Delmy Belknap
Jan 19, 2024 - 11:05

Indiana Jones Great Circle trailer sparks curiosity about Indy game prospects

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle trailer has fans pondering the best Indy game, but Fate of Atlantis may be it.

When I saw the trailer for Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, the new game from Bethesda, it got me thinking: what's the best Indy game we've ever had? I remember a game from NaturalMotion that never saw the light of day, but I've heard from people who played it and said it was fantastic. It's like a game that's become a legend, lost to time.

But what about the games we did get? It's a tough question with Indiana Jones, because he's been a part of the gaming world since the days of Pitfall! in 1982. Just as the creators of Raiders of the Lost Ark were influenced by the pulps and serials they grew up with, Indy himself has had a big impact on games without actually being in them.

It's easy to say that Spelunky is the best Indy game ever. It has all the iconic elements - the hat, the whip, the idols, the traps. But the more I think about it, the more it doesn't seem fair to Indy or Spelunky. Spelunky may have been inspired by Raiders, but it's become its own unique game.

The same is true for Tomb Raider. I love Tomb Raider just as much as Indy, with its ancient mechanisms and hidden temples. But it's clear that Tomb Raider has evolved into something new, with its own unique character and setting.

What Tomb Raider does get right about Indiana Jones is that it's not just about the action. Like Indy, Tomb Raider has a mix of action and puzzles, as well as moments of isolation and exploration. It's something I'd love to see in an Indy film.

After thinking about this all night, I've come to the conclusion that the best Indy game is actually an Indy game. It's Fate of Atlantis, the classic Lucasarts point and click adventure. It captures Indiana Jones for interesting reasons, as it covers all the aspects of the character that I loved as a kid. It has moments of action, but also moments of reasoning, humor, and character development.

Looking at the trailer for the new Indy game, I see a lot of things that would have pleased the seven-year-old Indy fan in me. I hope they're on the right track with this game, and that they remember that X never marks the spot.