At the start the first game that will come to mind is Tomb Raider. Of course, Tomb Raider did borrow some elements from the Indiana Jones movies so it is 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 though 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 a 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 you're 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. 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 you're 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 may be enough for fans.
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.
Sound: Weapon effects are great and all of the Soviet soldiers actually speak Russian.
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.
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.
How to run this game on modern Windows PC?
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