Indiana Jones Eyes-on

Developers have only finished a small portion of the actual game. As absurd as it sounds, however, it’s the technology behind the game that’s what is truly exciting. It’s so for a very simple reason too: it just hasn’t been used until now. But after watching a 40-minute demonstration it’s abundantly clear it has the potential to change the way you play games. All of this may sound like obscene hype. It may be. But If LucasArts winds up meeting its goals and delivers exactly what it wants when Indiana Jones ships, then it’s not hype; it’s simple honesty.

Now for the good stuff. Indiana Jones stands on two pillars of wicked-cool technology. Each lends the game an extreme degree of unpredictability; the first through advanced physics and the other through artificial intelligence. Tech number one, called Euphoria, deals strictly with character behavior and artificial intelligence. It lets NPC characters interact with their environment realistically. Beyond this, it grants them the tools and intelligence necessary to accomplish their own agendas, whether that’s helping Indy or trying to kill him.

Fortunately, this technology is well out of the planning stages. In fact, it’s up and running on actual development kits. As such, LucasArts treated its guests to a live demonstration to prove how advanced Euphoria really is. The scene took place in 1939, inside of San Francisco’s China Town. Indy appeared in the middle of the screen, with three enemies approaching from a nearby ally. They cautiously walked up and started throwing punches, which, at first, wasn’t too exciting at all. It looked great, like most next-generation titles, but it didn’t seem innovative by any means.

Half an hour later, opinions had shifted in a major way. Throughout the entire demo, enemies reacted differently to every attack. Every time Indy grabbed someone and tossed him through a window or door, he’d react in another way. And that’s because there isn’t a single canned animation in the entire game. Behavioral intelligence dictates every gesture, punch, kick and grapple.

This game is available in PS3

Indiana Jones Eyes-on