As gaming's largest trade show, E3, kicked off in Los Angeles, and Microsoft revealed their line-up of games to the world, you couldn't move for Kinect - it was everywhere. Practically every game shown at least used their new motion sensor - but few people saw this one coming.
Possibly the most prominent British games developer in the world, Peter Molyneux took to the stage to announce a new game in the epic Fable series of role playing games, and the crowd grew anxious. Usually incredibly open, free form, narrative driven experiences, Fable games have been hailed for the freedom they give you to make your own choices - you can follow the story, or simply find a wife, fall in love, get married, and raise a family, without even touching the main plot at all, letting you take your game from being a full blown Medieval epic, to Sims Medieval-lite depending on how you were feeling.
And so, Molyneux lifted the lid on Fable: The Journey, a new game that's exclusive to - wait for it, wait for it - Kinect. And from the trailer that was shown, it looks like nothing we've seen before. Far from the same freedom a Fable game usually offers, with its high sense of drama and emotionally charged decisions, Fable: The Journey appears to be an on the rails shooter, where the game moves around for you, and all you have to worry about is gesturing at the screen to take out the enemies that appear.
Riding a horse is much more interesting using Kinect.
The demo began with a developer sitting in front of Kinect (which was an interesting point in itself, as most Kinect games won't let you sit at the moment), as he rode a horse and carriage around a narrow mountain passage. Steering the horse by holding his arms out, and pulling on its invisible reins to steer left and right, just as you would in real life, he expertly guided the horse around precarious drops and cliff faces until the carriage came under attack.
Faced with a pack of hungry goblins, he stood up, and suddenly, Fable: The Journey became all about the combat. Holding your hand up, you'll be able to summon a fireball, before pushing forward to launch it at your enemies. Draw a square in the air, and you'll be able to summon a magical forcefield, while, when faced with a large group of enemies, if you rub your hands together, you'll be able to summon a giant fireball, which'll toast the whole lot.
Mmmm. Roast goblin.
If you played Harry Potter And the Deathly Hallows on Kinect last year, you'll have a good idea of what Fable: The Journey's all about - casting magic through the, er, magic of using gestures. A radical departure from what Fable's usually all about, it'll be interesting to see how this one shapes up. Either way, it's certainly one to keep an eye on.
