As a seasoned game critic with over two decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the developers at MachineGames have truly outdone themselves with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The blend of classic adventure, modern mechanics, and a dash of humor is reminiscent of the old-school games I grew up playing, but with a fresh twist that appeals to today’s gamers.
Developing an adaptation is significantly enhanced when its creators are passionate about the original content. Luckily, MachineGames, the team behind their upcoming first-person action-adventure game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, share this enthusiasm for Indiana Jones, so fans of the films can anticipate that the game will be a heartfelt tribute to the series.
I was thrilled to sit down with Jens Andersson, design director, and Axel Torvenius, creative director, behind Indiana Jones and the Great Circle at Gamescom 2024. In our chat, they both expressed their passion for the beloved Indiana Jones IP, sharing how their admiration found its way into the creation of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Below is a condensed and clarified version of our conversation.
Realizing the Indiana Jones Films as a Video Game
To get started, could you share your personal feelings about the Indiana Jones intellectual property, if you don’t mind?
Torvenuis: I was born in 1979, and I grew up during the ’80s. One of my fondest memories from childhood involves watching movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark with my father while he prepared homemade pizzas at home. So, having the opportunity to work on this IP feels both unreal and incredibly exciting.
Andersson: On weekends in Sweden, I used to rent the Indiana Jones video and get really into it, asking myself why can’t all other films be like this. After checking out various action-adventure flicks, I couldn’t find anything similar to it.
A: I was wondering if developing the first-person perspective for the Indiana Jones game posed any special challenges, and if it offers any benefits compared to other perspectives?
Torvenius: Certainly. I believe there are multiple aspects to it, including pros and cons. It’s worth noting that at MachineGames, we have extensive experience in creating first-person games, which is something we excel at. This familiarity gives us an edge when working on such projects.
The task at hand is to defy typical assumptions about what an adventure game might entail. What does an adventure game typically involve? Well, traditionally, these games often take us on journeys through various landscapes, presenting us with puzzles to solve, scriptures to study, and enemies to fight. But this game deviates from the norm, opting for a first-person perspective that makes you feel intimately involved with the world. You’re practically nose-to-nose with everything, from delving into hidden passageways to examining ancient texts, unraveling mysteries, and occasionally landing a punch on your adversaries. The immersion is satisfying, although the challenges are diverse.
Andersson: This project serves as a foundation above all else. Given that it’s from MachineGames, we can expect a powerful narrative, captivating cinematics, well-developed characters, and an attempt to infuse the spirit of Indiana Jones into it, but in first-person perspective. In simpler terms, how does it feel to wield the whip in first-person? It’s unlike anything you’d experience in third-person. Embracing this unique approach and pushing forward is both a challenge and an opportunity. I believe it will make the project truly exceptional.
A: As a dedicated player of this incredible game, I’d be happy to share some insights into the thrilling aspect of accumulating adventure points. These points serve as milestones in your gaming journey, unlocking new and exciting features that can significantly alter Indy’s playstyle. Each unlock introduces fresh challenges and strategies, making every game unique and engaging!
Andersson: Instead of a traditional loop, we opted for a system featuring adventure points, which serve as incentives for exploration and puzzle-solving within the game. These points are hidden throughout the game experience, and some unlock new abilities when collected. You can earn these points by completing missions and documenting your findings in your journal.
In our theater performance, we demonstrated the True Grit trait, which is particularly noteworthy as it mirrors the adventurous spirit of Indiana Jones – seize your opportunity, pick up your hat, and be resilient. Typically, we incorporate abilities that are universal across all systems we’ve created, ranging from stealth to hand-to-hand combat, and even whip skills. Essentially, these abilities enable the player to customize their gameplay experience in an engaging and exciting manner.
Could you elaborate on how the use of disguises contributes to the game’s overall mechanics and playstyle?
Andersson: The game spans numerous locations worldwide, making it a global journey. Certain regions in the game offer more freedom to explore, where you can discover new disguises. Once discovered, you can effortlessly switch between outfits like the Adventurer’s and Clerical Outfit. This feature enables you to evade hostile enemies or access areas that would otherwise be off-limits.
Instead of attempting to sneak past, you now have the freedom to walk openly. However, do remain cautious as some individuals can perceive through your disguise. This adds an intriguing element to gameplay.
A: When discussing the various locations worldwide, I’d like to share how I structured the levels and exploration with numerous options for settings. Here’s a possible way:
As a Game Developer (Gamer Speak): When it comes to encouraging exploration in our game, I’ve got two strategies up my sleeve. One is dropping a quest and saying something like “Find this,” with the mission update serving as the catalyst. But what really sets our world apart is the sense of curiosity we want to instill in players. So it’s more about asking questions that spark their imagination, such as “What lies beyond the next bend? What secrets could be hidden within those ruins up ahead? What treasures might I uncover?” The goal is to make them constantly wonder and keep discovering new things throughout their journey.
Fundamentally, it centers around a storyline that motivates this, but there are various aspects to it. As you venture off the beaten track in search of items or uncover hidden truths and puzzles, you’ll accrue Adventure Points or stumble upon secrets and enigmas. The experience is designed to stimulate your desire for exploration.
Keeping Indiana Jones and the Great Circle True to Its Roots
A: Designing puzzles for Indiana Jones required us to capture his iconic adventure spirit. How did we do this? We aimed to incorporate elements that were instantly recognizable as part of the Indiana Jones legend, then transformed those elements into engaging and challenging gameplay experiences.
As a game developer, embarking on this project has been quite the odyssey. Right from the get-go during development, we found ourselves grappling with the fundamental question: what truly constitutes a puzzle? To carve our own path, we decided to create a first-person experience – but what does that entail when it comes to physical interaction in a game like this? What kind of puzzles did we envision?
To ensure an engaging gameplay experience, we aim to avoid a monotonous puzzle mechanic. Instead, each new level offers a fresh challenge for the player, similar to the unpredictability found in movies. As you enter a room set as a trap, your curiosity is piqued: “Ah, there’s a pressure sensitive spot here, I wonder what happens if I stand on it.” At this point, you are given the option to proceed or stay clear.
As a game developer diving headfirst into creating puzzles for our latest Indiana Jones-themed project, I must admit it’s quite the challenge. We’re brainstorming and experimenting with as many innovative ideas as we can, but crafting engaging puzzles within this iconic universe is no easy feat. It’s all new territory for us, so we’re refining and tweaking our designs through numerous iterations to ensure they fit seamlessly with the gameplay mechanics and the Indiana Jones vibe.
Torvenius: Furthermore, examining the diverse collection of traps featured in movies, identifying essential features, improving on them, and creating fresh traps that retain their essence but avoid imitation has been quite intriguing, indeed.
Q: Why did you choose the time period shortly after Raiders of the Lost Ark as the setting?
Torvenius: We have several reasons for this. One reason is the way the story was crafted and structured to establish the initial narrative — making it clear that this was the direction we wanted to take. This idea came from Todd Howard, who had a brilliant concept and lifelong dream of creating an Indiana Jones game, given his immense love for the series. He proposed this idea to Lucasfilm Games, and they were thrilled about the possibility. Later, we were contacted, and they asked if MachineGames would be interested in working on it. Of course, we were!
Andersson: In our perspective, “Raiders” represents the initial, quintessential essence of “Indiana Jones”. We aimed to stay near this concept as we believe it best suits this project, considering the timeline. The game is established in 1937, while “Raiders” takes place in 1936; it’s a single year apart.
Sure thing! Here’s one way to rephrase the question: “Could you tell us more about how you go about studying and designing the ancient civilizations and ruins that will be featured in our game, as this aspect is a significant part of the Indiana Jones intellectual property?”
Torvenius: Indeed, research plays a significant role in our process. As soon as a narrative is drafted, we delve into understanding how things would have appeared in the 1930s. During pre-production and concept art phases, when ideas take shape, additional research is conducted to ensure authenticity. Collaboration with external partners also forms part of this process to maintain accuracy and respect cultural sensitivities across regions. This attention to detail has been crucial.
It’s tricky to create either an Indiana Jones-style game or an epic adventure game without incorporating some fantastical elements. So, what might the surface level of a temple like the one depicted in these games look like? Let’s explore that and find out. However, if we delve deeper beneath this surface, that’s where we can get creative and devise more fictional adventures with an Indiana Jones flair.
Q: That’s actually a great segue into my next question. As you know, that sort of fictional element is also another big part. How did you make that feel believable?
Andersson: Isn’t the appeal of Indiana Jones largely due to its tone? It subtly avoids supernatural elements and instead focuses on research, mirroring our own approach to the game. We strive to find a balance where it seems plausible that if we were to look beneath the Sphinx, as hinted in the theater presentation, we might uncover something similar to what was depicted.
Torvenius: I find it fascinating when blending reality and fiction creates a unique harmony. When something is deemed authentic, it becomes easier to persuade an audience with the illusion, but adding fictitious elements is where the true enchantment lies. To make both believable and serve their intended purpose appropriately, extensive research and careful attention are required to ensure that historical facts are accurately represented and also feel genuine. Once these two aspects align, the result is a compelling blend.
Andersson: It’s crucial for us that whatever we create has some form of relevance or meaning. For instance, in this particular level, there are large cogwheels. Behind the scenes, there should be a logical reason for their presence. This doesn’t necessarily have to be directly communicated to the player, but it needs to make sense within the game’s narrative context. Why do these objects exist here?
Torvenius: It seems incredibly applicable across various forms of media regulations and games. Not everything must be logically consistent, but there should be an underlying sense of coherence. You should have the sensation that there’s a path to follow, even if you don’t comprehend the specifics. This notion has been instrumental in our work, and I believe it comes down to whether something feels right or connected. Does this resonate with you? Does it seem connected or fitting?
Question: What’s the general approach to combat in Indiana Jones games? Since Indiana Jones isn’t solely focused on combat, I was wondering if you could explain the underlying philosophy behind the combat elements in this series?
Andersson: Ultimately, the character’s experience is key. Our goal is to make you feel like Indiana Jones and equip you with the same tools he uses. For instance, you’ll have a revolver at your disposal, though it’s not intended for shooting during gameplay as seen in the movie. We don’t encourage or reward such actions. However, the whip we provide is different – we want you to utilize it frequently for moving around and navigating the environment. Additionally, it can be used offensively to disarm enemies or draw them closer for hand-to-hand combat.
In an Indiana Jones-style game, our combat sequence is multi-layered, starting with stealth or disguise. However, if the stealth fails, it turns into close-quarter, brawl-like fights. So, how does this play out in an Indy game? It’s somewhat unpredictable, offering moments of humor like a glass bottle to whack enemies over the head. If things go south and bullets start flying, well, when all else fails, you can retaliate with gunfire—but remember, that’s risky business!
It’s intriguing that we’ve designed a system allowing you to avoid going directly for a gun. While we could provide an option for you to use one, it’s not the most engaging or efficient strategy in our game. Instead, there’s a unique feature where you can grab a gun and transform it into a melee weapon for close-quarters combat, making less noise in the process.
A: Does the whip in this game add to the Indiana Jones feel a bit? I’m curious if you could share some insights about the research process behind incorporating the whip, both for combat and exploration scenes.
Torvenius: Essentially, the whip is crucial to Indiana Jones’ character, the IP, and the game itself wouldn’t be as engaging without it being functional, stylish, and enjoyable to use. We put a lot of effort into understanding how Indiana Jones utilizes the whip, the actions he performs with it, its behavior, and its distinctive sounds. We were fortunate enough to have a top-notch whip expert in northern Sweden – a truly exceptional individual. The team traveled there, set up various microphones, and recorded him extensively. Additionally, we filmed him extensively to study the whip’s behavior.
Ultimately, a significant amount of work is put into designing and coding the simulation to ensure its functionality, accurate physics, animations for controlled behavior, aesthetics, and sound effects. We also create various scenarios to give you an immersive, intuitive experience with the whip, making it feel responsive and usable at all times. There are numerous aspects that contribute to this complex system.
Andersson: This feature is crucial, so we decided to give it its own button. We wanted it to be easily accessible, and that’s exactly what we’ve accomplished.
A: How does the influence of MachineGames manifest in the new Indiana Jones game? After all, this title will undoubtedly draw in fans of both franchises. Can you elaborate on how the DNA of MachineGames can be seen in the Indiana Jones series?
Torvenius: Our studio has a rich heritage, which forms the essence and structure upon which we thrive. I’d describe it as a harmonious blend of three crucial elements that we strive to intensify at every turn. We never cease to challenge the storyline and always innovate by introducing fresh, dynamic game mechanics that evolve within the game itself. The third aspect is aesthetics – the visual appeal that ties everything together. By collaborating with our engineers and programmers, we ensure that all these elements are seamlessly integrated into a cohesive whole, forming a strong triangular foundation.
For this project, just like with past titles from MachineGames, the quality of its components has consistently remained the same as in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. This dedication to quality is what drives us and serves as our compass, guiding our work.
[END]
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2024-08-27 21:05