The unorthodox excellence of Indiana Jones and Citizen Sleeper 2
Although I’ve played video games for decades, I’ve rarely been as down on the hobby as I have in recent years. Critically acclaimed titles such as Metaphor: ReFantazio require more time than my lifestyle permits. Many small indie games I appreciate like Dungeons of Hinterberg come and go without sufficient recognition. Conversely, big budget releases often stick to safe formulas, leading to underwhelming gameplay.
But over the past month, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector have rekindled my optimism. Despite differences in budget, genre, and creative intent, both games are exceptionally well crafted narrative experiences.
At first glance, Indiana Jones follows a familiar AAA adventure template: high quality motion capture, lush soundtracks, expansive locations, and detailed production design that suggests Machine Games spent extensive time and budget on their game. I anticipated gameplay similar to The Last of Us (linear stealth action) or Machine Games’ own Wolfenstein reboot (guns blazing shooter).
But after a few hours of playtime, it’s apparent how Indiana Jones employs a novel approach to its mechanics and story pacing. There’s far less combat than I originally expected, almost all of which leans on avoidance and stealth based melee attacks (Indy can only take a few hits before going down.) Gunplay is usually a choice of last resort. Most gameplay takes place on large maps that allow for open ended exploration, supplemented by a variety of puzzle and platforming challenges. Unlike many adventure games that save their high quality video cutscenes for level transitions, Indiana Jones integrates them more democratically, including a refreshing amount of cutscenes for side missions.
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