Speaking at the Develop Conference today, Peter Molyneux officially demoed the upcoming Fable III from Lionhead Studios. He related the shortcomings of Fable II, story and dramatic themes particularly, as an unfortunate disappointment, but assured the audience that Fable III will more than make up for it.
“I don’t think [the industry] has taken drama seriously enough,” Molyneux stated while he showcased Fable III for the first time in Europe. "Although we took the writing reasonably seriously, we didn’t think of it as a 'real' story... I was talking to the press back at E3, and in every interview I gave I asked the press, ‘what was the story in Fable II?’ -- and none of them could remember anything about it.”
For Fable III however, story and dramatic elements have been a major consideration. It is in the narrative that presents the story most effectively, causing the entire game to stand out not just from a memorable perspective, but an affectionate one, Molyneux reasons.
“One of the things that we really wanted to do is have something very clear about the story," Molyneux continued. "The story in Fable III is this simple: you are going to be a revolutionary, who’s going to overthrow this tyrannical king who’s doing horrible stuff to Albion. You’re going to gather forces, storm the castle, and then become king yourself. I love that, because people are going to remember that," Molyneux stated, reflecting on the shortcomings of stories from previous Fable games.
For Fable III to present a stronger game, it must present a stronger storytelling atmosphere combined with a number of factors. “Being honest, [Fable II] had some terribly messy things about it,” he stated to the crowd. “In development, you rush at the end.”
Fundamentally, it was the rush and poor decisions that contributed to a less than stellar showing from Fable II. “Marriage didn’t mean anything,” he said, relating to the ability for players to engage in marriage with NPCs in the game, “It was just an excuse to have sex.”
[Thanks Gamasutra]
