It’s time for another adventure into the world of Albion in “Fable: The Journey” where, this time, you will adventure as the character, Gabriel. While forging a relationship with a horse companion you will come to the aid of the ailing Theresa, a recurring character from all the previous Fable games, who will start you on your adventure.
Using the Kinect you will be immersed in the game’s 1st person perspective while you battle your foes and learn to use magic, both to heal and as a deadly weapon. With the Unreal Engine 3, you will be able to enjoy improved graphics as you rediscover the familiar world and reveal uncharted realms and unknown history.
Kinect will allow for players to feel as though they are part of the game. The ability to use one’s own body to wield weapons, block and dodge, and even cast magic will allow for a level of immersion that controller games cannot offer. As a fan of the previous Fable games, I look forward to the continuation of the storyline and the new features that the Kinect will bring, though I worry that, with such a drastic change in the gameplay, it won’t live up to its predecessors.
Admittedly, the combination of a 1st person perspective with the Kinect is a great idea and will allow players to get more involved in the game, but there is no alternative. The Kinect is required to play Fable: The Journey, it cannot be played simply with a controller and at the same time has no option for the 3rd person perspective used in the previous Fable games. Though, the style of gameplay offered by the Kinect is going to attract new players to the franchise, the change may cost them the loyalty of current players who aren’t interested in ‘whole body’ gaming or don’t want to pay the extra cost of the Kinect. Despite the changes, I remain hopeful that Fable: The Journey will still feel like the same world that fans have come to know and enjoy.
Fable: The Journey is set to release in the on October 9th in the US, on October 12th in the UK, and is currently available for pre-order.
Pre-order Fable: The Journey through Amazon and get the bonus item ‘Emerald Gauntlets of Force’ for use in game!