Fable III Previews

The torrent of Fable III coverage coming out of Microsoft’s X10 event continues with the addition of four more hands-on previews for the RPG-turned-action/adventure sequel.

CVG thinks that Fable II was too complex:

Fable III is still instantly recognisable as a Fable game, but there’s plenty missing. The power bar – gone. The HUD – gone. That cumbersome, under-used expression system – gone. The age-old ‘experience-equals-points’ RPG mechanic – gone. If less is more, this is the most ambitious project in Molyneux’s career.

CVG is told that this simplification exists is because “half of the people who played Fable II only used 50 per cent of the features”. It’s an unscrambling of the series, then – a reach out to new, RPG-unfriendly gamers who were left bewildered by the complexities of Fable II.

NowGamer breaks down the engine:

It looks extremely similar to Fable II in engine terms – it’s really just the art direction that’s changed. Albion feels like the same world as it did before, only ravaged by time and technological progress. He mentions Dickens and how Albion is now the kind of world depicted by Oliver Twist. There are factories everywhere, whistles going off, boats in the harbour and so on it’s all just as as inventive as Fable II’s environments, only darker. The breadcrumb trail system is still intact in this build.

MSXbox-World seems to think that there’s way too much touching going on in the game:

Paedophile tendencies aside, there’s a cute side to being able to play with kids, in an endearing way. Cause laughter, create smiles by being pleasant, funny and parent like. However you’ll be able to use the context sensitive touch feature on all manner of persons and objects. Could this be a practical use for Natal? Hmmm, touching innocent passers by, or grabbing a buxom barmaid for a snog could be the order of the day. Well according to Peter, there’s a loving side and a not so friendly element to the touch (no not like that you sickos). Taking influence from the PSOne game Ico, and developing on from Fable’s own follow mechanic, you’ll be able to lead those who trust you, or if not shake hands at first. Leading followers or even loved ones by hand offers a more emotional attachment as you’ve effectively been given direct control over the AI. Lead them into the pits of hell and perhaps they will have to be dragged but at what cost? Defending those who you care about could and looks likely to take on a new meaning, but this is also dependant on how much depth is given to the NPCs. You’ve got to care enough, and perhaps if leading women off to dark dungeons results in a lot of deaths, (accidental or otherwise), your overall standing with the people of Albion might just change. It certainly sounds like adding a whole new layer to how we will interact with the characters of Albion. However, will the touch extend to those other areas of the game, y’know, the desirable ladies of the night who frequent the dingy parts of town? Let’s hope so…

And Wonderwallweb tells us more about the morphing mechanic:

Morphing is one that will get the fans excited, Peter Molyneux followed feedback from Fable II fans, mostly regarding the way you character looked after hours of play and has revamped the whole progression of your characters looks. The first example was shown through weapon use, rather than just having a beefy character with huge biceps, your on screen character will naturally tone up, if you use a sword you will have a more lean look compared to the strong burly arms of an axe wielder. The weapons also evolve over time, with you starting the game with a basic looking weapon, depending on who you kill it will start to change in appearance, covered in blood if you kill innocents or a heavenly glow if you slay only evil. An unexpected announcement is that the look of weapons is also linked to your total gamerscore.