Summary
Few franchises manage to capture the spirit of adventure quite likeIndiana Jones, and that’s precisely why it has become one of the most popular franchises in film history since it began several decades ago. However, that ultimately puts a tall task in front of MachineGames’Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, as it needs to pull out all the stops to ensure players have an authenticIndiana Jonesexperience when they play the game. Fortunately,Indiana Jones and the Great Circleprovides the quintessentialIndiana Jonesexperienceseemingly effortlessly, placing players directly into what could have easily been another film in the franchise.
With its aim to deliver an original experience and yet be as authentic as possible, especially in light of the franchise’s age and the impact it has had on diverse audiences,Indiana Jones and the Great Circlewould arguably need to begin with something recognizable — something familiar that even more casual fans ofIndiana Joneswould recognize. As it turns out,Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s opening sequence is an almost 1:1 recreation of one of the most famous sequences in film history: the introduction to the first film in theIndiana Jonesseries,Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Opens in the Best Way
The Great Circle Opens With a Recreation of Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Opening Scene
While it was largely known ahead of its release thatIndiana Jones and the Great Circlewould include theboulder-chase scene fromRaiders of the Lost Ark, it wasn’t necessarily known just how extensive the recreation of the scene would be. In a rather surprising twist, however,Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s opening moments are almost a 1:1 recreation of the opening sequence fromRaiders of the Lost Ark. Aside from the first-person gameplay perspective ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, anytime the game shifts to a cinematic moment, it’s almost exactly what players would see in the film it is recreated from.
The reason opening the game in this way is so important is because it showsMachineGames' aim forIndiana Jones and the Great Circleto be as authentic anIndiana Jonesexperience as possible. While the rest of the story is original and therefore does not have any source material for the developer to draw from, introducing the game with such an iconic sequence is essentially MachineGames saying, “Don’t worry. This is every bit the Indiana Jones game that it needs to be.” Furthermore, there is arguably no better way to open anIndiana Jonesgame than with what is widely considered one of the most famous sequences in film history.
Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Opening Sequence Is One of the Most Famous Sequences in Cinema History
Raiders of the Lost Ark’s opening sequencehas long been studied as a textbook example of how to open a film and has inspired countless filmmakers. From its tension and pacing to its gradual introduction of the character of Indiana Jones, there is not very much fault to be found in the sequence. Given its popularity, it arguably deserved to be the opening sequence forIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, even if it only amounts to nothing more than a dream Indy had after falling asleep on a desk at Marshall College. The film sequence inevitably servesIndiana Jones and the Great Circlewell, as the game observes the same pacing and adventurous spirit of the films.
There is arguably no better way to open anIndiana Jonesgame than with what is widely considered one of the most famous sequences in film history.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circledoesn’t just pay homage toIndiana Jonesor simply give the franchise a subtle nod, it actually invites players to embody him in an unprecedented way inside the gaming space, and its faithful recreation of the opening sequence fromRaiders of the Lost Arkis a telltale sign of what is to come in its story. By relying on one of the most famous opening sequences ever created,Indiana Jones and the Great Circlereadies its aim in the best way and introduces players to what could be considered the mostauthenticIndiana Jonesgaming experienceever made.
