Summary
In makingIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, MachineGames needed to ensure that it did everything in its power to make the game as true-to-film as possible, especially with it being a first-person game. While focusing on the character of Indiana Jones might have been the most important element of the game, next in line is the archaeologist’s iconic bullwhip — a tool that is as versatile as it is emblematic. Fortunately, MachineGames pulled out all the stops to make certain that Indy’s whip didn’t just look and feel like the real thing inIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, but that it also achieved the same versatility. However, it’s not the only versatile tool in Indy’s arsenal, as another, perhaps less likely tool often takes over the scene inIndiana Jones and the Great Circle: the camera.
Indy’s whip inIndiana Jones and the Great Circleachieves tremendous versatility in its ability to enhance traversal, surprise enemies in combat, and activate puzzle mechanisms. The camera might be considered just as versatile and just as useful, as it serves a variety of functions, despite its humble appearance. As they make their way throughIndiana Jones and the Great Circle’s expansive world and story, players might find themselves using Indy’s camera just as much as they use his whip, if not more so.
Indy’s Camera Is Just as Versatile as His Whip in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indy’s Camera Increases the Game’s Immersion by Encouraging Players to Slow Down
While there are plenty of benefits to using Indy’s camera inIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, its ability to encourage players to slow down is perhaps one of its best characteristics. SinceIndiana Jones and the Great Circlewas intentionally designedto recreate an authenticIndiana Jonesfilm experience, that means its world is filled with unique opportunities for discovery, with captivating sights not only to explore but also to simply bear witness too. Furthermore, the game’s integration of history into its locales and the various collectibles that can be found as players explore them makes it far more than even the magnificence it displays on its surface.
This is where the camera comes in, as it encourages players to be more observant — to “stop and smell the roses,” as it were. Occasionally, the camera icon will appear in the top left corner of the screen, indicating that something nearby can be photographed. Upon using the camera to take a picture of said object, person, or location, players are often rewarded with a lore tidbit about what they’ve photographed, thereby fleshing out the game’s world even more and sometimes offering a history lesson in the process. So, the camera’s purpose here is twofold: increasingIndiana Jones and the Great Circle’s immersionand building its world in the process.
There are even occasional NPCs that will pose for a picture, which also increases immersion by bringing out said NPC’s personality and making the player actually feel like they are in a living world.
Indy’s Camera Has Useful Gameplay and Progression Benefits as Well
The versatility ofIndy’s camera inIndiana Jones and the Great Circleisn’t all intangible, however, as using it often has direct gameplay benefits as well. Most notably, taking a picture of anything the game suggests will reward players with Adventure Points, which are used to increase Indy’s stats via Adventure Books inIndiana Jones and the Great Circle. This means that players can benefit from the increased immersion provided by the camera and get some points towards Indy’s progression in the process, making Indy’s camera one ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circle’s most useful and versatile tools.
In MachineGames efforts to create anauthenticIndiana Jonesgaming experienceinIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, the developer effectively balances the old with the new, offering the familiar versatility of Indy’s bullwhip but also introducing innovative new tools like Indy’s camera to enhance the gaming experience. While Indy’s whip remains a timeless symbol of his adventures, the camera quietly reshapes how players engage with the world around them by offering both tangible rewards and deeper immersion and thereby serving as a bridge between the game’s action and its worldbuilding and thoughtful exploration.
