Originally formed by ex-Starbreeze developers, MachineGames was founded in late 2009, and just a year later was approached by Bethesda to work on one of the newly acquired id Software IPs. MachineGames obviously jumped at the chance and pitched aWolfensteingame, and over the next four or so years, the team worked on what would eventually becomeWolfenstein: The New Order, a beloved reboot that revitalized the franchise for the modern age of gaming. With a good few titles now under its belt, MachineGames is ready to have a go at another big IP, and this time it’sIndiana Jones.
One of the most beloved adventure movie series ever created,Indiana Jonesis a franchise that has had countless video game adaptations over the last few decades. While most of these have been pretty poor, there have been some standouts over the years, such as the point-and-click classicIndiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, and the simple but funaction-adventure gameIndiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb. But it’s time for a betterIndiana Jonesgaming experience, and MachineGames is the perfect studio to helm the upcoming project.
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MachineGames Has Plenty of Experience with Indiana Jones' Usual Setting
Announced back in January 2021, not much is known still aboutMachineGames' upcomingIndiana Jonestitle. The only concrete details are that this game will tell a wholly original story and that it’s set during the height of Indy’s adventuring career. Now, if MachineGames sticks to the established lore set by Steven Spielberg’s movies, then that means the game will likely be set during World War 2, a setting which MachineGames is no stranger to.
Over the last decade, almost, MachineGames has developed fiveWolfensteintitles. Each and every one of these is set either during the events of World War 2, is during the alternate timeline that sees the Nazis win the war. IneveryWolfensteingame, the Nazis are the enemies, and with MachineGames’Indiana Jonesgame, it’s likely to be the same case. While there are plenty of stories where Indy faces off against a more mystical or ancient threat, the Nazis almost always play some kind of role in the narrative, whether it’s them racing to find the Ark of the Covenant, or them occupying a Prague castle that Indy just happens to need to sneak into.
MachineGames has proven that it can make some ruthlessly compelling Nazi villains, and that’s something that can be carried straight over to itsIndiana Jonesgame. Similarly, MachineGames has also had plenty of experience with themes of the occult, withWolfenstein: The Old Bloodthrusting players into another alternate reality where the Nazis created zombified soldiers. MachineGames nailed the whole tone of this standalone expansion, giving just the right amount of spooky tension, while keeping things fairly calm and lighthearted. That tone is exactly what a goodIndiana Jonesgame needs.
From a gameplay perspective, MachineGames has already proven itself countless times over. IftheIndiana Jonesgame ends up being a first-person shooterof sorts, then the developer already has the foundations to work from, although it may need to slow the pace of combat a little and reduce the number of enemies to ensure the game’s in-keeping with Indy’s more grounded abilities. While Indy tends to prefer to face his opponents head-on, he’ll occasionally use stealth to sneak around the environment and find a better vantage point, which MachineGames also has plenty of experience with. And when it comes to action set pieces, MachineGames’Indiana Jonesgame is in good hands.
