Despite a few shortcomings, we thoroughly enjoyed Fable II on the Xbox 360. It was everything a quality role-playing game should be, filled with emotional involvement (especially with your dog), fun to play alone or with friends and jam-packed with hours of quests. However, we're compelled to see what Peter Molyneux and his team at Lionhead Studios lined up for their next tale, Fable III.

 The game takes place 60 years after the events of the original, in the troubled city of Albion. The streets have become covered in soot and darkness, making it abysmal for most of the people that live there, save for the rich. As the offspring of your Fable II character, you step in to change things. Half the game shows your rise to power, while the other half puts you in control of the kingdom, which strengthens or crumbles based on your decisions.

 Emotional involvement received even greater attention in Fable III. Instead of clumsily tooling around with an RPG system or a heads-up display, you control your actions through simple button presses. For instance, in one scene, your character seeks his daughter in the village. Upon finding her, you scare off her friends, leaving her in tears. To ease her pain, you playfully throw her around. You then walk with her through the town, only to come to a stop at a bar. You feel like getting a drink, but she stops short, knowing she can't go in with you. It's up to you to decide whether to leave her outside or go home.

 Another example involves a homeless beggar in search of something to get him through the night. At first, it appears your character will come to his aid. However, later in the demo, it's revealed that your good intentions are anything but, as you begin dragging the poor guy to a factory to sell him as forced labor.

 Not only is your character defined by your choices, but his or her weapons as well. Over the course of the game, you'll engage in numerous combat scenarios, similar to the ones in Fable II. If you slaughter too many innocent people with your sword, it'll forever be tainted by innocent blood. On the other hand, if you kill nothing but cretins, your blade will glow brightly. Your weapon grows each time you use it, increasing its power and effectiveness. Better still, you can trade these weapons online with others, earning rewards in the process.

 There are some familiar items that make a return in Fable III. First of all, your dog is back, so you can play with it, tend to its needs (feeding it when it's hungry, treating it when it's injured) and more. Second, a glowing trail shows you where you need to go for each mission, so you'll never have to worry about getting lost. Your Gamerscore will also have a huge impact in the game, as your skill level and weapon power will rely heavily on it. Finally, your game save is importable from Fable II, so any decisions you made with your character in that game reflect on your child in Fable III. Expect characters to react based on how your parent behaved in the previous game. In addition, their behaviors may change over time, starting with handshakes and moving to hugs.

 Like the previous game before it, Fable III definitely looks like an immersive adventure. The city of Albion is far more detailed this time around, covered in chimney dust as people walk about, living their dreary lives. The lack of a heads-up display makes it easier to see what's happening on the screen, focusing more on the characters rather than the actions surrounding them. Finally, the music should be equally impressive once Lionhead finishes it, and expect the voice acting to be up to snuff.

 Kudos to Molyneux and Lionhead Studios for refusing to produce a lazy sequel. Fable III looks ambitious, with equal parts of exciting action and heavy emotional involvement. We can't wait to see how this adventure unfolds when it arrives for Xbox 360 later this year.

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