Only few movies feature opening sequences as iconic as OG 1981 Indiana Jones‘ failed attempt to snitch the infamous golden idol from a jungle temple in Peru. The scene immediately establishes the exciting high-stakes tone and entertaining mix of mystery, adventure and heart, that would go on to define the Indiana Jones franchise and inspire generations of movie makers and game designers alike. It sends a snug shiver through our pop-culture-fueled souls that Machine Games lets us re-enact this scene as both an interactive introduction to the franchise’s themes, and an immersive tutorial to the core mechanics of The Great Circle.
It makes the tutorial feel like an important part of the experience and overall story arc, rather than a detached gameplay exercise.
What worked for Steven Spielberg on the big screen over 40 years ago, still works surprisingly well for players today. As in the movie, the introductory scene gives players an immediate sense of the main character’s motivation, values and the world his adventures takes place in. It is astonishing how much of the franchise’s dominant flavours are touched in these first ten’ish minutes of the journey. From treasure hunting in booby-trapped ruins and moments of clever problem-solving, often followed by adrenaline-pumping escapes from things trying to kill us. Be it collapsing cealings or lovingly unlikeble antagonists.
The plot on the screen working hand in hand with the game showcasing its core mechanics built around exploration, platforming, puzzle-solving and the iconic use of the whip. Without the onboarding feeling forced and unnecessarily sacrificing pace and flow for the sake of a lengthy lecture. Teaching us skills on the go, that will prove essential throughout a game, that typically sympathizes more with players choosing wits and fists over run and gun.
Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is a showcase for how to respectfully translate the DNA of the base material to a different medium.
From a game developer’s perspective then, it is more than just a convenient choice to interweave the original cinema experience with the re-imagined interactive one. Painstakingly re-imagining the movie’s screenplay from the way supporting characters comment on what plays out the screen, our hero neutralizing protective features surrounding the sought after MacGuffin and of course, the collapse of the temple with the famouse boulder chase in the end, not only replicates the jaw-dropping rollercoaster ride of the movie’s opening minuntes, but creates a gameplay experience that immediately draws players into the adventure. Making the tutorial feel like an important part of the game’s experience and overall story arc, rather than a detached gameplay exercise.
Every little detail, from the brilliant voice acting by Troy Baker et al, to the overall aesthetics and the humorously choreopgraphed cutszenes, promoting Indiana Jones and The Great Circle to a showcase for how to respectfully translate the DNA of the base material to a different medium. Seamlessly combining nostalgia with effective onboarding and engaging both newcomers and longtime fans of the series.
