Fable 3's BIG... Let Down

by Corey Dockendorf [ Friday, 12th of February 2010 - 10:49 PM ]

One of the long awaited announcements today was Peter Molyneux's Fable 3 presentation. Earlier in the week Molyneux, in an interview with Game Reactor he said "There’s some very, very big things happening in Fable. Bigger than you think, and it’s going to really going to upset people. I’m really scared. When I go out and tell people what it is, they’re going to get super pissed off. They really are. But it’s the right thing to do." Well looking at the features I don't think anything is so bad to anger an entire gaming community.

Characters will now interact with NPC's using the new "touch" command from your XBox controller (one of the trigger buttons). This command Molyneux says "narrows the emotional boundary" in Fable 3. Depending on your morale compass you can use the "touch" button for either good or evil. Playing with your daughter, or bullying poor folks are some of the interactions your character can now experience with the new touch feature. Weapons will now change depending on the players actions. If you kill innocents, your weapon will bleed, if you are a goody-two-shoes, your weapon will glow. Character customization is going to be more "involved." Molyneux made mention that it would be more busy work, but then quickly followed up with "i'm not supposed to talk about it." Another cliffhanger... No HUD. Their will be no health bar whatsoever. Players will experience environmental graphic changes, to let players know death is near.

Thats pretty much it. These changes seem a natural fit to the gameplay style, as well as utilizing the new Natal hardware. I'm hoping that these new "touch" commands add more depth to the game, and that I actually feel connected to these characters. This seems like the goal, and I will be very interested to see this new game mechanics impact on the storyline.

The lack of HUD doesn't seem like a big deal, since most action games are going that direction anyways. Keep the screen clear so the player can enjoy more of whats going on. The only other announcement that came out of X10 in regards to Fable 3 is that it will be available "this holiday." Talk about the most vague press conference ever.

So what does the gaming community think? Game changing features? Just a bunch of hype? Makes you wanna reach out and "touch" someone?

On a bit of the positive side here though, there are some nice screenshots and a developer's diary to take a look at in the midst of the lack luster announcements above.