Lucasfilm Games' executive producer Craig Derrick reveals that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has a lot in common with 90s classics like Fate of Atlantis as it was "envisioned" to be a "spiritual successor" of sorts.
Speaking on the upcoming Indiana Jones adventure and what influenced its design, Derrick explains that MachineGames and Lucasfilm Games both looked to the genre's old gems for inspiration. "From uncovering and investigating the central mystery of the story to tackling unique situations along the way and outsmarting traps designed to keep the world’s secrets hidden," he describes just how much the new game has in common with its predecessors.
"In many ways, we envisioned this game as a spiritual successor to Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis and other classic adventure games," Derrick continues. "It’s about thinking, discovering, tracking down clues, and sometimes just a bit of luck to get through the various traps, tombs, and threats encountered - all while capturing that over-the-top Saturday matinee feel that defines an Indiana Jones adventure."
Players will have tools to aid them along the way in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, much like in the iconic 1992 point-and-click adventure, including a handy journal and camera - two important features to have while "discovering clues, gathering vital information to solve later puzzles, documenting your journey, and pulling out the map to figure out where to go next." It's reminiscent of older games in which one must stop and explore their items before proceeding.
There are still a few months to go now before Indiana Jones and the Great Circle releases on December 9, but I'm looking forward to seeing how the game employs features typical of the adventure genre's greats - especially head-scratching puzzles, which Derrick himself states are a "core gameplay element" in the upcoming title.
