend’s.