BETS AND DREAMS - Indy And The Temple Of Abundant Possibility
Whipping up something special.
By Jay Tee
16/01/21
It seems that publishers and license holders are finally getting wise to the notion that broadening one's horizons with developer partnerships gives them the best possible chance to succeed when utilising an established IP. Between IO Interactive snagging Bond, and Ubisoft Massive getting a shot at Star Wars, there’s a lot for people to be excited about in the months and years ahead.
Another entry on that list is the opportunity afforded to Machine Games to take on Indiana Jones, and with it a copious amount of baggage mixed with a healthy dose of undeniable potential. Their unique spin on Wolfenstein makes them a strong candidate to subvert expectations, especially with a number of different approaches they could take now they’re working on such a prestigious and well regarded franchise (except for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which we don’t need to discuss any further).
BETS
THEY STICK WITH FIRST PERSON - Inevitable and highly ironic comparisons to Uncharted notwithstanding, I reckon Machine Games will want to leverage their experience crafting first person shooters and stick with that same perspective for Indy. If they nail the feel of the whip and traversal, I’d also like to see them lean into the exploration elements that are so intrinsic to this series.
TO FORD OR NOT TO FORD - The Harrison question is a big one, and considering Disney’s stance that he is Indiana Jones, and the film series’ upcoming 5th mainline instalment will be its last, one could argue that securing his voice and likeness is of paramount importance for the sake of authenticity. That being said, I reckon they’ll go a different route here, and produce their own version of Indy so the game can stand on its own; this would allow it to potentially expand beyond a single title, establishing a continuity and canon of its own.
THIS AIN’T NO ROSWELL - I’m calling it now: we don’t see a single extra terrestrial appear at any point in this new game. The mixed response to Crystal Skull centres around various issues (Shia LeBeouf’s character, the terrible green screen, the absurdity of the nuclear fridge), but even the biggest Indy fans have to agree that the totally mental alien ending felt completely out of place and just plain weird. I believe Machine Games will want to (and should) distance themselves from this plot element as much as possible.
DREAMS
EXPAND THE FAM - If they can find a way to introduce a version of Indy’s father (played to hilarious effect by the late, great Sean Connery in The Last Crusade) as a companion on your travels, that would be extremely jolly. Throw in the ability for campaign co-op, and this would ascend to “A Way Out” and “It Takes Two” levels of Day 1 purchase for me.
KEEP IT LINEAR - Open world games are popular, but my dream for Indy would be a set piece driven, broad exploration title, taking cues from Uncharted 4’s Madagascar level. There’s plenty of corners to poke around, but the path forward is still clearly defined. It doesn’t have to be massive, but nor should it feel like a corridor shooter.
TIME TRIALS - This one is a bit out of left field, but I’d take the Tomb Raider reboots optional tomb’s, and turn them into an asymmetrical multiplayer mode. Players compete in a sort of shared time trial, to get to the treasure in the fastest possible time. Throw in leaderboards and it would be a speedrunners best day ever.
Honestly, if the entire game was about stealing treasure and solving non-linear puzzles, I’m totally on board.