Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine

• Platform: IBM PC Compatible
• Release Date: November 22, 1999
• Genre: Action
• Style: Action Adventure
• Similar Games: Tomb Raider (IBM PC Compatible), Tomb Raider II Starring Lara Croft (IBM PC Compatible), Tomb Raider Gold (IBM PC Compatible), Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

The year is 1947 and World War II has recently ended. Dr. Henry Jones, also known as Indiana Jones, has decided to resume his digging career in the southwestern United States. Unbeknownst to him, over in Europe the Soviet Union has placed Communist agents everywhere to search for a weapon that could shift the balance of power in their favor.

A Russian scholar by the name of Gennadi Volodnikov is most interested in the Tower of Babel. It is there that he believes a machine exists that is capable of travelling through space and time. Legend has it that this machine, inspired by the god Marduk, was completed. However, when completed the Babylonians became alarmed and sent four of Marduk's disciples, along with parts of the machine, to the far corners of the globe.

Players assume the role of Indiana Jones who, after learning of the Soviet's plans, knows he must now race against the Soviets in order to recover the parts and keep the "Infernal Machine" from being repaired. Indy will not be alone though, as he will find help in the form of CIA agent Sophia Hapgood (who is making a return appearance from the PC game Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis) and her boss, military intelligence officer Simon Turner.

As Indiana Jones, players can perform a variety of actions: walk, run, jump, roll, pull, push, climb, hang, shimmy across ledges, swim, punch, and use a large number of weapons. Weapons include: bare fists, a whip, .45-calibur revolver, 9mm automatic pistol, machine pistol, combat rifle, machete, submachine gun, pump action shotgun, bazooka, satchel charges, and hand grenades. Also, at key moments in the game players will be given the opportunity to drive a jeep, ride a raft, and ride a mine car.

Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine is viewed from a third-person perspective throughout the 16 levels and one bonus level. While playing through the levels players will be awarded I.Q. points. Points, that vary based on the difficulty setting, are gained by completing levels and finding particular objects. The highest possible score is 1,000 I.Q. points.

Roots & Influences

As far as the storyline goes, the largest influence are the movies written by George Lucas: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The gameplay was most influenced by a game that happens to be influenced by the Indiana Jones movies as well -- Tomb Raider. Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine has a lot in common with the Tomb Raider series. Both main characters are in search of artifacts which leads to similar settings; they both feature the same camera perspective; and they both have similar gameplay actions.

Review: Overall

When I first started playing this game I couldn't help but feel as if I was playing Tomb Raider. Of course, Tomb Raider did borrow some elements from the Indiana Jones movies so it was not exactly a huge surprise that the two games look and feel so much alike. Resembling a game like Tomb Raider is definitely not a bad thing either. Both fans of the Indiana Jones movies and fans of the Tomb Raider game series will find a lot to like in Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine.

The first level is great at introducing those gamers who have never played a game such as Tomb Raider. Players will learn all of the moves while only having to battle two snakes. Indy has the ability to pull off a variety of typical moves like shimmying across ledges and crawling through close quarters. Though one move that is not so typical is the whip swing. For fans of the movies, using the whip to swing over a gap or climb to a higher plateau will make them truly feel like they are in the shoes of Indiana Jones. There is a slight problem with the controls as they are a bit touchy. The game expects you to be in the exact place needed for such actions as a whip swing.

Level design is what you might expect. There are lots of ledges to leap from, plenty of blocks and boxes to push and pull, and a number of keys to find and open up doors with. Most items are simple to locate, especially the treasures. Treasures are scattered throughout each level, usually laying alongside a skeleton or sitting in carved out hole in a wall. These treasures are not needed to win the game but what they do is provide you with money. Between levels you will be given the opportunity to purchase such items as a secret map, first aid kits, or extra ammunition.

Throughout each level the majority of enemies will be Soviet soldiers. They have good aim and are surprisingly quite agile. Fire shots at them and they may quickly roll out of the way. Get too close and they will usually run away before opening fire. Don't expect them to always be intelligent though as some of them act rather dumb at times. As long as there is more than one around you will certainly have to keep on your toes to avoid being shot to death. One cool ability you have is that of using your whip to knock a gun out of your enemy's hand. Unfortunately, the whip is better used only for exploring as it is a bit too slow; so if the enemy knows your around he will likely shoot you one or two times before you can crack your whip. Most other enemies come in the form of wildlife and they act fairly realistically. If a wolf comes running at you all you need to do is fire a few shots to scare it off rather than trying to fight it.

As mentioned above Indy can trade in his treasures for ammunition; but he can also acquire ammunition during each level. Something that is not always found in games is the ability to take a downed enemy's ammunition. When a soldier is killed you can walk up to his weapon and either take it if you don't already have the type of weapon he was using or take the ammunition from the weapon. Also, you will never run out of ammunition because the .45-caliber revolver that you begin the game with has unlimited ammunition. This is the weakest gun however, so you will need to take advantage of the other weapons in order to survive.

Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine accomplishes its goal of making the user feel like they are Indiana Jones. Riding the mine car will immediately make you feel like your in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Although it is slightly disappointing that this game does not bring anything new to the genre, it is Indiana Jones and that is enough for me.

Review: Enjoyment

If you have played Tomb Raider then the game will feel a bit too familiar. However, the storyline is above average and you get to play the part of Indiana Jones -- an all around worthwhile experience.

Review: Graphics

Nothing groundbreaking but overall the game looks good, especially the smoke coming out of a fired gun. There are some clipping problems but they usually do not affect gameplay.

Review: Sound

Weapon effects are great and all of the Soviet soldiers actually speak Russian.

Review: Replay Value

The game has the ablilty (thanks in part to being able to save your game at any time) to keep gamers coming back until the game is completed. After completion you may want to go back and try to beat your score but that probably is not too likely.

Review: Documentation

Describes all of the controls and weapons, and includes drawings of the major enemies.

Production Credits

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