Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine Preview

Indiana Jones is a great franchise that has just been begging to be turned into a console game for almost two decades. The Infernal Machine was first released on the PC, where it was lambasted for its cumbersome control scheme and repetitive puzzles. The Nintendo 64 version isn't so much of a port as it is an enhanced version. While the story, puzzles, and level design remain virtually unchanged, the controls have been only slightly improved and the graphics have been optimized for the Nintendo 64 hardware with some startling success.

The interesting story revolves around an archeological dig near the Tower of Babel, where a Soviet physicist named Gennadi Volodnikov is looking for an ancient machine that reportedly opens a portal to another dimension. The only problem is that the machine requires artifacts from around the globe in order to operate. Indy's longtime cohort Sophia Hapgood instructs him to collect the artifacts before Volodnikov uses them to fire up the infernal machine.

Indy's quest takes him to the Sudan, Kazakhstan, the Philippines, and the ancient Aztec city of Teotihuacán in Mexico. In fine Tomb Raider fashion, the gameplay predominantly revolves around jumping, climbing, swimming, and shimmying through ancient temples while pushing blocks and solving puzzles. The level design is fairly straightforward and linear, but it's occasionally possible to find two different ways to get to the same place. There is a great deal of switch flipping and puzzling platform negotiation to be done, and there are also some portions of the game that require some moderate backtracking. Thankfully, there are a few twists. In several levels, Indy must use other vehicles besides his feet to move on. In one level he pilots an inflatable raft, another has him jumping over canyons in a Jeep, while a third has him careening through dark tunnels in a mine cart. In addition to the usual adventure-game control staples, Indy may bend down and crawl through tight spaces or use his whip to swing to unreachable areas.

As Indy progresses through each level, he finds treasures that may be sold between levels to purchase needed supplies like first aid kits. The majority of the enemies come in the form of animals such as wolves, snakes, spiders, hyenas, and even a Komodo dragon. There are also several monsterlike bosses that cap off levels in a proper manner, not to mention Volidnikov's communist lackeys, who shoot with a deadly accuracy. In addition to his whip, Indy may use conventional weapons like handguns, rifles, and grenades. There are several control aspects featured in the Infernal Machine that were first birthed in Ocarina of Time. The Z-lock, now an adventure game standard, makes an appearance, and each weapon or item may be set to a C button for easy access. Since you can't climb while a weapon is drawn, using the C buttons helps avoid jumping through menus while transitioning between combat and platform negotiation. In the preview burn we received from LucasArts, the awkward controls that plagued the PC version of Infernal Machine don't seem to have been changed all that much, minus the Z-lock. There are several points in the game where performing simple actions like stepping up on an 8-inch platform can be difficult.

The Infernal Machine is already one of the Nintendo 64's best looking games. It even rivals its PC counterpart. The game has a cinematic feel, as levels are introduced by sweeping camera shots that traverse miles of terrain before centering on our old pal Indiana. Factor 5 has mastered the art of manipulating the Nintendo 64's limited texture cache, as the variety of polygon wraps is just staggering. Each area has so many different surfaces that it's hard to believe that the 4-year-old console doesn't overheat. Some of the indoor textures are incredibly ornate, but the outdoor textures are fairly standard. While the game doesn't exactly move at a lightning pace, the frame rates manage to cruise along smoothly at all times, in spite of all the detail being displayed. The sprawling levels are huge, and the draw-in distance even rivals that of Zelda - objects are visible hundreds of meters away and there is no fog. Particle effects, reflection routines, and real-time lighting constantly enter the equation with nary a hint of compromise. Small details like the weapons Indy possesses being visible on his person and the fact that he loses his hat while in the water help push the levels of realism to the top.

If you've ever played Rogue Squadron, then you know just how impressive Factor 5's MusyX sound compression for the Nintendo 64 is. It's put to good use in the Infernal Machine, as Indy constantly quips about his situation and fills you in on things like whether objects can be moved or whether a door can be opened. Every bit of the voice acting from the PC version has made it into the cart, as the cinemas are full of speech. The Indiana Jones theme has returned in all its remixed glory, along with some sharp location-specific environmental sound effects that further convince you of the surroundings.

The good news is that Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine is shaping up quite nicely. The bad news is that the game may be difficult to find considering it will be sold exclusively at Blockbuster Video and on LucasArts' online store. One of the few noticeable problems is a troublesome camera. It follows along fine while you're in wide-open spaces, but during the indoor levels it sometimes becomes confused and spins around wildly. There is no definitive release date set for the game, so it remains to be seen just how many improvements can be made before it's shipped out. If you've been waiting for Tomb Raider-style action on your Nintendo 64, Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine fits the bill nicely. Look for our full review of the Infernal Machine coming soon.