I'm sorry to be the spoiler but I must say I'm not impressed at all with this game, and unless the full game is RADICALLY different, then I think it's a turkey!
Here's why:
1) Indy moves VERY slowly, and clunkily! It's like playing Tomb Raider at half speed!
He can't even do a simple roll to face his enemies, just trying to turn him around to shoot a scorpion was rediculously laborious and SLOW!!!
2) The environments are blocky and looks dated. (Like Tomb Raider's) I guess the developers have not played the recent "DRAKAN" and tasted what really organic, breath-taking and limitless explorable environments are like.
3) Speaking of Tomb Raider and Drakan both Lara and Rynn can run, flip and roll rings around Indy before he can even turn around once!
4) From the first pullable block there has been nothing that we haven't seen in Tomb Raider...only better! I couldn't believe how unimaginative Indy has been!...Everything has been done before...with much more intensity.
5) Is this really from the same people who gave us the wonderful Jedi-Knight and Mysteries of the Sith!?...I'm really astounded!
I know there are many who will now jump down my throat because they've already been smitten! But go back and play any of the Tomb Raiders and Drakan and you'll see how incredibly stilted this adventure game really is!
I think this may be another "Phantom Menace" game; a mediocre and un-imaginative game, slow and clunky, but with a big name to sell to the mass-market--geared more to the non-gamer.
Don't use the mouse! Even keyboard is much better, though gamepad is the best. When turning hold down shift and he'll turn around quite quickly. I have complaints myself, but to say it's that much different from Tomb Raider just isn't true.
All I have to say is...Why dont you read the control, and game options?!?!
Maybe click the option "always run" and Indy will run, look at the controls, and Indy can do side rools, front rolls, as well as backflips.....did lara have a Whip??? Could lara drive a jeep?!?!
This games SP is much better thaan that of JK in my oppinion, this game is awesome, just give it some time! You will get used to it, its not ment to be a FPS!
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Bridge/3528/indy-front.gif) Dark Indy
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Bridge/3528/indy-front.gif)
...Also, just WHAT part of the game demo is NOT like Tomb Raider? The push block? The scorpions appearing just as you pick up something? The rolling boulders? the jumping from block to conveniently placed block?...Just what exactly? (Oh yes, Indy can't even do a simple roll or flip...that must be it!)
The environment is actually quite a step backwards...Again, I must point to Drakan, not a perfect game, but its virtually limitless roamable environments, expansive and stunning in their beauty, were really ground-breaking as far as adventure gaming is concerned...at times you really FELT like you were roaming over vast beaches and valleys...there was no reasonably flat ground, interior or exterior where Rynn could not go!...virtually everything in the environment is interactive, down to the pebbles kicked over the cliff as Rynn ran over them. Now THAT'S adventure!
I guess I expected more from Lucasarts!
OK, my mistake about the flips and rolls...but otherwise...
Also, Lara has used a variety of vehicles. And Rynn has her own fully areobatic, talking, fire-breathing, wings-beating DRAGON!!! at her beckon call!... A gal can't get better than THAT!
Indy bashing anyone?
http://www.indyjones.net/forums/smile.gif) It's amazing how someone can completely judge a game from a demo. You should at least play the full game and then judge it. I say we head on over to the Drakan forums
http://www.indyjones.net/forums/smile.gif)
I already SAID this is just from the demo! I will certainly wait to read reviews before making decisions on buying the game. But I expected people to jump down my throat...but this IS my opinion based on the demo!
btw; aside from a few bugs, demos ARE usually a good indication of how the game will be.
Perhaps you ought to try the Drakan demo?
[This message has been edited by Ms. Talon (edited November 15, 1999).]
A few other corrections....
To:
1. Indy can roll, and do many things, as well as turn fast! You just have to read the control, and hold shift while turning.
2. I find the enviroments in the levels very detailed, and escpecially in some levels with the temples they look amazing, I had the Tomb Raider demo, and it sucked, very badly, I had many more complaints then these false ones you have listed here.
Although I have never played Draken, this is an Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine Forum, not the "Let us all look at the great and glorius Drakan forum"
3. Again hold Shift to turn fast, and indy can do 4 different rolls with a button, and pushing a direction.
4. Well, Lara may have had some things first, like rolling bolders etc....but where did she still everything from?!?!? I WONDER!?!? Everything goes back to Indy, probably a lot in Drakan too! Also Indy has a WHIP! And no, lara doesn't, and neither does this Rynn charachter!
5. JK and MotS are a totally different Genre, and I think this game is an excelent new title from LEC, and they should be commended for their great achievement on making such an awesome game!
Also why would any sane person want to play a game with a talking Dragon?!?! Indy gets to fight Quetzocoatl, a huge Snake Dragon thingy, much cooler than your little Barney the Magical dinosaur!
One last thought
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Bridge/3528/indy-gun2.gif) This is what happens to those who doubt the greatness of Indy!
Gee...is the forum ONLY for people who LIKED the demo? The last time I checked this IS a free society!...And this is MY OPINION!
So you played the original TR demo, which is now a good 5 years old, have you even tried any of the subsequent ones?
I have used Drakan as a point of comparison since it is recent and broke a lot of new ground in adventure gaming. Since our family have played ALL the TR games as well as Drakan in its entirety my comparisons and criticisms are both justified as well as INFORMED!
So, unless and until you can actually speak from a position of experience with those other titles, your knee-jerk tirade is both childish and unenlightened.
You are entitled to your own opinion.I thought the graphics sucked at first, then I turned on the 32bit true color and all graphics options,and turned up the resolution. I was amazed at the detail, watching the lava erupt was great. I thought indy has better and more realistic moves then Lara.
Yes, I would have to agree that Indy moves more like a real person, (although compared to Lara that's pretty easy!) But I have a real problem with the slow animation time setting up for every little thing he does...He walks up to wall...animation stops...etc. He just seem to lack the fluidity and agility needed.
I've completed all three TR's and played the TR4 Demo- it's OK. But this is Indiana Jones! The intro music alone sold the game to me and the demo played far better than TR4!!
I never played all the Tomb Raider games.They took bolders and other things from the indy movies to make it cool for her.Heck,shes even an archeologist!
The demo itself is cool.the bolders and everything came right out of Indy's book.Tomb Raider couldnt do better.The music is a galore.The enemys look like ennemys.They even get to talk in Russian.
Dark Indy took all the words out of my mouth. Indy doesnt look chunky.He an male adventurer.It may have been 8 years, but hes still Indy-not Lara!
i think many people are forgetting that tomb raider& co are just indy rip offs
and don't try to tell me otherwise
i've seen the last crusade 56 times
Well i played the full version the last 2 days. As Ms.Talon was saying this IS a free board and people can voice their opinions.
So i will voice my own here and nothing else.
You played the demo, you played the full game. Yep. I cant understand why the creator (Hal) of the best adventure game EVER (atlantis) could ever produce such crap. I mean action elements are fine but where is the true inovation here? Come on peolpe, if i wouldnt been a big indy fan i wouldnt be here. I Dont want the game to be bad but in my opinion its simply not a fun game. Anyone saying the controls are fine gotta be nuts! Have u played Heretic II? Ya i know INdy isnt suppost to be an action game. Then why didnt they save that LAMe tomb rider crap where it belongs? I dont mind the 3d graphics (which are quite nice most of the times) but the main factor is that the controls are half assed. If its mainly an adventure game, where s some good mouse control? If its supposed to be action game then Lucasarts musta smoked crack all day. They are too slow. Every jump is painfull..its not fun. The game couldve been great, but i really dont want to pull rocks, jump over leaps or shoot with a autoaim (again complete TR ripoff). Again this is my opinion and im not spreadin the word of my dislike but as a Indy fan i wanted to share my disappointment. LucasArt arent in their element anymore. Like the new star wars games...no inovation just cashing in.
[This message has been edited by Buzzfunk (edited November 18, 1999).]
For all those people who say the controls are crap, CAN YOU SAY KEYBOARD???? The only complaint that I have with the keyboard is that I'd like to use the mouse for looking around instead of hitting Ins, then moving the keyboard. As far as the graphics are concerned, I like them. My computer is right on the boaderline of being able to do the game (AMD K-6 200 MHz, Monster Fusion video card). But on my brother's computer it looks great with his hardware (AMD K-6 II, Voodoo3 3500) I like how adjustable the graphics are. If it doesn't look good on your computer, that means that either they aren't turned all the way up or your computer is not capable of doing the game at full speed. Also, for all the people who say this is a Tomb Raider rip off, TR is a rip off OF Indy. I know, I have all the movies on tape. Where do you think people got the idea of TR? It seems only fair that when LEC went into new water with a 3D adventure game, they could steal ideas from the products that came from an idea that origanally came from LucasFilm. Personally, I love the game. Indy can move quick when you want him to (Let's be real, do you run everywhere you go or only when your in a hurry?) Also, what greater than a whip??? Indy is one of the only games where a weapon has three uses (Just so you all know, the whip can be used as a weapon, for swinging and climbing, and also, something I've never seen in a game except JK, pulling weapons out of peoples hands). From all the people who think pushing and pulling blocks came from TR, look at Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the game. Indy's been doing it before anyone. If the first TR came out five years ago, Indy's been doing it on the PC for twice as long (Last Crusade game came out late 89). Also, even though Indy uses the same drivers (or what's left after all the changes to it), it's totally differant from JK. It's like comparing Sonic to Test Drive. Basically, I have the full game and I love it. On a scale of 1-50, it gets a 48.7
Dan
I totally agree Dan, Indy is Awesome! And after you get the JK control out of your head, I think the contrls work just fine, and I dont think indy moves slow, or turns slow, if you hold shift down, then turn....it is verrrrryy fast turning!
This game is awesome, too bad for no MP
http://www.indyjones.net/forums/frown.gif) or Editability
http://www.indyjones.net/forums/frown.gif)
Dark Indy
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Bridge/3528/indy-gun2.gif)
This should have been called, "Indiana Jones and the Infernally Mediocre Game".
I wanted to like this game, I really did. I've liked most of the LucasArts games with the exception of the recent Star Wars Episode One games. However, to call this particular game "Awesome" would be a misnomer.
So far, (I'm on the fourth level) I've seen NOTHING original except his whip use. And it's not like you can use it where you please, you have to line up with some pre-designated spot where he then looks at the whippable item. Wouldn't it have been nice to be able to attempt to grab other items and swing from them? Or even grab items from afar?
The hot-spot lineup for pressing buttons and activating things is exasperating. If you aren't completely squared on something, you get a snide, "Nope." or "That won't work." How about a little leeway here? (Maybe a patch could clear this up?)
Speed of movement IS attrocious. I keep wondering if my video card is bogging down, since it seems to take so long to just do a 180 degree turn. Try the new Tomb Raider 4 demo, her movements are smooth and responsive, not to mention better laid out.
Want to jump and catch a ledge? Indy just runs and jumps with a spread-eagle stance and somehow, though his chest hits the ledge, his arms then reach up to grab the ledge at the last moment. Or half the time, his chest-grab attempt merely bounces you away from the desired catch spot.
Where did Indy learn to fire a pistol? He's not too good at leading a target, unlike Lara Croft, who seems to be a dead-aim. Indiana might as well carry a bazooka for the awful aim he has. I suspect even then he would miss.
Where did some of you come up with this criteria on how much better this game is? "He can use a whip and drive a jeep." Is that it? No mention of an out-dated graphics engine, poor controls, illogical puzzles, and laughable character models. (Has anyone really bothered to look at the Russian scientist who looks like something out of a Dilbert cartoon?)
I'd have preferred that LucasArts had stuck to what they are best at; Adventure/quest games like Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Monkey Island(s), The Dig, Full Throttle, and Grim Fandango. Instead, they've put out a fairly fun, but mediocre game, which is not up to par with the first Tomb Raider game.
Opinions vary, and I say, if you like this game, fine. Enjoy yourselves, really. But for my money, I'll be looking for something better next time.
JIMMUS
Speaking of the dated graphics, I couldn't believe the ocean and shore in the FMV at the end of the demo! Talk about CHEESY! Also, everything has this overly bright colouration and Indy seems too large in scale for his environments.
Jimmus, try Drakan.
I really like Indy. The graphics engine is fine. Turned all the way up, the graphics are sweet. I have no problem with the controls. I think they are really easy to master once you have the idea of how to work him.
------------------
"There's no need to fear, your local Grand Admiral is near!"
i played the Drakan demo it was junk to me..
(tho i did not go to there message board & bash it!) as far as the engine being dated. it was upgraded, it has fog, & 32 bit color!. but i remember when jk came out. some people bashed it to. dated engine, no good weapons ect.. but if you liked starwars you liked jk.. the same here... not every game is everyones cup of tea. but i never understand why people who dont like a game, will come to a message board and bash it. if you dont like it move on!! thats what i do.
Again, some of you miss the point of having a bulletion board, unless you truly WANT it to be a board of nothing but "This game is great", "This game is awesome" comments.
For as much as people claim to be free-thinking and diverse, they simply cannot seem to get past some concepts.
I read bulletin boards to see the whole gamut of player opinions, if everyone just agreed with me, why would I read it at all except to pat myself on the back and say, "I'm cool, I'm with the IN crowd!"?
The "why post if you don't like it" comment makes little sense to me. Why read a bulletin board topic on critiques if you are sure they'll all be positive?
I'm still playing the game, but it's not with as much enthusiasm as it could have generated. Jedi Knight and Dark Forces were great fun, and I don't remember feeling let-down by either of them. Hey, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
LucasArts will continue to put out quality games, of this I am sure. I'll continue to keep buying their games, the good and the bad. And I will also continue to make my opinions known, whether or not LucasArts ever reads these things, at least it's therapeutic to let off that steam.
Enjoy, (whatever you're playing)
JIMMUS
JIMMUS;
Ok, we all know your opinion of the game now. You have recieved your much needed attention. Perhaps you could quit reguritating the same negative posts over and over now.
Jamison
Jeez, This is starting to get annoying,
Indy Rocks,
No no Indy sucks, Draken rocks,
If you like Draken so much go to the draken boards and post,
Indy ripped off Lara, Lara rocks,
Lara ripped off Indy, Indy rocks
The graphics and the controls suck,
The graphics and the control rock,
Blah blah blah blah!
SHUT UP!, it is pointless and stupid to scream and cry back and forth about how good or bad indy is, There is 25 posts on this board, and yet strangely nobody has said anything new since the first few posts. Indy is good game in my opinion, but everbody is entilted to thier own opinion, so say whatever you want, and if somebody disagrees ignore them.And for those sayin "I`m a rebel, Indy sucks", That the dumbest reason I`ve ever heard for defending yourself in the history of this forum!
Just a few random thoughts floating around (or maybe not so random...I dunno):
I saw one guy complain that Indy couldn't "lead" his targets with his pistol. Ok, let's not forget that Indy is, first and foremost, an archaeologist. He's not some globe-trotting hussy out to make a quick buck.
I was bothered by the pauses between the animations, but I forgot about it 2 minutes into the demo.
I was also impressed by the graphics. Much better than Quake 2's drab browns. If I didn't know better, I'd say it wasn't the JK engine.
The controls - great. He's responsive, and I don't mind that there isn't a Quake style mouselook feature. The rolls and jumps look very nice, as do the weapon animations.
Gameplay - excellent. The first time I used the whip, and a little piece of the Indy theme played, I got goosebumps! The jeep is topnotch, and the puzzles so far aren't very frustrating. The slow pace was a nice change from the myriad dark first person shooters out there. Its not Hexen II, or Unreal, or the Curse of Monkey Island. Its a game about Indiana Jones, a NORMAL person caught up in extraordinary situations.
I found it to be very true to the movies, and plan on picking up the game. Oh yeah, I do wish they could've gotten Harrison Ford to do Indy's voice though. Oh well. :P
Ciao
One last thing, for Ms. Talon, about the "dated" and unorganic graphics. LEC is well-known for writing their games to the lowest common denominator, machine requirement-wise. I was honestly surprised to find out that Indy would be hardware only.
By doing this, they can reach a larger group of people (theoretically. :P) than a polygon heavy Drakan.
Ciao
On the note about not being able to lead a target. What fun would that be? You wouldn't even have to think on how to shoot or when to shoot. Personally, I didn't like it at first, but, once I realized how easy it would be otherwise, I liked it. Also, if we forget TR for a moment and look at past Indy games, a lot of the ideas are the same, from pushing boxes into the right places to putting 2-meter planks into his jacket. I think it stays with the tradition of past Indy games which have been around a lot longer than TR, so drop the idea that Indy copied off of TR, it's an Indy game, and stays in line with Indy games.
Dan
All it needs is a Chron-o-John[tm], and it'll be perfect.
--Blair
"I'm not puttin' my lips on that."