There’s a good chance you, like us, keep forgetting this Indiana Jones and the Circle It is a first-person game. Every time we see any shot and we’re reminded that this isn’t a reskinned shot, it’s an unsettling moment Tomb Raider or Unchartedinstead takes us directly into the mind of Dr. Jones. This is exacerbated by the fact that a lot of what we see in the trailer constantly jumps to the cinematic third-person perspective, considering how weird the angles are when trying to show off the game. But now that we’ve seen ten minutes of gameplay footage, it’s starting to make more sense.
At Gamescom this week, developer MachineGames is the force behind the 2014 games Wolfenstein: The New Order and its sequel describe what was previously shown, emphasizing their approach to “building an immersive narrative, full of twists and turns and exciting scenarios.” But today we’re going to take a look at the mysterious “gameplay.” They wanted to show “what it’s like to actually play Indiana Jones and experience his adventures, seeing through his eyes.” So perhaps it’s unfortunate that it’s followed by more footage of tombrobbers smashing ancient statues to recover secret tricks, all shot through a staged third-person perspective.
This continues and Indy’s theft triggers the trap, closing the door and filling the room with sand. But lo and behold, a tall window is finally within reach, and here we finally truly see the world through the eyes of the man in the hat, and jump in… As the temple collapses around him, a series of scripted of slips and slips.
Okay, I’m being mean, but they framed me. After this, we finally get to see some actual footage of the game as it’s going to be experienced, and it’s a much more controlled and considered game than I expected. At points, it looks more like a first-person adventure game, with Indy examining the scene for clues, picking up objects to examine, and trying to piece together what he needs to. He needs to stop the evil Nazi rival explorer Emmerich Voss from finding a collection of artifacts and returning them to his Führer.
It all starts when Voss breaks into the Doctor’s UMass campus and steals one of these relics, and we start trying to figure out what he’s up to. After the break-in, we see Indy picking up photos, flipping through files, taking photos to unlock more details about various items and areas, and arguing with Italian reporter Gina, who just wants to accompany him Find her sister.
But it’s not all exploring ancient ruins and academic halls. Another of the most delightful recurring themes we’ve seen is hitting bad guys in the back of the head with a shovel. There seems to be a heavy emphasis on improvisation, with objects around the world being able to be grabbed and used to one-time advantage. Those shovels, for example, would shatter at the handle if hit on the head by an unsuspecting person, and Indy tossed the remains aside. The same goes for metal rods used to knock loose bricks off walls, or sticks thrown through ravines into rock walls and then wielded with Indy’s whip.
Of course, shovels aren’t the only means of combat. The real focus is on punches and kicks, and combat plays out like a boxing mini-game, with you and the enemy hitting each other, trying to block, and generally snapping noses. Moments like this usually start with Indiana using his whip to pull on his partner’s ankles, dragging them to the ground, and then punching them as they recover, exchanging punches until one of you is down.
Speaking of Indy’s fall, in one of the highlights of the footage shown, we see our hero lose a fight and fall to the ground, but then gain and win thanks to an ability – True Grit. Added to his skill tree, he’s able to make a last ditch effort, reach for his iconic hat, and pick himself up and try again. Feeling very very indiana jones.
It’s also worth noting that Indy’s perspective isn’t stubbornly first-person after all. As he climbs up, the scene switches to a third-person perspective, watching extremely like a Tomb Raider The game begins as Lara Croft makes her way around ledges and up vines. Like…that might be a better perspective? But the insistence of “seeing through his eyes” prevails. As we move through greater challenges, it ends up being a combination of the two, climbing huge obstacles to solve complex puzzles. , then look for the route to reach the huge raised Christ frieze and adjust the lever to match the code.
Honestly, watching the footage and realizing this is a slower, more focused game than the crazy cutscenes we’ve seen before made me more excited to play it. Sneaking into a room, berating bad guys with garden equipment, and then using a whip to snatch a gun from another enemy looks really good, especially when such action is interspersed with exploration and puzzle-solving. As sound director Pete Ward said, “This game is all about adventure,” and hopefully players will find their own use for the tools the game provides.
Now, I’m even more excited to go back to 1937 and see this video and see how well this hybrid approach can come together, especially with the great news, Troy Baker vs. Harrison The impression of Harrison Ford was much better than I had imagined. This might…maybe…actually be an exciting thing. Although I still don’t know what’s so great about this circle.
