‘Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’ Is Shaping Up to Be the Most Authentic Video-Game Indy Experience

“Uncharted” and “Tomb Raider” owe a huge debt to Indiana Jones. They couldn’t exist without George Lucas’ creation. The movies he created with Steven Spielberg inspired generations of children who grew up and crafted their own adventurers who explored lost temples and escaped precarious situations.

Although Indy’s influence spawned plenty of video games, he’s never had many campaigns in the medium and few have been good, aside from the Lego games and the point-and-click classic “Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.”

An Experienced Studio at the Helm

But MachineGames, a Swedish studio best known for the modern “Wolfenstein” titles, is on its way to adding a promising chapter. The studio revealed a hands-off demo of the upcoming game that is being shown at Gamescom to give a sense of the gameplay and scope.

Game director Jerk Gustafsson and creative director Axel Torvenius focused on capturing an experience that feels like an authentic Indiana Jones adventure. To do that, the team needed to capture the look of Harrison Ford, who is inseparable from the hero he plays. The team had to nail down the real actor’s appearance while veteran voice actor Troy Baker completed the virtual Doctor Jones. Players wouldn’t feel like the iconic character if he looked like the animatronic from Temple of the Forbidden Eye in Disneyland.

Becoming Dr. Jones

The other part of the equation is to introduce gameplay that’s reflective of the archaeologist. MachineGames takes a page out of RockSteady’s “Batman: Arkham” series. Before that landmark franchise, one of the most overlooked aspects of the Caped Crusader in video games was his detective ability and the team took time to spotlight that out in the gameplay.

MachineGames appears to follow the same path with Indiana Jones. They equip him with a journal and his sidekick Gina, an Italian journalist, has a camera. Her device allows players to take pictures so that Doctor Jones can use his extensive knowledge of history to add context to the ruins he sees. At times, his adventures and thoughts are recorded in a notebook as he tries to decipher clues to larger mysteries and puzzles. It’s a helpful tool to help players figure out what to do next.

The two meet on an adventure after an artifact was stolen from Marshall College, where Indy teaches. That leads them on a campaign where they battle Nazis led by Doctor Jones’ rival Emmerich Voss, who is plundering artifacts around the world.

Tools of the Trade

In “The Great Circle,” Indy is equipped with his whip, fedora and revolver. The adventure takes place mostly in the first person, but it changes to the third person when he swings across ledges with his whip or clambers up walls like Nathan Drake or Lara Croft.

The whip is also used in combat as it can knock down foes. When it comes to puzzle solving, it can alter parts of the world like unclogging blocked pipes to let water through. Elsewhere, players can find a trident and throw it so it becomes embedded in a cliffside so they can swing to another part of the level. The whip is essentially a tool that lets players interact with the wider environment.

Disguises are another important piece of the puzzle. They allow Indy to infiltrate areas and access places where he would normally be shot on sight. When wearing specialized garb, it’s important to avoid eye contact with hostiles or other characters who could give away the ruse. Stealth is a huge aspect of “The Great Circle” and of Indy’s character. He’s not going to take on an army of Nazis by himself but he can cause havoc.

Fisticuffs or Gunplay

That was evident in how MachineGames built combat. In the demo, the developers showed how players have to read a level at the Sphinx in Egypt. They had to whip their way to the ground, crouch and take out one enemy and use the whip to knock out an alerted enemy. The revolver does come in handy but it’s limited to six shots. It could also alert others and if chaos ensues, Indy can take advantage of that. The hero can pick up a Nazi’s submachine gun and deal damage with it

If players choose a stealthy approach, they will have to sneak around and cause distractions by tossing bottles in one direction to isolate one enemy. Indy can knock them out, but if he does engage a foe, it results in fisticuffs. MachineGames built a first-person brawling combat system, where players have to block punches and throw in combinations of their own. They can also create openings by parrying.

Players can also look to the environment for help. They can toss objects such as a rolling pin and hope it smacks and knocks out an enemy.

The developers said they’ll give players the freedom to deal with the situation in any way they see fit. They also give them the tools to craft their Indiana Jones to their playstyle. Throughout the campaign, players will earn Adventure Points which can be used to upgrade the archaeologist so that it upgrades talents that they are good at.

Another way to upgrade Indy is through tomes that they’ll spot in the environment. One is called Adventure Books True Grit I and it lets Indy get a second wind if he’s defeated. Players just need to have him wearing his hat and pick it up when he’s knocked down. It essentially gives Indy a second life.

MachineGames said there are plenty of secrets and power-ups that reward players who explore the environment and role-play as Doctor Jones a little bit. They can uncover clues to side quests or solutions to other obtuse puzzles they may encounter. If players need help figuring out a situation, his side-kick Gina will chime in as well.

From what I’ve seen, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the most promising title starring the famed archaeologist in ages. It may even stack up well against the recent movies. Fans will have a chance to get their hands on the project Dec. 9 on PC, Xbox Series X and Series S.

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