A Return to Albion

Fable III is rapidly approaching our game collections. The question is whether or not it will be in the "I needed this game" or "waste of sixty dollars" category. From what I've seen, it is shaping up to be an interesting game, to say the least. At GDC, Peter Molyneux showed off some of the new features of the game in a demo presentation currently viewable at IGN. Here is some of my impressions of the demo and some things I noticed.

The Graphics: From what I could see, the engine used in Fable III will be very similar to the one used in Fable II. Characters retained a cartoon-y look, while environments appeared detailed and full. Now I suppose if it ain't broke, don't fix it, but I would actually like to see some graphical improvement. Fable II had pop-in (there were some in the demo), glitches, and robotic level design. I could really go for more "epicocity" in the designs as well. Just because you're trying to keep a story in realism doesn't mean you can't make it look pretty. One thing I noted was the demo's hero having a cocked eyebrow, which made him feel much more customizable.
The Combat: Easily my biggest complaint for Fable II, Molyneux cited the idea of remaking the combat system to a more fluid system where you could combine your sword, gun, and magic into powerful attacks. He spoke about the fluidity of fighting games like Street Fighter and Soul Caliber and moving away from more traditional turn-based combat, which Fable really never had in the first place. I like this idea a lot, however, the demo didn't show anything that sounded remotely like what he was talking about. It look very similar to the combat in Fable II. Perhaps he's waiting to show it off at E3, but the combat system needs more than smoothness. It needs to be remade. In Fable II, rolling made you immune to all damage as you rolled. Guns killed opponents ridiculously fast, especially at higher levels of skill. Magic was slow and difficult to use. Fable III must make combat a greater challenge and more enjoyable.
The Presentation: Fable III takes place several years after Fable II, as you play the son or daughter of your hero in Fable II. Your quest is to come from humble beginnings, make alliances and eventually become king of Albion. So far, it is unexplained what happens to your old hero, or if he is in fact the king you are working to overthrow. It will be interesting how it all works out. But what I really want to talk about are the new things Molyneux's introducing to Fable III, or bringing back from Fable II:
All dogs go to Sequel: Yep, the pup is back. He follows you around. Other than that, not much else I can tell you that will differentiate him from the last game. I'd like to see some advancement of what he can do though. But hey, it's a dog. I heart it.
Smells like Normandy: A big improvement is the elimination of long, huge, unmanagable 2D menus. Like Assassin's Creed II's Villa, your hero will have Guild Chambers, complete with a dressing room, in which you can physically see the outfit and change any part you like. You will also have an armory where you can customize and change weapons, as well as a treasury and an achievement room. Now this is brilliant. I can't even tell you how frustrating it was to leaf through dozens of items I would never use to get to the one I would. It'll be interesting to see how they use it on other items like potions though. Might I recommend a shiny pop-up wheel menu comparable to AC2?

Can't Touch Dis: This newest mechanic that will replace Fable II's pop-up emotion wheel is called "Touch". Touch will allow your character to interact with the world in a more personal way than just general emotions in the wheel. If someone won't cooperate, you can use Touch to drag them along; if your child is crying, you can use Touch to pick them up and hold them. Molyneux even went so far as to say you could take gold from your treasury and use Touch to rub it over your naked body. Either that is what Molyneux does in his spare time, or this Touch mechanic is shaping up to be a vast improvement over previous versions.
Balverines of Twitter: Molyneux broke from the demo to talk about Twitter and it's gamelike quality, the more followers, the better you do. The same goes for Fable III. As you work to become king, you will have to make promises to people so they will support you in your Kingship. You may have to marry a stuckup bitch in order to unite two factions, something quite common in Europe for centuries. If you fail to do so or don't keep your promises, you will lose followers and even declare war with those betrayed. This to me feels like Lionhead's answer to Mass Effect 2's "Everyone could die" scenario. Your actions have serious reprocussions, and that's key to a successful RPG.
I'm the Map!: This is the coolest part of the demo and the thing I'm most interested in. Your Guild Chambers contains the Map Room, which is strikingly similar to Fable I's Map Room with the giant circular recreation of Albion. Using this map will allow you to survey all of Albion under a giant magnifying glass like an RTS. You can view cities from afar, or get in really close to see people moving about on the streets (Molyneux cited the example of watching your spouse cheat on you). Now this is what would make me feel like a King. Omniscience is power, and the Map makes you feel like a god. You can command your Kingdom from a the seclusion of your own home. Molyneux likened it to Napolean viewing his troops.
It'll be interesting to see if Fable III improves on its predecesor. I'll keep you posted if I hear anything more.