Despite some concerns from long-time fans of the classic film franchise,Indiana Jones and the Great CIrlcehas become a smashing success for MachineGames.Since its release,The Great Circlehas received critical acclaim from both fans and new players alike, being praised for its unique gameplay that offers an excellent mix of combat encounters, puzzle solving, and story elements. While MachineGamese are still raking in the praise fromThe Great Circle’s initial launch, there’s another film franchise that would make a perfect fit for a new video game adaptation based on their experience.
One of the best aspects ofThe Great Circleis that it adapted the best parts of the film’s humor and story beats while blending these gameplay elements in-between them seamlessly. While some fans were uneasy about the first-person mode initially, it does a fantastic job of immersing players into the boots of the adventurous Indiana Jones during his journey across the globe. Based on their success withThe Great Circleand its previousWolfensteinreboots, it’s clear MachineGames knows how to make a compelling andaward-winning narrative, which could easily stretch to sci-fi.
The Terminator Would Be A Perfect Fit For MachineGames
Providing A Rich Story WIth A Wide Array Of Locations To Explore
WithThe Great Circleletting players experience compelling cutscenes, engaging combat, and interesting environments to explore, the format would be a fantastic fit for the setting ofThe Terminatorfranchise. Most Terminator games of the past have solely focused on the explosive combat and destroyed environments provided by the robot apocalypse, rather than playing into the time travel mechanics so vital to the narrative.
10 Things The Terminator Resistance Video Game Taught Us About Franchise Lore
Terminator Resistance might be just a video game, but it tries to act as series canon with the cinematic sci-fi franchise narrative.
With MachineGames showing its talent at combining both aspects,aTerminatorgame from the studio could let players experience both futuristic combat encounters alongside more story-driven sections set in the present day. WhileThe Great Circle’s combat might be a bit too light for the visceral action ofThe Terminatorfranchise, the devs' experience with theWolfensteinremakes gave them all the skills they’ll need to dip into the sci-fi franchise.
Despite the later entries having a less-than-positive reception,theWolfensteinremakes are fantastic gaming experiences that combine memorable characters and cutscenes with the exhilarating combat worthy of the franchise’s history.Wolfenstein’s one-man-army style gameplay would also translate fantastically to playing as a Terminator such as the original T-800 while taking advantage of the more environmentally-focused gameplay ofThe Great Circle’s missions and puzzle-solving mechanics.
MachineGames Has Proven It Knows How To Take Care Of A Beloved IP
Giving Players The Authentic Indiana Jones Experience
After playingIndiana Jones and the Great Circle,it’s clear the developers were extremely passionate about the project, attempting to emulate the experience of the films with painstaking detail that didn’t go unappreciated by fans. This level of detail is also greatly enhanced by thefantastic visual fidelity, taking great advantage of modern hardware to get even closer to an interactive movie-like experience.
While the visuals and environments are great on their own, they’re only able to shine when paired with an equally enjoyable story and gameplay mechanics, whichThe Great Circleoffered in spades.
Taking great advantage of modern hardware to get even closer to an interactive movie-like experience.
The opening level ofThe Great Circleis a great showcase of the game’s dedication to the source material, recreating the opening sequence ofRaiders of the Lost Arkin the prologue.While the opening may seem like the rest of the game will play out in the same on-rails fashion, there’s a refreshing amount of freedom during each of the sections, being filled with the same witty writing and humor the franchise is known for.
One of the best examples ofThe Great Circleemulating the beloved film franchise is in theconfessional side quest, encapsulating the film-like pacing that isn’t often seen in the video game landscape. Overall,The Great Circle’s gameplay managed to strike a great balance between the bombastic action sequences and lighthearted character moments of the films, which would both translate excellently into a true-to-form adaptation ofThe Terminatorfilm series.
We’re Still Lacking A Great Terminator Game
A Long Series Of Missed Potential
Terminator Resistanceis by far the closest fans have come to getting a greatTerminatorgame, but it still missed the mark at faithfully adapting the experience of the film franchise. WhileTerminator: Resistanceis by no means a bad game with plenty of positive reviews, it was asomewhat mediocre experiencethat felt dated even at the time of its release.
WhileResistanceoffered a great perspective on the grim robot-dominated apocalypse orchestrated by Skynet with fantastic visuals and sound design, it failed to capture the heartwarming narrative elements that made the movies so popular in the first place, while featuring less than original gameplay mechanics.
The Terminator franchise still holds up as a cultural sci-fi icon.
Other games from the franchise, like the tie-in adaptation of theTerminator Salvationfilm, also tried to replicate the experience but still failed to rise above being a somewhat generic action shooter. Despite the Terminator’s mixed history with game adaptations,the story and themes ofThe Terminatorfranchise could make for a fantastic video game experience in the hands of a talented team like MachineGames.
Even after less-than-successful sequel films,The Terminatorfranchise still holds up as a cultural icon for science fiction, being more than deserving of a second chance for a true AAA video game adaptation likeThe Great Circle.
