In an interview with Xbox Wire, the creative minds behind Indiana Jones and the Great Circle revealed some of the ingredients in the recipe that will bring the Indy magic to life.
A man. A hat. Countless adventures. That melody that creeps into your subconscious before you hear yourself humming the first sounds. The film series about the adventurer and archaeologist Indiana Jones has inevitably become a part of film history.
It can thank the excellent cinematography, a uniquely charming main character, the unforgettable locations and a soundtrack by John Williams that has shaped the film for decades.
So MachineGames faced no small task when it came to developing the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Joe Skrebels, editor-in-chief of Xbox Wire, was able to take part in a hands-on preview a few weeks ago (as did we at XboxDynasty). A video has now been published in which Creative Director Axel Torvenius and Design Director Jens Andersson answer Skrebel's questions from their studio in Sweden.
In the almost 27-minute video, some questions and very charming answers are brought to the table. The creators of the game reported that it was never the purpose of development to reinvent Indy. Rather, it was about bringing the charm of the films, especially the first film “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, to life as true to the original as possible.
For cutscenes, they always had picture director Kyle Klütz on the motion capture set, who skillfully pushed the huge, Hollywood-style cameras through the scenes and laid a great foundation for the game's cinematic indy feeling.
Furthermore, the sound design was an equally sure way to create the unique Indy feeling. Reference was made again and again to the fantastic work of Ben Burtt, who has won multiple Oscars for his sound worlds in the Indy films, Star Wars and even ET.
Gordy Haab, who wields the baton as composer, is also no stranger to George Lucas' universe and has already transported John Williams' musical style into several Star Wars video games.
For the recordings, they very consciously went to the sacred halls, where John Williams had the sounds of the film recorded by an orchestra. Abbey Road Studios in London is as historic as a recording studio can get.
It even happened less intentionally that among the musicians booked there were a few who had already made their musical contribution to those films at the time. An unexpected reunion that will certainly remain unforgettable for everyone involved.
In addition to the visual and auditory elements, the lore of Indiana Jones, inevitably linked to the history and myths of earth's history, is so rich and full of details that as lead narrative designer you have quite a lot to do.
This was felt by Tommy Tordsson Björk, who on the one hand has perhaps the coolest name in the entire video game industry, but on the other hand had to find new ways to approach the narrative in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
“Much of our work in creating the world focused on research in the 1930s. We then had to filter everything we learned through the lens of what we call “Indy Matinée Adventure” so that it felt both authentic and like a real story from Indy’s world.”
What they learned from developing the narrative is that they need to let the player choose the path of gameplay and story.
If you can't get enough of the preliminary reports on Indy's adventure, check out the deep dive video here:
Or do you shy away from too many details and want to be surprised by the hands-on impressions when you can play the game yourself from December 6th?
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