Summary
Indiana Jones and The Great Circlewas one of many big titles that was shown off at the recent Xbox Games Showcase. However, what was shown within the five-minute trailer raises questions about not only the focus of the game but also whether its developer, MachineGames, is trying tohideone of the more divisive elements in the titleby focusing on the better elements.
The recent trailer focused on a set of cutscenes that not only outline the game’s main plot but also dive into one of the key sections, where Indiana Jones and his new ally, Gina, head to the Himalayas. Once there, they find that one of the special stones they’re looking for is on a battleship high up in the mountains. They’re soon found by German soldiers, and a struggle to get the stone begins. The feeling of the cutscenes will resonate with anyone who has watched the original films, but if people were hoping for more looks into the gameplay, they were disappointed.
Indiana Jones & The Great Circle’s Gameplay Is Hotly Debated
First- Vs. Third-Person
In fact, throughout the trailer shown by Bethesda, only a few precious seconds were devoted to any kind of meaningful gameplay.Indiana Jones and The Great Circlewill see the bulk of its gameplay carried out from the first-person perspective, meaning that people playing the game will see everything from the eyes of Dr. Jones. At first, that doesn’t seem that bad, and in a past interview withIGN, game director Jerk Gustafsson noted that switching everything to first-person would make the game a“unique experience.”However, the online community is not convinced just yet.
The intent of the first-person experience is to make people feel like Indiana Jones, regardless of whether it’s in a fight or if he’s solving puzzles. Yet, one could argue that by putting people into Indy’s perspective, they’re losing some of what made the original movie trilogy so special. Whether it’s on X (formerly Twitter) via comments on the latest trailer – like this one fromAdamInHTownTX– YouTube, or in the comments of Reddit posts like withTurboStrider27’s, the questions about why there isn’t a third-person perspective mode continue to build. If nothing else, people want an option to toggle between perspectives, an option in many past Bethesda titles.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circleis published by Bethesda Softworks. It is titles from Bethesda Game Studios, the company’s development division, that typically feature first- and third-person options. Even though MachineGames is developingThe Great Circle, Bethesda likely has a significant amount of influence on its creation.
Those who are fine with the first-person perspective argue thatthis is the bread and butter of MachineGames. They’re the team behind the reboot ofWolfensteinand the many sequels that followed, most of which were praised for their stories and gameplay. They’re known for making quality FPS titles while showing off the protagonists via cutscenes and beyond. The other reason is that if it were to be a third-person title, it would be compared to other games in its genre. However, fearing that doesn’t mean it’s not the right move.
How Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, & Nathan Drake Connect & Differ
Not Everything Is A Ripoff Or A Clone
The comparisons in question are to those ofTomb RaiderandUncharted. Both of these characters are heavily inspired by Indiana Jones in that they’re adventure-seeking treasure hunters, and both of their franchises are in the third-person. So, ifIndiana Jones and The Great Circletook that same path, it would just be accused of being a clone of those games. The irony is thatUnchartedwas considered aTomb Raiderrip-off at first,even getting the label of“Dude Raider”upon unveiling. Yet, after its first two titles, it felt like an entirely different franchise than Lara Croft’s.
To that end, the issue of “making people feel like Indiana Jones” can also be done from the third-person perspective. The best examples are theBatman: Arkhamtrilogy and the threeMarvel’sSpider-Mantitles from Insomniac Games. Both series were in third-person, and pretty much all of them were acclaimed for how the gamepaly adapted the actual superheroes via their movesets and abilities. Seeing Indiana Jones in full as he goes to take down his foes via his whip, pistol, or fists can be just as fun and creative from the third-person perspective as it is in the first-person.
Plus, sincethe franchises featuring Lara and Nathan are currently on hiatus, MachineGames could’ve simply examined what they did right and built its title up from there to make it unique. Multiple franchises within gaming history have been called clones of something at first glance but then proved themselves to be something special and sometimes even better than what they spawned from. Living in fear of what others will think of a game before they get to play it can only cause problems.
It should be noted that Nathan Drake is now considered a gaming icon despite being Lara’s “clone.”
The Third-Person History Of Indiana Jones
Two Past Games Showed It Could Be Done Well
Indiana Jones has a long and storied history in the video game space,and that includes having titles on Xbox, PS2, Nintendo Wii, and beyond in the 2000s. The first game wasIndiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb, which acted as a prequel toTemple of Doom, not unlike how Indy’s upcoming title serves as a kind ofprequel toThe Last Crusade. That title came out in 2003. Then, in 2009,Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kingswas released. What’s important to note here is that both games were from the third-person perspective, makingThe Great Circlean outlier.
Furthermore, regardingThe Emperor’s Tomb, critics praised the game for capturing the feeling of the films while also having fun gameplay. The only detractions were from the in-game camera and the graphics. So, if LucasArts was fine with the third-person perspective and not being called a clone, why not MachineGames? Plus, the team could’ve viewed this as a chance to recapture the feeling of the original titles that LucasArts did withIndiana Jonesand just make them better via the modern Xbox’s better graphics and processing power.
Glimpses Of Gameplay Don’t Inspire Confidence
Indiana Is Iconic Enough To Always be Seen In Full View
Going back to theXbox Showcase trailer, there are multiple instances where one would picture gameplay happening, and yet it simply lets the cutscene continue. Furthermore, in more basic scenes in both this trailer and the original reveal trailer, the game is more than happy to jump to a third-person camera to highlight the action. So why not just do that all the time? Just as important, when the gameplay is shown,it doesn’t feel quite as snappy or funas the cutscenes that came before. One can only imagine how the fight withThe Great Circle’s main villainwill go.
Another key element here is the literal Indiana Jones factor of it all. In games likeBioshockor evenWolfenstein, it didn’t matter as much that there was a first-person perspective, because the characters weren’t as deep character-wise or didn’t even have a personality at some points in time. In contrast,Indiana Jones is a legendary figure, and it could be argued that he deserves to be seen in full all the time, as that’s how pop culture pictures him when his name is brought up.He’s a famous silhouette, and that should be prevalent throughout the game.
Ultimately, it’s impossible to know howIndiana Jones and The Great Circlewill truly play until hands-on previews are released or the game fully emerges. The worries about the title are legitimate, especially when it comes to both its gameplay and the release date. 2024 was the only date the new trailer gave, which seems to indicate that things aren’t fully finished yet. Regardless, the fate of this game and Indiana Jones will depend on how well the storyline, cutscenes, and gameplay mesh together.
Sources:IGN,AdamInHTownTX/X,TurboStrider27/Reddit
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a first-person action-adventure game developed by the creative team at MachineGames. Set in 1937 between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, players take on the role of the titular globe-trotting adventurer/archaeology professor Dr. Indiana Jones, as he races across the world to stop a dangerous organization from utilizing the power of the mystical Great Circle.
