Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb Preview

LucasArts announced Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb, the next installment in its series based on the Indiana Jones films. An action adventure game developed in conjunction with the Collective, the title is slated to appear on the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and PC. The game looks to be a step away from the more deliberate pacing of the last Indy title, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, which was released for the PC and Nintendo 64. The game seems to be focused a bit more on action and adventure and less on puzzle solving, which was a large part of the Infernal machine games. As a result, the game is shaping up to come the closest to capturing the look and feel of the popular movies.

Set in the Far East, the game's story takes place before the events depicted in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and finds everyone's favorite archaeologist mixed up in trouble yet again. As the game begins, a powerful underground Asian society, called the Black Dragon Triad, and German mercenary, Albrecht Von Beck, have formed an alliance in the hopes of acquiring the Heart of the Dragon, a black pearl that gives its owner the power to control minds. Rumored to be buried in the crypt of China's first emperor, the artifact has been hidden for more than two thousand years. Unfortunately, this seems to change as the alliance heads out in search for the pearl to use in its less-than-wholesome plans. Indy is tapped by Marshal K'ai, an Asian businessman who asks him to retrieve the pearl and return it to the government of China. Matters are complicated by the fact that Indy must search the world to find and assemble the three scattered pieces of the Dragon Seal, which is the key to unlocking the emperor's crypt. K'ai's assistant, Mei Ying, accompanies Indy in his challenging quest as he races to beat the Black Dragon Triad and Beck to the pieces of the key.

The basic structure of The Emperor's Tomb will be firmly rooted in the standard third-person mold and charge you with traveling to various areas and exploring them to find information and artifacts. However, the gameplay will differ from previous Indy games by placing a greater emphasis on its action elements. While there will still be puzzles to solve, like finding keys or other items to gain access to areas, hand-to-hand combat will be a much larger component and serve as a perfect showcase for the game's robust combat engine. In addition, you will find vehicle segments that will have you tearing through the streets of Hong Kong in a rickshaw and brawling on moving gondolas on a mountainside. Another addition to the action is Mei Ying, now Indy's partner , who becomes a very useful resource to have around. In fact, fans of the series may also recognize a familiar face or two popping up along the way.

Hand-to-hand combat in the game is quite impressive, thanks to the Collective's experience with the upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The two-button system allows for a variety of combos and is flexible enough to handle brawling with a single enemy or a group. Indy's attacks will run the gamut from standard punches to throws and combinations of all of the above. When faced with armed enemies, you'll be able to disarm them and steal their weapon. In a pinch, you'll also be able to make use of whatever's at hand, such as shovels, chairs, and table legs. Finally, you'll be able to make use of Indy's trusty bullwhip for taking out enemies and swinging across gaps.

Graphically, Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb is looking quite good. The Collective's tweaking of the Buffy engine has resulted in some impressive levels that showcase a variety of locales. The game will maintain the international scope of the films by featuring levels such as an outdoor temple in Seylon, a 15th century castle in Prague, an underwater palace in Istanbul, a mountaintop fortress in China and the streets of Hong Kong, as well as an opera house in the city. Detail is solid and clean and is supplemented by some cool lighting effects. For example, the gondola level is set on a mountainside at sunset and features a subtle orange wash and volumetric shadowing.

The most impressive aspect of the game's look is the way that the sense of scale and action work together to provide a very cinematic experience. Sequences that move the plot along are done in real time with the engine, keeping you "in" the game, which helps the game's pacing. During actual gameplay, scripted events signal new hazards in a level that you'll have to be mindful of. For example, during the gondola battle, just as when you think you've got your German mercenary problem under control, a few planes enter the fray and begin strafing runs while you're duking it out on the gondola roof. The pacing is very well done in such sequences, and the whole situation would be right at home in one of the films.

At the moment, the game is shaping up quite nicely on the Xbox. It will be interesting to see how the other versions fare. Given that the PC and Xbox are close cousins, it's likely that the PC version will be close to the Xbox version. Bringing the game to the PlayStation 2 will be a challenge, to be sure, given the game's huge levels and amount of texture detail.

Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb is currently slated to ship this fall for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and PC. Look for more on the game, including hands-on impressions, from E3 later this month.