What follows is our experience of Fable III (hands-off), which Peter Molyneux demoed to us at X10 in San Francisco.

Child levitation. Could this be a new power?

Much has been touted about the game allowing its players to take on the role of king – or queen – a tack offered with only the smallest of nods to those who took ownership of every building in Albion in Fable II. According to Molyneux, Fable III is about power, and feeling that power in a very real way. Around halfway into the game, you’ll conquer the oppressive overlord of this kingdom (I think they said Logan was his name, but this preview is rough and ready from the conference, so for the time being, Logan it is) and become the ruler of Albion yourself.

At this point, you’ll take the experiences you've had of this awful, industrialised world that sees children working in factories and people starving to decide how you will change things. He says early on that Lionhead is gravitating towards more of the dog-in-Fable-II-like character interactions, as he believed this was among the better features in Fable II.

Touch is a brand new mechanic and is initiated using the right trigger. It’s the natural progression of all the NPC interaction. Molyneux says it's directly inspired by Ico - he mentioned that holding Yorda's hand and pulling her through the world is the most magical aspect of that game – and it's a type of intimacy he wants to bring to the Fable universe. It differs depending on who you are dealing with. Molyneux shows two examples designed to give an overview of how a good or bad attitude is reflected by Touch. In one, the main character talks to his wife, who fears that their daughter may have begun working at one of the factories in Bowerstone.

The dungeons of Fable III are alreay looking impressive.

He heads over to his daughter and shows how the mechanic works - you can tell her off, or hug her and assure her that it's all going to be okay. After, he holds the daughter's hand to bring her home, along the way he wanders near a pub. The daughter mentions how you'd promised mum you wouldn't go to there. Clearly, with Touch, there's a lot of contextual dialogue and interactions.

Once the child is returned, the wife is relieved. Molyneux mentions all character interactions (like ones where you'd, say, get fleshy with the missus) are based around Touch. Molyneux points out it's 'not a gimmick'. In the other example, the character holds hands with a homeless beggar, who you’re going to buy him a meal. Instead, he sells him to the local factory. You can be a bastard, basically. And when you're king, you can throw people in the dungeon using Touch when they don't pay their taxes. It's may be tailor-made for Natal in concept, you’re no doubt thinking, but Molyneux was coy as to whether it'd feature in the game at all.

Molyneux wants to tell an epic story whose first half involves a revolution to overthrow the king and the second changing the world yourself - feeling the power. Will you stop starvation, or keep gold for yourself? The game remains an action-adventure/RPG however, never shifting inexplicably into an RTS a la Brutal Legend.

… continued