While this is obviously not a very high budget title, and their claims of the Wii being the lead SKU (also created for DS, PSP & PS2, though I guess the former will be a different game) don't appear to be 100% truthful, it looks surprisingly fun. Who knows, maybe it's a decent little game after all, it certainly seems to have the Indy charm... Expect the worst, but hope for the best?
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
Game » consists of 6 releases. Released Jun 09, 2009
Set in 1939, follow Indiana Jones as he searches all around the globe for the Staff of Moses.
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings
Wasnt there supposed to be an Indian Jones game for the 360 and PS3 aswell, but never came out? Or is this the only one?
Wow....it.....actually looks.....good....?
I was not expecting this. The teaser trailer was sort of meh and the fact that it's being built mainly for Wii didn't inspire me with a ton of hope, but looking at it in motion it looks pretty cool. Hand-to-hand combat was okay looking by itself, but the weapons and environmental stuff really looks interesting. I liked the look of the vehicle segments. Hell, even the graphics, while not great by any means don't look like much of a detraction for me.
I'll be keeping my eye on this, my curiosity has been piqued. I'm a massive Indiana Jones fan too, so that just helps.
It doesn't look bad on DS either, and all versions have some exclusive content/levels.
PSP version looks good too, minus the textures and details like individual fingers and stuff:
Some dood on NeoGAF said (yeah, I know) the Wii version has the following and screens don't do it justice:
60fps triple buffering
bloom
anisotropic x4
soft shadows
full depth of field
indirect texturing
16:9
480p
Come on man, Indy is perfect for games and we get one with a small budget? Do publisher's think it's not marketable enough? Or did Tomb Raider scare people off from that kind of thing?
Note the budget thing is just a guess of mine. And my opinion of the game gets better with every new media release. So, who knows? Of course, the budget will always be low compared to a HD production but that's the beauty of it and probably the reason it wasn't canned like the HD versions so, hurray. Hope the full game is as good as the gameplay videos indicate :)
Diamond said:
"Waggle based fighting? Really? That's a deal breaker for me right off the bat.The game seems more 'brawler' heavy than I expected, I was thinking it'd be more like Tomb Raider or Uncharted."It seems simple enough to not detract from the gameplay, and perhaps add to it. Flick the nunchuck for left punch and the remote for right punch. Press A & B to duck and dodge, and hold B then flick the remote to use the whip. I'm not sure how you aim at different body parts with it though.
Reading the official forums there's some kind of co-op mode, though they have not disclosed details yet. No clue if it's split screen or if both characters are in the same screen like in the Lego Jones game, or something else entirely.
MichaelBach said:
"Looks like fun. I wonder is the fate of atlantis will be on the DS as well... that would be great!"Only the Wii version has that.
All versions have some exclusive content:
"Indy explores the catacombs underneath Paris in that DS-exclusive location. On the PSP version the game begins in 1922 when Indy is just a young lad exploring ancient Mayan ruins with a schoolmate who will eventually become his archnemesis. On the Wii version you'll be able to drive a motorbike, fly planes using the Wii Remote like a flight stick, drive tanks, and escape sudden death in a raft by rowing."
I guess that leaves the PS2 version out, so, probably the same bonus as on the PSP. The gamespot preview (text) also mentions multi player.
DS:
"On the DS the player will use the stylus for navigation, puzzle solving, and combat. Additionally, the microphone is used in both single-player and multiplayer cipher labyrinth gameplay."
Wii:
"Players will also be able to play co-op with a friend in a separate storyline as well as unlock a two to four player versus mode."
The DS mode is probably exclusive, but I don't see why the Wii mode wouldn't be on PS2/PSP as well. We'll see.
And some other stuff:
"The PSP utilizes Havok in physics-based environmental challenges where the gameplay can be different each time you play it depending on what you do. On the PS2 you'll be able to use the analog stick to bring whipped enemies in close for a little payback."
That sounds like artificial feature padding. I doubt the physics only work on the PSP version and not the PS2 or Wii, while that whip move is clearly visible in the Wii version's videos, except of course you don't do it with the analog stick, but instead use the remote.
"If you're an Indy fan (and we are), you'll likely lap Staff of King's up. There's John Williams' rousing theme tune mixing seamlessly with brand new orchestrations and a bucket load of atmosphere, courtesy of some blockbuster presentation and attention to detail. Staff of King's drips Indy right through the middle - even the game's front end is presented as an interactive poke around Dr. Jones' office, with levels and options accessed by spinning the globe on his desk, rifling through postcards or firing up the old movie projector on the wall."
"It's clear that LucasArts has crafted a remarkably good looking game, packed with detailed textures, real-time shadows, reflections, atmospheric lighting and a bunch of other effects and filters - from heat haze to film grain - all working together to recreate that distinctive pulp adventure feel"
"Although progress seems relatively linear, LucasArts is keen to highlight Staff of Kings' branching pathway system, giving an element of player choice in certain situations. At one point in Chinatown, for instance, you can enter an off-street speakeasy Alternatively, further exploration reveals a route down into the basement"
"It's easy to scoff a game that embraces motion controls with such first-generation gusto but LucasArts seems to have done a grand job marrying physical movement to onscreen action in a way that successfully heightens immersion rather than detracts through pointless gimmickry"
"It's most evident in Staff of Kings surprisingly rounded combat system. Fighting's been designed around brawling, with an emphasis on using your wits - and the environment - to even the odds against you"
"On paper, it's hard not to roll your eyes at Staff of Kings, with its reliance on Wii's notoriously unreliable motion controls for every major interaction – whether that's whip-cracking, fist-fighting or even puzzling-solving. However, on evidence, the game's something of a rarity – being a third-party offering that successfully integrates motion controls as a core component in a way that actually adds to the overall experience."
"Factor in an entirely separate story-driven, two-player co-op mode – which LucasArts is staying tight-lipped about for the moment – plus the full version of classic point-and-click adventure Fate of Atlantis once you've completed the game, and we're surprisingly optimistic about the game's arrival come June."
I kinda like the looks of this game so far. Yeah, it doesn't have the best production values or graphics but it looks fun enough and seems to capture the feel of the Indy movies. Is that Harrison Ford doing the voice, or a soundalike?
Also, I bet that could've been the first five minutes if the person playing didn't spend so much damn time running around in circles. I know they were trying to show us stuff but man, I get it.
BTW, if anyone is skeptical about the Wii motion controls, mainly the combat, 3 words:
Godfather Blackhand Edition
Those who've played that game should know what I mean.
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