When Fable was released in the fall of 2004, many disappointed gamers felt cheated by the omission of many of the ambitious features that had earlier been touted for the highly-anticipated title. Despite a solid performance among critics, Fable was the subject of countless insults hurled at Lionhead Studios and managing director Peter Molyneux. The game proved to the world that you can’t please everybody all of the time, and that those are usually the people that complain the loudest.
Today, at his Game Developers Conference lecture, Molyneux claimed to have learned from his past mistakes of revealing too much too soon, and went on to show off (in playable form) one of three innovative features that he thinks will make Fable 2 an unmatched, unforgettable experience: unconditional love. In addition to the previously mentioned spouse and offspring that players will be able to build meaningful relationships with as the game progresses, players will have a unique pet dog to accompany them throughout their travels.
The physical appearance of the dog will be unique to each player’s experience, says Molyneux, and that appearance will change over time to reflect the style of the player. So if you play a heroic character, your dog may take on the appearance of a hairy Sheepdog, while if you choose villainy, you may end up with a vicious-looking Doberman following you around Albion. Players will be able to play with their dog and use a number of emotes to interact with the animal. Molyneux emphasized the importance that the pet never become a nuisance to the player, though, so players who prefer to ignore the relationship’s novelties can do so.
While exploring a quaint, wooded pathway, Molyneux added that the dog is completely self-controlled and will follow the player unconditionally as he traverses the world. The animal appears to be quite intelligent, and its behavior is determined by the activities of the player. The animal will scout ahead to look for danger, explore the areas around you to uncover new treasures, point out changes in the environment, and urge you to follow it on paths important to your current quest. By using the dog as a navigation aid, Molyneux has done away with the mini-map from the original Fable, which he regretted because it allowed players to bypass exploration and traverse the world simply by following the predetermined path.
Because of its unconditional love, the dog will always look out for the player’s safety, scouting further ahead than usual in dangerous areas and warning of upcoming danger by barking and growling. As Molyneux prepared to do battle with a trio of enemies, he explained that the animal will take the actions in combat that will better protect his owner. For instance, if engaging enemies in melee combat, the dog will take out any ranged threats first, and vice versa.
Showing the feature in motion, Molyneux used his own gun (the game takes place roughly 500 years after the events of the original) to pick off his rifle-wielding adversary while the dog rushed in to attack the other two enemies, but took quite a bit of damage in the process. Molyneux took the opportunity to explain just how dedicated the animal is, saying that cold-hearted players could choose to completely ignore the limping, whimpering canine, but that the dog would take as long as necessary to reunite itself with the player. He described a situation in which, several gameplay hours later, the player may be sitting in a tavern and notice a scratching sound at the door, only to have an NPC open it to find the animal anxiously awaiting its long-lost master. Seeing the stray dog in such awful condition, the entire room might comment in disgust over someone neglecting an animal so horrifically.
Molyneux promises that such a devoted source of affection will undoubtedly get gamers to cater to their consciences and feel emotions that few games in the past have been able to evoke. He says that one of his favorite things to do in the game is to play with his dog and child together and that similar moments are what the “wow†moments of great gaming are all about. At one point, he hinted at downloadable content revolving around the pet, but was quick to clarify the idea as just that rather than an official announcement.
Before concluding his lecture, Molyneux took a few moments to talk about another impressive feature of the upcoming sequel. While showing a fly-over of the bustling city of Bowerstone, which was just a modest town during the events of the first game, Molyneux explained that every building in the world of Albion can be purchased by the player, from the smallest trade stand to the largest castle, allowing them to attain unimaginable wealth. Players will also open up new quests depending on the buildings they own, and different combinations will bring different rewards. Only portions of the city were shown, and the sheer size of it all was staggering. We certainly can’t wait to see more.
Molyneux is responsible for some of gaming’s most groundbreaking titles, and though he’s been chastised in the past for his open approach to development, he certainly looks poised to achieve what he’s set out to do with Fable 2. We can’t wait to hear about the other two innovative features that he has planned for the game.
AMN will bring you more from GDC as the week continues, so stay tuned.
