Fast Forward Chronicle: Fast Forward – Indiana Jones (Bethesda): More than a new Uncharted-like? – globelivemedia.com

Chronic Fast Forward – Indiana Jones (Bethesda): More than a new Uncharted-like?

It’s time for the father of the Hollywood treasure hunt to return to the forefront of the video game scene. Very recently, Bethesda has indeed released a teaser for a new game Indiana Jones, developed by Machine Games, to which we owe the recent Wolfenstein, all in partnership with the video game branch of Lucas Film. No release date or even platform has been announced for the moment, and we will certainly have to wait for the finalization of the buyout of Bethesda by Microsoft to find out more. But in the meantime, nothing prevents us from digging certain avenues.

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An impressive and well-paced action-adventure game

Since the advent of Uncharted as a benchmark for single-player action-adventure games, several titles like the last Tomb Raider or even Jedi: Fall Order have taken the formula to adapt it to their sauce, to the point where we speak today of Uncharted-like. A name synonymous with phases of escalation, storytelling and Hollywood action, all with impressive technique and sustained rhythm. It would therefore be difficult to imagine that Machine Games misses out on these ingredients which have already proved their worth.

This new Indiana Jones must therefore be technically impressive, especially when we know that the sets of Shadow of the Tomb Raider (latest episode to date) and especially of Uncharted 4 have already set the bar very high, and that Machine Games can count on the power of new generation consoles. We can therefore expect lush forests, crying with truth, or even dark temples with striking lighting effects, as in the remake of Demon’s Souls.

There will also, of course, be action scenes using Professor Jones’ famous revolver and whip, a whip that could also be used to swing from one surface to another, like the old ones. games from the license or more recently, Uncharted 4. But with certainly a less spectacular and fantasized result than for Nathan Drake, Indiana Jones being portrayed in the films as a normal human with certainly courage but above all a lot of success, and not as an ultra-agile superhero.

The choice of the third person

In any case, like the biggest hits of the genre, it would be hard to imagine this new Indiana Jones other than in third person, even if the studio in charge of the project, Machine Games, has almost exclusively work on Wolfenstein, dystopian FPS far removed from archaeological excavations and hat-wearing treasure hunters.

However, there is no need to worry. Several studios have already managed to go from rooster to video game donkey with great success. We think in particular of Guerilla Games, accustomed for years to the dark and depressing world of FPS Killzone, before releasing Horizon: Zero Dawn, a colorful and very well done third-person action-adventure game.

In addition, Machine Games will be able to count on support from the rest of the Bethesda family, such as Tango Gameworks, which has previously worked on third-person games. And it will be even better when Bethesda and therefore Machine Games have officially joined the Microsoft family. There for once, do not look long before finding large impressive TPS. We immediately think of The Coalition and the license Gears of War.

A scenario worthy of the name

If one can have any doubts about the third or first person, what is certain is that Machine Games is not such a bad candidate when it comes to writing. The studio’s games are admittedly quite trashy, but quite well written and often funny, which fits well with the tone of Indiana Jones, a license above all mainstream with action and often quite offbeat moments, like this famous scene where the professor kills an opponent who wields the sword with a bullet.

More precisely on the scenario, Disney announces “a completely original story taking place at the height of the career of the famous adventurer”. And if we look closely at the teaser shared by Bethesda, we can even see the name of the city of Rome on a plane ticket. A place steeped in history and legends perfectly suited to the license, Professor Jones used to dispel myths like the Grail or the Ark of the Covenant. We can therefore imagine our favorite adventurer in search of a new object or millennial place, which would inevitably trigger the lust of evil geniuses. And who other than the Nazis to embody this role, favorite villains of the films of the adventurer and Wolfenstein.

A major work for Indiana Jones lore

There is no doubt, in this new game, Indiana Jones will have to use fists to get rid of his enemies. We can easily imagine simple but effective action phases, with a cover system, different weapons, the use of the whip as we mentioned earlier, a bit like, yes, still Uncharted 4. We quote the baby a lot. of Naughty Dog since the start of this video but obviously we’d like Professor Jones’ return to stand out from it.

Machine Game could for example bring back characters seen in the films, such as Marcus Brody, who would serve as protagonists to evolve the narration in a fluid way, or even create the missing link between two of the feature films, as had done Jedi: Fallen Order. The title of Machine Games would thus have a real interest beyond being, we hope, a good game.

In short, for the moment, it is difficult to imagine this Indiana Jones other than as a new Uncharted-like, with however a less Hollywood and crazy approach than for the box of Naughty Dog. In any case, Machine Games and Bethesda have everything they need to deliver a great action-adventure game, both technically successful and well paced.