Fable III First Look
By
Justin Calvert, Executive Editor
We meet with Peter Molyneux and get our first look at Fable III.
Earlier today, while attending Microsoft's X10 event in San Francisco, we had an opportunity to meet with Peter Molyneux and spend between 20 and 30 minutes checking out Fable III. As we watched the game being played, Molyneux pointed out a number of key new features. While there are clearly still a lot of things that aren't being talked about yet, we came away from the presentation feeling like Molyneux's claims that this is going to represent a huge step forward over Fable II are well founded.
The first portion of the demo took place in a city where Molyneux's character was walking around looking for his young daughter and showing off some already-impressive visuals in the process. As he strolled across a bridge, he spotted the daughter playing with some of her young friends and being watched intently by another member of the family: the dog. As he approached the group, the daughter's friends ran away, and--perhaps as a result--the young girl became quite upset. How does a father comfort and cheer up his daughter in a situation like this one? Well, in Fable II, you might have resorted to dancing in front of her. Relentlessly. But in Fable III, emotes like that one are being replaced by touch and mapped to a single, context-sensitive trigger button.
Using said button, he bent down to pick up his daughter and proceeded to play with her--tossing her up and down until her sobbing gave way to girlish giggles. Then, using the same button, he gently reached for her hand and walked her down the street with the dog following dutifully behind. Molyneux appeared to contemplate popping into a pub at one point, but his daughter was quick to point out that he really shouldn't do that with her in tow. Next, we were shown how the touch command will work with a very different character who, on this occasion, was a beggar asking for money. Appearing sympathetic to the man's plight, Molyneux took his hand and started walking him through the town--perhaps to buy him a hearty meal or some new clothes. The beggar was clearly familiar with the way that Molyneux plays these games, though, (or perhaps just with the layout of the town) because not a minute into the walk, he started protesting and doing everything he could to resist being pulled along. Molyneux's plan, as it turned out, was to sell the beggar to a factory--whether the beggar was going to be put to work there or turned into an affordable meat product wasn't clear, but he was clearly opposed to the idea either way. Other uses for touch, we're told, will include guiding children to schools or orphanages, picking up someone who's injured to rescue him or her, and greeting people with gestures that are appropriate for your relationship with them. A handshake used the first time you meet someone might be replaced with a hug as you become better acquainted with them, for example.
And why exactly should you want to spend your time getting to know people and being nice to them? Well, because you'll need their help if you're to stand any chance of overthrowing the evil king. Followers will be an important consideration in Fable III, both prior to when you become king and during your reign on the throne. And, there will be a number of ways to gain their loyalty. One of the more interesting examples we were given, for example, involved wooing a powerful woman who had plenty of her own followers to make them your own. Other characters will be more easily pleased and might simply be impressed by your prowess in combat.
Based on what little combat we saw in Fable III today, it seems that it'll play out in much the same way as it did in Fable II, with buttons devoted to magic use, projectile weapons, and melee weapons. Molyneux hinted that there will be some improvements, but what he was most excited to talk about was the way that weapons will work. Molyneux's hope is that no two weapons in Fable III will be the same because--like your character--they'll morph based on your actions and even your gamerscore. The most obvious way that weapons will transform is that they'll grow bigger and more powerful the more you use them, but there's much more to it than that. The visual style of your weapon will change quite radically according to how you use it. So to give you the examples that we got to see for ourselves today, the head of a large axe that has presumably been used to kill a lot of skeletons or beasts appears to be made of bones, while a sword that has been used to commit evil acts, such as killing innocents, will forever appear to be covered in blood. And if you're still not excited, perhaps hearing that you'll be able to trade your unique (or at the very least, uniquely named) weapons with other players online might do the trick.
By
Justin Calvert, Executive Editor
Justin's youth was largely misspent playing Commodore 64 and Amiga games. He left the UK's Official PlayStation Magazine to join GameSpot in 2000, believes that he's one of the best Speedball 2: Brutal Deluxe players in the world, and puts HP Sauce on everything.
304 comments
It is great to see that they put it back on the PC. But there are things that can be brought over from Fable2 that those with a PC cannot do because they decided to OMIT us . Thank you Lionhead for remembering those of us who were also responsible for making Fable Great by buying and playing it. mike_ezm I saw your responses and thank you. But wouldn't it be great if they allowed us into the Xtras we will miss because we didn't have the opportunity to play Fable 2??
BOOOOO!!! As before it is only on the 360 :( Fable started on the PC and should have continued on with the PC and XBox 360 but the PC also! BOOOO and shame on you Lionhead! a thousand curses upon your equipment and those who made the decision to make it non-PC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pretty tired of the constant, relentless emotes in 1 and 2 - main reason I couldn't get too into the game, as I don't like spending most of the game dancing or doing rude things over and over to get a reaction. Hope this is more adult and they get rid of that system entirely.
man cant wait for fable3 !!! im going get it as soon as it release man but idk when it comes out said it was april 10tth but Dx it wasnt sooo i have to keep waiting
Fable 2 wasn't fantastic in the sense it was really watered down for a more commercial audience, this could be a immersive RPG or a watered down piece of crap that wastes 50-hours of peoples lives.
another fable game based on the idea that emotion brings the experience, rather than the experience bringing the emotion.
Sounds very interesting and very cool, just like 1 and 2 did, but I hope that it'll be able to hold my interest for more than 2 playthroughs (unlike the other 2). 2 times beaten is more than other games, but given the length of Fable 1 & 2, still too little to justify $60. We will see though.
...... Man, now I'm just gonna have to get some spell and tape the B button down for 3 days. Bwuahahah!
p[lease have a boss fight this time n more game then more, the first two were too short n the build up to the end made the one button kill soooo frustrating it made me feel cheated
Unlike some of the people here I've liked both of the previous Fable games, and Fable 3 is shaping up to be the best of them all.
willceace if your just going to be a ***** *********** ***** **** rabbit******** griaffe******* groin that just don't bother writing crap comments because fable 3 looks amazing P.S your gay
Somebody please shake molyneux by them big floppy ears and tell him to stop spouting so much BS about his game. Everyone with any common sense is gonna see through the lies and know what a mediocre title fable 3 is gonna be. ooooo morphing he says. I bet your weapon will change colour depending on how much you charge the peasants in tax. And THAT will be it. a*** hole thinks we were born yesterday.
I think this one is going to be very shallow on story again. The first Fable was fantastic especially the Lost Chapters addition. I think instead of trying to show off new "innovative" features, why don't they make it simpler and more involving like Fable LC...
I reakon Natal will work as a camara for fable 3 allowing us to be in the game king or queen with our face and body.
Hmmmm I really don't know what to think of you Peter. All my friends tell me that your just a power hungry money grubbing liar BUT what just said sounded absolutely AMAZING. If this game is done right it could be a master piece
with fable 2 and now the upcoming third game, are the new target group, girls between the age of 6-12?
i hope they get rid of the the teleporting doors to get to different areas around the forests and Bowerstone. If the wilderness countryside was as large as Oblivion and can run for hours without getting interupted.
Well I hope they make some improvemements, like make the main character talk.Fable 2 just didn't cut it for me. Sometimes the game felt lame .
i've seen a lot of interviews with game developers, and compared to a lot of people, this guy seems brilliant. All the other people are either awkward, not confident, and definately not well-spoken. This guy is very well-spoken, and its kind of like a breath of fresh air from the geeky American guy, or the fast-talking Brit, or the French guy who thinks his game is gonna take over the world. I just hope the game lives up to Peter's description.
I like the new commands, and touches. Fable 3 is the type of game I would actually get. The graphics look alil enhanced, but not much. If i would be giving this a review it would be a very good review. I hope lady Grey comes back. :)
fable 1 was a great game because it changed our perspective on action rpg's...fable 2 was a disappointment for next-gen consoles with its cute and really not funny akward sim-like way of interacting with the world...fable 3 bleh! i don't even care! molyneux promised us the world of gaming would change with fable 2 it did, i knew i didnt want to play crap like this ever again, i might check it out at one of my gullible friend's house you know the kind that buys sonic racing lolll
Completely agree with other posters. Molyneux promises revolutions and ends up giving us cute but ultimately tedious interactions that don't really add to the ultimate enjoyment of the game. Kind of like watching a Harry Potter movie
Bring back the Syndicate peter. The only hope of video game Jesus rising from the dead is for you to buy back your own bloody ideas from the large, slothering animal dog. What a world. Syndicate Apocalypse. It's already in the works, and it'll be available as a free download. And if EA doesn't like that they can go to hell because it's millions they're losing out on but we don't care because we do it for the love. Get smashed EA.
is this a good pc starter game because i've got a ps3 and i really want it but i've never played pc games before so, is it a good pc starter game? ore should i start with an other pc game before i play this?
I've been a follower of Peter Molyneux games since Populous in 1989. When I said follower, I didn't particularly mean 'fan'. There is always something that irks me about his games, and even though I initially loved things like Syndicate, Black & White and Fable, they soon grow old. I've increasing grown to loathe his insistence on developing games where you are encouraged to micro-manage all interactions with most NPCs... to the point where, when I played Fable II (which I got free alongside the amazing Fallout 3 with my Xbox 360) I completely ignored this aspect of the game and just played the very lacklustre story. I admit to rushing through it in disappointement and flogging it on Ebay within a week - I felt it was a very poor sequel to the original, which I played just a few months before. This is the first I've heard of Fable III and I'm now at the stage where, 20 years after I first played one of his games, I just can't be bothered to read this article or even watch the video.
ah crap i love the fable serie but i haven't got an xbox crap why is fable on xbox :(:(:(:(:'(:'(:'(
I'm deffinatly gonna buy this since i always was a huge fan of the fable games fable 2 was fun to play.. just not as good as fable 1 but still i liked it very much and i really enjoy the idea of being king or queen , i think that it is a very unique option and i also LOVE interaction in games if it turns out the way he want's it to be.. it will be a perfect game for me
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Game Info
- Release Date: Oct 26, 2010 (US)
- ESRB: MTitles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older.
- Release Date: May 17, 2011 (US)
- ESRB: MTitles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older.
Related Unions
Fable III
- Publisher(s): Microsoft Game Studios
- Developer(s): Lionhead Studios
- Genre: Role-Playing
- Release:
- ESRB: M
Fable III Navigation
