Puzzles aren’t everything in a video game, but in a game based on the iconic character of Indiana Jones, they need to fill a prominent role and they need to be done well.Indiana Jones and the Great Circledeveloper MachineGames has not only incorporated plenty of puzzles into the game but has also ensured its puzzles will frequently surprise players if they wish to experienceIndiana Jones and the Great Circle’s larger world.
Game Rant recently had the opportunity tointerviewIndiana Jones and the Great Circledesign director Jens Andersson about the game’s puzzles and how they offer a balance of easier and more challenging puzzles. While Andersson made it clear that puzzles aren’t one of the core focuses ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, he did make it clear they would be a highlight.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Puzzles Are a Mixed Bag of Difficulties
Indiana Jones doesn’t necessarily spend a significant amount of time solving puzzles in the movies, but it’s still an iconic part of each story thatIndiana Jones and the Great Circlewould be remiss to exclude it. Puzzles are one area where the developer had to flex its creative muscles, as many of the puzzles shown in the movie are often a bit too revealing and wouldn’t translate into a video game very well. When asked about howMachineGames went about designingIndiana Jones and the Great Circle’s puzzles, Andersson replied,
When you look at those puzzles in the movie, X marks the spot on the floor. That’s not a great video game puzzle necessarily.
When incorporating puzzles into any game, developers must maintain a healthy balance of difficulty with them to help prevent players from seeing each puzzle as an irritating roadblock. Arguably,the difficulty of a game’s puzzlesshould frequently surprise players who might have initially expected to solve each one with ease, as that characteristic can simultaneously increase their entertainment value. However, it’s also important that not every puzzle is so challenging that players might be unable to progress through the game if they can’t solve them. As Andersson continued,
We knew we wanted puzzles to be a big component of the game, and what we ended up with was a wide variety of puzzles, like big puzzles along the golden path that you need to solve. With these, we have a really robust hint system and a very epic feel to it in some ways. But those are not going to be the hardest puzzles in the game, because we need to make sure players will get through them without getting stuck. Even though you can ask for hints, we can still push it further than most games can.
So, the puzzles directly involved inIndiana Jones and the Great Circle’s storyare much easier for players to solve, which should appeal to casual players who are in it for the story more than anything else. However, not all ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circle’s puzzles are this simple. Should players desire to leave the beaten path every so often to explore a bit more freely, they will likely encounter much more challenging puzzles along the way. Regarding the game’s more challenging puzzles, Andersson stated:
If you keep playing, you will be able to 100% the game. Go back and find everything, but it’s going to be hard to find everything and there’s going to be hard puzzles that prevent you from getting that adventure book. There’s some hand holding, but for the harder stuff, you have to work for it.
Puzzles may not be the most important part ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circle’s gameplay, but they are certainly there to ensure players have something different to do between their main objectives. Furthermore, it’s fortunate thatIndiana Jones and the Great Circle’s puzzles provide different levels of difficulty based on their relevance to the main story, as that ultimately increases their appeal to a variety of playstyles.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them - Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.YOU ARE INDIANA JONESLive the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITSTravel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.WHIP-CRACKING ACTIONIndiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERYVenture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps ,and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
