Fable III Previews

A total of five new E3 previews for Fable III are ready to take us into the weekend, starting with this piece on Shacknews:

Once you become king, well, Molyneux is being tight-lipped on what that will entail as it would reveal some story details. Expect the game to continue and promises made to followers made before you took the crown to come back and impact the story in a big way. If you wish to leave your castle, wear a good disguise as subjects may swarm you with adoration – or try to kill you if you’ve become a tyrant.

The system of leveling has been completely re-thought for Fable III with experience points being replaced with followers. “You start with three,” says Molyneux. “You need 300,000 [to overthrow your brother].” As the story follows your coup, the measure of your progress will be the amount of people in the game won over to your side. Followers will be earned by completing quests, defeating enemies, and doing other RPG-like tasks. Followers, in turn, will unlock more of the game’s progression.

Then we head over to TheGameHeadz:

Fable 3 returns with all the same charm you remember, and a complete new story. The game also boasts a new combat system, and no RPG would be complete without some new and improve magical abilities. The combat in Fable 3 is just as intuitive as you remember, but it’s been upgraded to allow for some smoother controls, and a more fluid action sequences.

Also in Fable 3 is the ability to improve and upgrade your weapons, which, directly affect how you attack. Fable 3’s combo System also adds some easy to pull off flashy attacks, and the ability to use magic on the fly. The story in Fable 3 is something complete different this time around, and as is the custom in any Fable game, you still start out as a boy. Not just any boy though, you’re the son of your original character from Fable 2. We will bring you more from Fable, including an in-depth developer walkthrough from E3 2010.

Followed by Game Rant:

In past games, you would address a villager, bring up the click wheel, and choose to beckon them to follow you. In Fable 3, you grab them by the hand and pull them along. They may follow willingly, they may fight you on it- it depends on how they feel about you. When you approach a villager and wish to impress them and make them like you, you can shake their hand. You can dance with them (fans of Dirty Dancing will have a mini freak out when they do this for the first time, I guarantee). When you threaten them, instead of growling and clawing the air and looming over them, you grab them by the throat. It makes the interactions seem genuine and immediate. They are engaging. It is a huge difference in how you experience the world of the game.

This major step forward in gameplay is going to be enhanced by the fact that your hero is fully voiced, something a certain Star Wars game is also- rightfully- getting much press for. Whereas before you would growl or laugh or make vague preening noises, now your hero converses with the people they come into contact with. I’m really pleased with this trend, not just because it makes your character seem more real in the environment, but because of all the work it’s going to give the great actors who are being squeezed out of animation by the clamor for ‘˜celebrity voices’. Do like voiced RPGs.

Before stopping at Pocket-lint:

The Dynamic Touch feature allows your hero to reach out and embrace a loved one, or exact retribution against those who have betrayed you. Your hero, your faithful canine companion and even your weapons now also evolve to extremes mirroring your morality and personal style of combat. The emotional connections players will develop in the world of (Fable III) will lead to some of the most memorable moments ever experienced in a game. Kinect anyone?

The second is Judgment, that reflects your ability as ruler to pass judgement over subjects at any time. It of course plays on the good vs evil battle that is always going on, but it’s a nice idea.

And concluding the round at GamesRadar:

Speaking of weapons, there sure were a bunch of them in Fable II. The franchise’s fans, according to Molyneux, were clamoring for even more in Fable III. But quality was being sacrificed for quantity, and the various swords, guns, axes and crossbows were growing indistinguishable from one another.

In Fable III, your weapons will be completely unique to you, evolving the same way that your hero does. Enjoy killing innocents? Watch as your sword takes on a sinister curve. Finish off enemies with fancy flourishes? Notice how, as time passes, your gun’s design becomes more and more ornate. Eventually, your weapons will be so special that the game will give them their own names, tied to your gamertag.