Indiana Jones and the Stuff of Kings

One of the more disappointing title announcements in my recent memory came when LucasArts finally revealed Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings to the public – amidst heated rumours of the game having been altogether scrapped:

The fact that it still remains perfectly unclear whether the next-gen version of the game is still in production or not probably contributed to the relatively chilling response to the title (Some of us are already losing hope, while some remain stern!), and with the recent lay-offs at the company, even a more successful announcement would probably have been proved to be too little, too late.

Admittedly, the title is slated for release on the current mainstream platforms (Wii, Nintendo DS, Playstation2, and the PSP), but I can’t help but compare the screenshots, in gentlemanly fashion, to an earlier game in a similar vein

The prerendered trailer makes the announcement that much sourer because of the fact that we can all still remember our euphoric response to LucasArts’ then-revolutionary application of the Endorphin/Euphoria physics engine, and the smashing 2006 E3 footage for the game.

Oh, and the “Fate of Atlantis” unlockable is Wii only.

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At the Fountain of Youth

WIP Screenshot
WIP Screenshot

If we were to gauge general goodwill and public appreciation with freeware indie game projects, one of the candidates for the top spot would have to be Indiana Jones and the Fountain of Youth. The well-liked and respected team have surprisingly managed to duck the guns of the ruthless LucasArts legal team and managed to release a succesful demo of considerable length some years ago, to illustrate the breadth and quality of their project.

What separates the project from its most immediate fan game peers is the impeccable taste applied to the artwork of the game, combined with the developers’ pursuit to maintain a closeness to their source material (The team hopes to tap the original actor that played Indy, Doug Lee, for a fully voiced demo) all the while offering an all-new scenario and setting.

The FOY Cast
The FOY Cast

Hopefully this is not too bawdy of me to reveal that the team does post exclusive sneak peek material in the game’s forums. One of the more recent posts includes a fantastic example of the various characters that appear in the game. The all-new character art maintains a lively, organic quality that was almost missing from The Fate of Atlantis.

Can you recognize any of the real-life “cast” counterparts?

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