How to make a good Indiana Jones game
So in light of the latest discussions and comparisons, we thought we'd bring you what we think is needed to make a good Indiana Jones game, seeing as though we've never really gotten one. You'd think a game based in amazing landscapes with brilliant stories and memorable characters would be a given, but it just hasn't happened.
And now, in light of Uncharted 2, we see how badly we need a kick ass Indiana Jones adventure.
While we wait, get yourself a copy of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. It's one of the best games this generation.
Make the opening suspenseful
All four Indiana Jones movies had pretty awesome opening sequences. All of them had you on the edge of your seat, introducing you to the character and sometimes the villain. There was a level of suspense that let you know you were in for a wild ride, and even though these sequences often didn't have much to do with the overall plot, it was a fantastic way to start off the adventure. Any Indiana Jones game should be no different, giving you the chance to explore and escape through a mini-adventure before the real adventure finally begins.
Include a love interest
Indiana Jones has a way with the ladies, so take advantage of it. The character is naturally charismatic and seductive, so give him something to feed off. Furthermore, it has to be someone he has to save. It can't be someone with the same love of adventure, but rather someone who initially gets on his nerves before he finally falls for them.
Make the adventure interesting and memorable
Indiana Jones has to be fighting for something special. Something we'll care about and ultimately want him to achieve. Even if it's aliens again, we don't care. Just don't make the focus his whip or fighting moves. That's not what Indiana Jones is about. It's about the adventure as a whole, something we want to take alongside him. The action is all fine and dandy, but if there's no strong reason behind it, then it's hard to even care.
Don't make it ALL about the combat
As mentioned above, action is great, especially in a game, but it's not the be-all and end-all. Exploration is Indiana's best trait, so the level design and direction is absolutely crucial. Indiana doesn't just move from area to area fighting off bad guys. He climbs through dirty passage ways, jumps into forbidden lairs and searches through dark mansions. Then, whenever a bad guy comes his way, he takes them down with his whip. A good Indiana Jones game should be about the exploration, puzzles and adventure, not the combat and his whip.
Make it funny
Indiana hates fighting bad guys, so when he does, make it funny. Make us laugh with his dialogue, and make him seem like an old man that is sick of doing what he's doing. That's what Indiana Jones is about. He hates loving what he does. If that means getting someone besides Harrison Ford to voice Indiana, then so be it. Indiana Jones is rarely serious, or violent for that matter, so make the game like the films: witty, fun and adventurous.
Set it somewhere unique to the Indiana Jones universe
How many times can Indiana end up in underground caves of a mystical city? Set the game somewhere unique, somewhere totally and utterly alien for the Indiana Jones universe. We want a different story. Maybe Prague, with its Bohemian architecture, or Hungary, with its gothic feel. Make the adventure familiar to Indiana, but completely new. Make it memorable and different, with all of the things we love about Indiana.
Have a filthy, dirty villain
It's pretty hard to beat out Nazi Germany as a villain, but any good Indiana Jones adventure comes coupled with an evil and sinister villain. But you've also got to balance out the connection to Indiana. His main objective is the artifact and getting it into the right hands, not necessarily destroying the villain. That's secondary for him. He's an adventurer and a man on a mission, not a man seeking revenge. He has to be in a race against a seemingly unbeatable foe. Furthermore, we don't want the villain to be too sinister, ala Resident Evil villains.
What do you all want in an Indiana Jones game?
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