Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

[DANGERMAN]

I want to start this, and I might later today, but it looks so boring. I'm probably being tainted by wanting more Wolfenstein and it not being Wolfenstein, but it looks like it should be 10 hours long and laser focused 

[Nag]

I think you should give yourself a 24 hour ban for that...

[Maf]

I’ve played it for about an hour and the thing is made me think of most is downloading the Uncharted Collection and playing that instead 

[Nag]

To be fair Uncharted has more in common with Gears than this... 

[Maf]

I am an expert at this game 

[Metroid66]

I've started it. I'm in the Vatican and stealthing, as I should be really with all these 'fascists' around.

 

Does anyone else think the way Indy stealth immobilises an enemy would, in real life, result in their instant death?

[Maf]

Despite being an expert at the game, in real life I’ve never actually hit an unprepared person as hard as I can with a mop to see if it breaks their skull and the chair they’re sitting on 

[Nag]

52 minutes ago, Metroid66 said:

Does anyone else think the way Indy stealth immobilises an enemy would, in real life, result in their instant death?

 

Why would hitting an unprepared person in the back of the head as hard as possible with a two handed mace do that?

[Metroid66]

1 hour ago, Maf said:

in real life I’ve never actually hit an unprepared person as hard as I can with a mop to see if it breaks their skull and the chair they’re sitting on

 

A Saturday night out in Liverpool town centre will furnish you with the knowledge you seek.

[Maf]

Mops and rockers

[Metroid66]

Still pottering about the Vatican. I have to compliment the game on these incredible graphics. It's a wonder on the eyeballs, and also the first time I've used film grain in a game. Usually it just makes things a bit less well defined, but here it makes it classy.

 

Gameplay-wise I'm less convinced. Did they really watch the indy films and get slow paced stealth puzzling? 

 

I mean it's good... Or is it? I don't know. Does it pick up a bit later on? Is this slow first couple of hours a classic Raiders red herring? Should I be playing uncharted 4?

 

 

[shinymcshine]

I'm around 9.5 hrs in, just come out from exploring the catacombs and encountered a mysterious nun - so I'd be surprised if there was any sudden change of pacing, but you never know.

[Maf]

I see why people like this game. It’s got that AAA click and smoothness. The buttons are solid, it’s reasonably tactile, even though I think Indy picking things up and getting “adventure points” is silly, there’s no denying it gives that sense of reward and encouragement to explore. It looks amazing, too. It’s an extremely AAA game in these ways.

 

It does all that AAA stuff well and it works and connects - but this is a first person stealth and melee game. Which historically suck. And even though this game is mildly enjoyable, I don’t think it’s escaping that first person stealth and melee still sucks. It’s slow, awkward, odd, and despite doing all the AAA things reasonably well, it’s all in effort to make fundamentally problematic game design just about ok. 
 

I’m sure there’s an interview or something out there that has the answer. But I’m still puzzled why they didn’t make an Uncharted clone. I get that because it would get called an Uncharted clone, but they’re few and far between, Xbox doesn’t have any, and Uncharted is basically an Indiana Jones (x Die Hard) clone so I think it would be understandable.

 

Instead they said, what if Dishonoured but we took all the powers, mobility, weapons and original IP away. 

[Nag]

I, for one, am extremely happy they didn't try to ape Uncharted... the last Tomb Raider trilogy already did Uncharted better than Uncharted did anyway.

[Maf]

I think Uncharted 2 still clears all the new TR games because it’s pure, innovative, faultless cinematic spectacle but I think every other Uncharted game doesn’t do that as well and the TR games are better than those

 

Besides, the last TR game was in like 1974 or something. It’s been so long since there’s been a big Uncharted like game. I would be much happier with one of those over first person stealth and melee. 
 

(Indiana himself is so boring as well. I’m still early, I guess, but I feel like Nathan Drake “jumps off the page” immediately where so far Indy is very boring and monotone)

[Nag]

I have no idea if you've ever seen the films but it's a great attempt at characterising Indy for me... but then again I think Nathen Drake is an unlikeable cunt so what do I know.😂

[shinymcshine]

I think it just lacks that driving narrative - on one hand it's nice just to wander around at my own pace, doing the different activities - but taking photos, collecting medicine bottles & artifacts, doing a spot of boxing etc and it falls into that open world sandbox issue that there's no external thrust to keep me compelled to progress the main quest - and eventually my interest might wane before I get back to that.

 

Aside - it feels a little mean at times that you have to expend resource (medicine bottles or cash) to buy skill books, but then you also have to spend exp to actually activate those books...

 

Yikes - I've photographed 9/10 of the Giants Inscriptions but don't have any clue map marker to show where the final one might be....?

[Metroid66]

Well, I did have a more enjoyable session last night when indy got himself a companion and the actual story kicked in. It was still all stealth take downs and kindergarten level puzzling, but immersive and kind of heart warmingly nostalgic. Of course we're gamers and, for all they owe to indy, this has all been done better by Drake and Lara. 

 

Possibly would have benefited from dropping the book finding, point gathering upgrade nonsense. 

[spatular]

4 hours ago, shinymcshine said:

 

Yikes - I've photographed 9/10 of the Giants Inscriptions but don't have any clue map marker to show where the final one might be....?

Think I had the same thing, in the Vatican?

Spoiler

For me the last one was in an area I unlocked by doing a side mission iirc

 

[shinymcshine]

Fab,wondered if that was going to be the case - I've got a mission to go to an area I've yet to uncover, so it might well be over there

 

Spoiler

At the fountain area

 

Nope - it was indeed following Gina to the museum and inscription photo was over there !