Peter Molyneux reveals Fable 3's new features

Peter Molyneux is also present at Microsoft’s X10 event today and is showing off Fable 3. What’s in store for the new heroes of Albion? Touching!

But not touching with Natal, which so many seemed to speculate on. According to Molyneux, the "touch" mechanic allows you to bond with other characters by touching them. This will “narrow the emotional boundary”.

The touch mechanic allows player characters to hold hands with NPCs, sell them into slavery, throw them up into the air and various other fun stuff depending on your alignment.

The new Albion is modeled on England during the industrial revolution, and according to Molyneux it’s possible to gather enough followers and attempt to overthrow the king of Albion, all using the "touch" command.

Another new feature is "morphing", which changes the physical appearances of your weapons as you use them throughout the game, depending on how you use them: "If you kill innocents, it will drip blood; if you use it to protect people it will glow."

There was also some kerfuffle over a video interview in which Molyneux stated that one of Fable 3’s features would "piss players off". Said feature is a screen without a HUD.

"Look at the screen! It’s completely clean! Why do we need the fucking health bar?"

"The 2-D parts of Fable 1 and Fable 2 were rubbish," he responded. "That’s why people didn’t change their clothes, or change their weapons." In Fable 3, he said, he’s looking to make that character-customization busywork "part of the game."

"Which, I just realized, I’m not supposed to talk about"

We all know Peter Molyneux can get passionate when talking about his upcoming games, but Fable 2 vastly improved on a lot of the complaints in Fable 3, so hopefully we’ll be hearing about more improvements in the months leading up to the launch of the next installment.