Fable III
Preview
It's good to be king!
by Mariana
previewed on PC
Change is Good
Fans of Fable III will soon finally be able to get their hands on the third installment of the series. According to Lionhead’s Peter Molyneux, expect to see great changes in this game in comparison to the previous installments. He stated that the previous Fable game had too many features that no one really explored or used. This time, some RPG elements are removed to make it more manageable and some menus will be represented in a way that your character can walk into a room instead of hard-to-navigate menus. It is also said that if you have a completed save file from Fable II, the decisions you made in that game will affect your new game in Fable III. So what awaits you on this epic adventure?
Welcome to Albion, the fantasy world where Fable takes place. On this journey, you are either the son or daughter of Fable II’s hero depending on which you would like to try. Both genders have different outcome possibilities when interacting with other characters, but they have the same ultimate goal: to rule Albion!
Bow down to the King... or Queen
There are two episodes within Fable III. Your first goal is to take down the current King from the throne. And when that's been achieved, your second goal is to rule Albion and become the new monarch - the King or Queen. In Fable III, it is all about power. The developers want you to feel powerful. This game is the first of its series to expand its story to areas outside Albion. It is up to you if you would like to announce war on a nearby country such as Aurora.
However, it is not an easy task to be a monarch. All the decisions that you make along the way will affect your kingdom so you must consider them carefully. Along the way, your character will learn how a society works, such as how to approach crimes and deal with taxes. If a citizen is caught in the act of a crime it will be up to you to decide how that person will be punished. It is your law, after all. And you can tweak the taxation level to fill the royal coffers. But if you go too far, the people of your land will become poor - don’t expect them to be nice to you when they see you passing by in your palanquin.
When you start breaking your promises to the people, they will start losing their appreciation for you and it will take time for them to believe in you once again. At the same time, if you do something tremendous and wonderful for the people, you will feel respected and the citizens will show their appreciation.
As familiar from the past games in the series, your appearance will change depending on your good or bad actions. In Fable III, if you are really good, you might grow a pair of angel wings, but if you are evil, your wings might be dark and may be complemented by evil horns on your head. Incidentally, the size of your wings will be equivalent to how many followers you have.
Can I touch you?
Fable III introduces a new element in which your hero can actually touch other characters; touch meaning hugging, kissing, and most likely other ways if you use your imagination. You can also hold someone’s hand and take them where you’d like. But this does not mean you have to go around and touch everyone – after all, you want to gain friendly relationships. Every character has a thorough memory and Fable III has a detailed relationship system to keep track of it all. A complete stranger would feel differently towards you compared to your best friend, or a lover. And, naturally, the gender of your character will affect many outcomes with the characters.
And, as a monarch, you will want to make sure that the reins of the nation stay in your family. To this end, you will be able to marry or impregnate a co-op character. And if your opinions about who should be let into your bedroom run against the biological measures of acquiring an heir, there is also an option to adopt a child to inherit your power when the time comes.
And if you like pets more than you like offspring, you can choose to take your dog with you and enjoy the adventure with him or her. Man’s best friend will be able to follow scents and chase rabbits for you, when you are in a sudden need of some sustenance.
Power at your fingertips!
The world of Albion lies at your fingertips; how you rule it is in your power to decide. But keep in mind that there are consequences for every decision you make. If you are a fan of the Fable series, you cannot miss this one and the collectors out there might want to pick up the Limited Edition. This version contains downloadable content, new quests, Fable III playing cards, an exclusive outfit, a Guild Seal coin, and a new breed for your companion: a Boxer. It is good to be the king.
