US, April 10, 2010 - Very few games have been confirmed to be supporting Project Natal, Microsoft's upcoming hands-free motion controller. Fable III is one of them. It also happens to be a more traditional game that can still be played from start to finish with a standard Xbox 360 controller. So, how will it use Natal? Common sense points to an integration that extends the game and makes it more interactive rather than a disjointed separate feature.
We at IGN huddled together to come up with five ways we think Natal could be used in Fable III that would actually be pretty fun. Who knows? This whole motion control revolution could turn out to be a good thing.
Kung Pao Chicken
The developers at Lionhead have always seemed to have it out for poor little chickens. One of my most memorable moments from the beginning of Fable II was when I first came across a group of them…and then proceeded to boot one off of a cliff.
There's something about virtual chickens that just makes you want to annoy them. Ever since the days of Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, I've had it out for those goofy birds. Now, how about letting me use Natal to up the ante? Each time you get close to a chicken, Natal would begin looking for that kicking motion. The better your boot, the farther it goes.
Playing Caesar
One of the big new additions to Fable III is what Lionhead has been calling Judgments. The first half of the game is spent amassing power. The latter half you play as king or queen, and that means that you'll get to decide, among other things, who lives and who dies.
This use of Natal would be classic Julius Caesar in the Roman Coliseum. When a prisoner is brought before you, you don't just push the A Button to let him live or the B Button to send him to his doom. Not with Natal around. To make the call, you simply raise your arm and give a thumbs up or thumbs down.
Get Touchy-Feely
One of the first new features talked about for Fable III is called Touch. Sounds pretty self-explanatory, no? The idea is that your avatar in the game would actually reach out and interact with other characters in the game. You'll be able to hug your children, pull a vagrant down the road to sell him into slavery, or lean over and pet your dog.
Well why not use Natal lightly, too? Interacting with your dog is something that most people would only do sparingly in Fable III, so it wouldn't be too difficult to get up and actually play the part. Throwing a ball to play catch would feel more immersive. Reaching down to pet the dog and seeing its puppy eyes staring back at you would take Fable one step closer to that feeling of love Peter Molyneux is looking for.
Wave Your Spell
This one is for fellow IGN editor Ryan Geddes, a man who is obsessed with the concept of having something happen when he waves his hands in the air. As it is now, he looks like a mad man. Add in Project Natal and he'll still look like a mad man, but at least he'll be happy.
Fable III is said to have a magic system based on rings. Wear a fire ring and you can cast a fireball spell. Wear a fire ring and a storm ring, and you can create a firestorm. With Natal, you would make the spellcasting motion from the comfort of your chair, as if you were actually wearing those rings, and then get to watch the magic happen on-screen.
Strike a Pose
This last one seems like a no-brainer. The Fable franchise has used poses for all sorts of purposes, be it showing off to earn some fame or as a model for a statue. It hasn't been a very exciting part of the game, however. Push a button or match a rhythm and you've got yourself a pose, pre-determined by the animators at Lionhead.
If you've ever thought that you could make a better pose, perhaps Natal will give you the chance. Rather than sorting through a list of funny, aggressive or heroic poses, you'll simply stand up in front of Natal and do whatever strikes your fancy. I'm sure most of you will do something dirty. Because you're all dirty minded people.
Yes I'm talking about you.
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