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Developers on why Indiana Jones is First Person: "First-person gameplay is part of MachineGames’ DNA"

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
I certainly didn’t hide it at all that I would have preferred it in third person. At all.
I also made a point that you cannot make a call on the perspective of a new game just by looking at the past history of the developers.

Not sure How you can read “Not necessarily a safe assumption” and translate that to complete rejection of a first person perspective. But it seems warz tends to interfere with comprehension.

You know what changed? They showed gameplay that I found really resonated with me, I realized it had similarities with the Riddick game I played and loved, and I listened to the developers explain why they went with first person for immersion.

Sucks for you that you’re unable to show where I complained about the perspective after they showed the gameplay 🤣
Of course, you won't complain now. That's the entire point of my post. LOL.

You wanted a 3P game. You got a 1P game. Now you're in "love" with it because, obviously, you can't criticize it. Instead, you're now criticizing people who do not like the 1P camera in this game.

I've shown the receipts, and I'll leave it at that for others to see. Please move on to other people now. Thank you.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Or my PS5 😛


SNgiqgi.jpg
 

Aion002

Member
Ehhh what dumb things to say.

Just say that you guys wanted to make the player feel like Indy or something and that's it, no need to justify it being first person or whatever.

Look What You Did You Little Jerk 90S GIF by Home Alone


Anyway, it might be good, Wolfenstein (2019) was cool, but it also might suck, Youngblood was atrocious.


Pray Jimmy Fallon GIF by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
 

Majormaxxx

Member
It's the Riddick devs, and although there are short hints of it in the trailer, they'll do what they did there and pull back to third person when you're doing things like traversal:
It is not simply the Riddick devs because the cultural landscape has changed. Back when this company made Riddick, all the social progression commentary wasn't being shoved in games. It is the Wolfenstein 2 and Wolfenstein Youngblood devs. The writing is the make or break elemental for this game. It has every potential to be cringe.
 

Ozriel

M$FT
Ehhh what dumb things to say.

Just say that you guys wanted to make the player feel like Indy or something and that's it, no need to justify it being first person or whatever.

They literally said that in the article linked in the OP and in the Direct.
 

Gojiira

Member
Kinda feels like damage control already, they dont ‘NEED’ to justify making it first person but they are anyway so yeah damage control…Sigh
 

SantaC

Member
It is not simply the Riddick devs because the cultural landscape has changed. Back when this company made Riddick, all the social progression commentary wasn't being shoved in games. It is the Wolfenstein 2 and Wolfenstein Youngblood devs. The writing is the make or break elemental for this game. It has every potential to be cringe.
The praised Naughty dog is more woke than machinegames.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Ehhh what dumb things to say.

Just say that you guys wanted to make the player feel like Indy or something and that's it, no need to justify it being first person or whatever.

That is quite literally what they said..

“First-person gameplay is part of MachineGames’ DNA, and we wanted to see how we could use this to create a really immersive experience around stepping into the shoes of the world’s most famous archaeologist,” Gustafsson explained.
 
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If they make an Uncharted clone, it'll be perceived as a lesser game because the developer isn't 'Naughty Dogs caliber'.

If they do not follow the Uncharted template, it'll be disappointing because they didn't follow the Uncharted template.

The context is crystal clear, what I don't understand why you're batting in its defense this much.

In other places, at least you've said that you're going to give the game a shake and see if it turns out to be good, which is more than the posts we quoted have done, it has already outright dismissed the game as a disappointment no matter what the developer would have done.

You can make it third person and not be an uncharted clone

And it would be a better game than it can ever be in first person
 

Heimdall_Xtreme

Jim Ryan Fanclub's #1 Member
I am sorry but you mold the studio to stay true to the IP, not the other way around. Your obligation is to Indiana Jones and its fanbase, not YOUR fanbase. No one knows who the fuck you are. You have won a total of zero GOTYs. Your DNA is average at best. This was their chance to take the next big leap forward and get to that A tier list, and they blew it by staying in their comfort zone.

And I truly despise this idea of doing something just to be different. It has that very Game of Thrones Subverting Expectations feel to it. Indiana Jones being similar to Tomb Raider and Uncharted wont kill Indiana Jones. If comparisons are to be made then you ensure that they go favorably your way. Especially now that you are part of a $3 trilllion company and are working on a next gen console with more horsepower than TR and Uncharted had access to last gen. They had the opportunity to stand out and they pretty much conceded before ever stepping in the ring.
The other side of the coin, if they take the risk it could happen to them like Daedalic Entertainment who experienced a game outside of their genre and had a lot of problems.
 

Havoc2049

Member
Honestly, I would rather play an action-adventure game like Thief, Dues Ex or Riddick, than I would Uncharted or Tomb Raider. Glad they decided to go first person for the immersion factor.
 

xrnzaaas

Member
Fpp worked in the end for Riddick even though it would've been nice to see Vin Diesel's 3d model for the entire duration of the game. My problem with Indy is that it didn't look like a proper AAA game with an AAA budget (so by today's standards 200 mil or more) in the first trailer. And I assume they've still tried to pick some of the best moments in the game since this was the first proper announcement.

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if it gets delayed to 2025 and receives more polish.
 
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Stooky

Member
Honestly, I would rather play an action-adventure game like Thief, Dues Ex or Riddick, than I would Uncharted or Tomb Raider. Glad they decided to go first person for the immersion factor.
gun play feels good 1st person. brawler combat like Indie style fighting in 1st person not so much. Indiana Jones imo would be more of a brawler than a shooter. That is the game that ive been wanting to play for years. Uncharted was to heavy on shooting when compared to Indian Jones.
 
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DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Again, you misunderstand.

First of all, that post was in favor of Machine Games. They seemed to be in a tough position, i.e., they would be in trouble regardless of what they did. That's what I acknowledged. You think it was against them, but I was feeling for the devs and studio. Try reading that post again in this context.

Second, my hope/wish was that they would make a AAA next-gen game that would be better than Naughty Dog's 9-year-old game. Very few studios can beat Naughty Dog head-on, but first-party studios can certainly beat Naughty Dog's 9-year-old game. Indiana Jones can still do that when it releases. But (because of my personal preferences for 3rd person games), I was hoping MG would do that by making Indy as a 3P game.

Third, nobody has dismissed Indiana Jones. If the game releases in good condition and the reviews are good, I promise you that I'll definitely play the game. Why won't I.

I'm sorry but this is all lies, we know you too well.

If they had done a third person uncharted style game you would be in here saying " I would have liked to think they would have done something to make themselves stand out versus a 9 year old naughty dog game blah blah blah"

You can't fool us.

How the fuck do you know if this game is not "better" than uncharted.
 
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ReBurn

Gold Member
I'm actually kind of happy that it's not a direct technical clone of Uncharted or Tomb Raider. If it were third person that would be all anyone would be talking about. I'm not a huge fan of first person, but I got used to it in Cyberpunk so I'm sure I could manage it here as long as the transitions are smooth and happen when they need to.
 

RAIDEN1

Member
For me this game and Dark Forces remake are the highlight games of 2024 (so far) unless we get Robocop 2 or something...or a new Die Hard
 

Neilg

Member
So basically not for the benefit of the game, but to fit into the narrow mold of the developer. How dull.
I think one of the biggest issues with games today is developers thinking because they made a good game, they'll be just as good as any genre / style switch going.

There's a huge benefit to iterative systems, and if you've got a bunch of devs that love making fps's, don't force them to make a different kind of game.
Studios need an MO - something to point at and say 'this is what identifies us as a team'
 
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JimmyRustler

Gold Member
I‘m fine with 1st person. If it would have been 3rd person people would just cry it’s an Uncharted rip-off…

All I hope is they make a good game. And this is coming from someone who vastly prefers 3rd person.
 

Zannegan

Member
I would have complained, but I saw the faces and decided that the less time I have to spend looking at them, the better. First person is fine.
 

Havoc2049

Member
gun play feels good 1st person. brawler combat like Indie style fighting in 1st person not so much. Indiana Jones imo would be more of a brawler than a shooter. That is the game that ive been wanting to play for years. Uncharted was to heavy on shooting when compared to Indian Jones.
I guess I see an Indiana Jones game as more of an adventure game with some action, than I do a hyper brawler like Ninja Gaiden Black or Wanted Dead.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
The other side of the coin, if they take the risk it could happen to them like Daedalic Entertainment who experienced a game outside of their genre and had a lot of problems.
On the other side of the coin, they could look at ND, Sucker Punch and Insomniac who went from making kiddie platformers to big budget action games and saw massive success. Or GG who went from making First person shooters to horizon and went from selling nothing to 20 million units.

This was Machine Game's chance to take that next leap and join the big boys and yes it wouldve been risky but everyone has to man up and take some risks to accomplish anything.
 

Mister Wolf

Member
On the other side of the coin, they could look at ND, Sucker Punch and Insomniac who went from making kiddie platformers to big budget action games and saw massive success. Or GG who went from making First person shooters to horizon and went from selling nothing to 20 million units.

This was Machine Game's chance to take that next leap and join the big boys and yes it wouldve been risky but everyone has to man up and take some risks to accomplish anything.

I'm glad Arkane isn't scared.
 

Punished Miku

Gold Member
On the other side of the coin, they could look at ND, Sucker Punch and Insomniac who went from making kiddie platformers to big budget action games and saw massive success. Or GG who went from making First person shooters to horizon and went from selling nothing to 20 million units.

This was Machine Game's chance to take that next leap and join the big boys and yes it wouldve been risky but everyone has to man up and take some risks to accomplish anything.
I always admire your ability to stake out an opinion and stick to it, but I just couldn't be any more opposite to it. Like Xavier knowing Magneto is a villain but still kinda respects him. I can't think of anything worse than forcing this team to make a huge budget cinematic Uncharted game costing hundreds of millions of dollars just to copy something that already exists.

MS is conditioning people to be used to games of various budgets and styles and price points, and I think that's the way to go. Nintendo did this a long time ago.

It's going to be Sony all by themselves making games like the ones you want, and even they are having a harder time with the increased budgetary and labor demands. You're going to be playing less and less. Cherish the ones you get I guess, because I don't see anyone else wanting to follow this path.
 

Stooky

Member
I guess I see an Indiana Jones game as more of an adventure game with some action, than I do a hyper brawler like Ninja Gaiden Black or Wanted Dead.
it can be a brawler with that Pulp comic style fighting. There were alot of fist fights in the films. He wasn't mowing down 100s of peoples with a gatling gun. He ran most of the time
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
it can be a brawler with that Pulp comic style fighting. There were alot of fist fights in the films. He wasn't mowing down 100s of peoples with a gatling gun. He ran most of the time

Well, it is a video game, so they're going to need to have some combat in it. The whip controls in third person would probably not be as good as first person, based on the dedicated blurb on the website, it seems like the whip will be a key tool, kinda like the grappling hook in Infinite.
 

Stooky

Member
I always admire your ability to stake out an opinion and stick to it, but I just couldn't be any more opposite to it. Like Xavier knowing Magneto is a villain but still kinda respects him. I can't think of anything worse than forcing this team to make a huge budget cinematic Uncharted game costing hundreds of millions of dollars just to copy something that already exists.

MS is conditioning people to be used to games of various budgets and styles and price points, and I think that's the way to go. Nintendo did this a long time ago.

It's going to be Sony all by themselves making games like the ones you want, and even they are having a harder time with the increased budgetary and labor demands. You're going to be playing less and less. Cherish the ones you get I guess, because I don't see anyone else wanting to follow this path.
Microsoft hasnt released enough games consistently for this statement.
 

Punished Miku

Gold Member
Microsoft hasnt released enough games consistently for this statement.
Sure they have. Pentiment is $20. Hi-Fi Rush is $25. Halo is f2p and $70. Some games are extreme AAA visuals like Hellblade, but even that is $50. Indiana is somewhere between AA and AAA, like Avowed is, price unknown yet but probably $70. Age of Empires II Remaster was $20. I don't remember how much Grounded cost but it's definitely cheaper. Then you have AAA racers at $70 in Horizon and Motorsport. They're making stuff from indie level to AAA with various price points. How much were the Ori games? Probably $20. I can't remember. As Dusk Falls was $20 I think. Or you can sub and rent everything and ignore the price entirely.
 
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Ar¢tos

Member
I get why it's 1st person.
The last 3rd person game they did was 14 years ago, most of that staff is probably gone. The studio is now making a game for a new owner to throw away for free in an attempt to stay relevant, no bonus for devs tied to sales milestones, the only metric of evaluation is an ambiguous pseudo unit called "Engagement", so no reason to waste time making changes to do a 3rd person game.

😈
 
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