Lionhead Studios’ Peter Molyneux never keeps expectations low for his games. There’s a lot of hype behind Fable III, and it never reaches those levels, but from what we’ve seen, there’s enough here to keep things going after 2008’s Fable II.
There’s a definite focus on customization in the new game. Not only are outfits completely customizable with many clothing options, but everything can be colored individually, making your character look unique. In addition, there are quest-specific suits to wear, and the one in the E3 demo was the ridiculous chicken suit. You use it to gather chickens, as they think you’re a chicken too and will follow you. (I’m not at all making this up, and that’s awesome.)
All this is handled through Sanctuary, essentially an in-world menu system with doors to weapons and clothing and such. The weapon system seems pretty deep too, but with limited time with it, it’s hard to see how it will play out over a multi-hour experience.
In addition, there are new ways to interact with NPCs. You can do anything from shaking hands to farting in their face. (Let me state this now: I will never choose that option. Let’s establish that.) In addition, during quests, you’re sometimes called to weigh in on issues unrelated to you, and the decisions shape the world around you.
Fable III looks good. Not Molyneux-hype-level good, but then again, nothing can meet those standards.
