Friday 12 May 2006
With a brand new George Lucas approved story, some seriously next-gen technology and Indy looking cool as ice, Indiana Jones 2007 (a working title) ought to bring any right-minded individual out in joyful jitters. We ducked backstage into LucasArts' demo area and got a first look at the game in full swing.

We saw two levels - one showing off Indy's hand-to-hand skills and another on board a tram hurtling down the hills of San Francisco, circa 1939. The game features a system called 'euphoria', which moves away from traditional animated characters towards self-sufficient AI that react on the fly to what happens around them. We watched as Indy targeted a nearby goon with his whip, hauling him off his feet. As the gangster fell he threw out his arms to break his fall - not a scripted reaction, but the AI actually attempting to protect its face from tarmac burns.

That’s not all. As unbelievable as it sounds, each object in the world is modelled to a molecular level. So when we saw Dr Jones throw a man into a weak wooden door, it splintered in a ridiculously real fashion. And, of course, it works for glass, paper, fabric, whatever. Amazingly, the game is set for current-gen platforms too, although - and here's the crucial part - without the oh-so-special tech