Ah, Fable. How you have changed the way I have played games and, in a way, made me a bit spoiled when it comes to being able to make my own choices to effect the outcome of the game I play. It's easy to see why I got so excited when I was able to get an interview with Product Manager, Patrick Perkins. We discussed a few things about the new addition to the Fable franchise. One being that we will still be able to shape the story based on the decisions we make in the game. This time around, we will not be able to change much about our character. Patrick informed us off camera that the character you play as is Fable The Journey plays a vital part in the Fable storyline.
Full interview:
Now on to my impression:
Although this is a Kinect game, this will be a satisfying 15 hour long experience through the Fable universe. Once I sat down to play, I was able to easily immerse myself into Fable The Journey. The controls were simple enough for anyone to pick up and have fun with while still keeping a few stylish maneuvers for the more hardcore player. You can use a combination of spells (both hands) to destroy your enemies or use a skill called "Aftertouch" that allows you to redirect the spells that may have missed the enemy. Spells can also be cast with certain gestures or by utilizing the voice commands for the Kinect. The representative helping me while playing the game said it best, "easy to learn and difficult to master."
Fighting enemies proved to be more difficult than expected. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. You have to use strategy in order to defeat the more difficult enemies. You are not able to just spam attacks on enemies to get through a level. You are allowed to block an enemies attack, but the game does not allow you to stay in a defensive stance for long. Once an attack is blocked, the Kinect sensor will no longer register the same block. You will have to move your arm to a new position and then block again when needed. Not only could you block, but you were also able to send their attacks back at them in order to do damage.
The graphics were a bit more cartoonish than previous games while still keeping to the true nature of the franchise. The lighting that trails your magic attacks makes it feel as though you are casting spells. The scenery and backgrounds are beautiful. The enemies movements are believable and the the detailing on them is exactly what you would want from a Fable game.
Overall Fable The Journey seems like a fresh outlook on the Fable franchise. With easy to learn controls and an immersive story, you are sure to be in for some fun in Fable The Journey coming October 9th.
