Fable: The Journey

Fable: The Journey
Type	First-Person Action Adventure
Developer	Lionhead Studios
Publisher	Microsoft Studios
Platform	Kinect for Xbox 360
Release Date	NA: 9 October 2012 EU: 12 October 2012

Fable: The Journey is a game by Lionhead Studios for the Xbox 360. The game will only be playable with Microsoft's Kinect; no controller needed, just yourself. Peter Molyneux presented the game at E3 2011 with a trailer and some gameplay.

"It's all about the experience and atmosphere with this one. We are trying to make it not feel linear or as on-rails as we can and are aiming to immerse the player in the world we create."

— Gradius1

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PlotEdit

Set fifty years after the events of Fable III, you are a normal Dweller named Gabriel who has been separated from his tribe. Gabriel comes across Theresa, who has been wounded by The Devourer, an agent of The Corruptor. The Corruption is taking over Albion, and Gabriel must take Theresa to the Spire to restore her power.

The game takes place throughout large portions of Albion. The events of Fable III are still felt during Fable: The Journey.

GameplayEdit

Fable: The Journey is a first-person game that has players use Kinect to manipulate magic in order to defeat enemies. By using your hands to perform certain gestures, players can cast 3 different damage dealing spells with their dominant hand and manipulate environmental objects and enemies using the 'Push' spell with their other hand.

A large portion of the game takes place with your horse, Seren. Driving the horse requires "holding" the reins and guiding the horse along a path. You must also care for your horse by petting and brushing her as well as caring for her when she gets hurt. There are experience orbs along the road as well, some of which can only be collected at varying speeds. According to information revealed at E3 2012, the horse may even learn specific voice commands used when you spur it forward.

Interspersed with the travel and combat sections of the game are rest stops, optional stops and camps.  Rest stops allow you to heal Seren before continuing on your journey, optional stops challenge the player with a short combat segment or puzzle for a collectable reward and camps allow the player to groom Seren and learn more about Theresa and her motivations.

There is also cross-game interaction with Fable Heroes. Gold earned in Fable Heroes can be transferred to Fable: the Journey as experience; however this can only be done once per playthrough.  All Hero Dolls unlocked in Fable Heroes can be hung from your cart in Fable: the Journey

First look Edit

After the first demo was shown at E3 2012, there was a backlash from a large number of people (particularly those from the Fable fan-base). The game was shown as an "on-rails" shooter as opposed to the conventional RPG format of the previous Fable titles. Peter Molyneux has since apologized during an interview, stating that the reveal of the game was done poorly and that the developers took a risk by removing "the navigation system" from view, which is where much of the criticism came from. He went on to say that the games of the main Fable series were separate from this one as, in terms of plot, it would not focus on the "bloodline".

Combat Edit

Fable: The Journey doesn't have a complex combat system. The use of Strength and Skill were totally removed and the player can only use Will attacks thanks to the magic Gauntlets acquired at the beginning of the game.

The Spells the player are able to use have to be unlocked through the gameplay of the mains story in dungeons called Temples. Most spells are only offensive but there are some used for defense such as Counter. 

The spells are extremelly necessary for the gameplay to proceed once unlocked, as lots of puzzles demand their usage once they're unlocked. Also, new enemies show up to pose a challenge towards the new spells.

See Fable: The Journey Spells for a complete list of spells available in the game.

TrailerEdit

More VideosEdit

Video Review

Screenshots Edit

Lionhead's new website includes some new screenshots of Fable: The Journey. Their filenames also suggest some new information:

• Screenshot 4 suggests an enemy type called "Harbinger"
• Screenshot 5 suggests a location called "Miremoor"

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External links Edit

• Lionhead's announcement
• Lionhead's Game Page
• Fable: The Journey at Lionhead Forums, discussing the concepts and premises of a Fable on Kinect
• Fable: The Journey at Lionhead Forums, discussing the facts and details of a Fable spin-off

• Fable: The Journey is totally not really on rails (that much) at Gamepro
• Fable: The Journey Is Part On-Rail Shooter, Part Black & White, Part Fable at Kotaku
• Fable: The Journey preview: Speak and spell at Joystiq
• Fable The Journey E3 at ProjectEgo.net
• No melee combat in Fable: The Journey because Kinect can't do recoil at OXM UK

• Feature Has The Journey betrayed Fable? Lionhead addresses fan anxieties at OXM UK
• Preview Silver linings: why Fable fans need to get on with The Journey at OXM UK

• Preview A class of its own: three hours with Fable: The Journey at OXM UK
• Hands-on with Fable The Journey: can Lionhead’s experiment redefine Kinect? at Edge

References Edit