Since its announcement in January, “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” has promised to be a faithful homage to the iconic films. A recent interview with the developers of this Xbox exclusive sheds light on how the creators of the recent Wolfenstein games have managed to capture the essence of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’ original vision.
In an Official Xbox Podcast, MachineGames’ Jerk Gustafsson and John Jennings discussed their unprecedented access to Lucasfilm, which has allowed them to honor the franchise’s legacy both tonally and visually. Gustafsson mentioned that the team spent countless hours rewatching the films, especially “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The Last Crusade.” Jennings added that they also had access to some of the Lucasfilm archives, a dream come true for any Indiana Jones fan.
The game draws from the original movies and incorporates concepts that Spielberg and Lucas never brought to the big screen. This close relationship with the franchise’s creators bodes well for MachineGames’ take on the beloved character. While there have been decent Indiana Jones games in the past, none have had this level of proximity to the original creators.
Video games have always been an ideal medium for Indiana Jones. Unlike the more recent films, which had to navigate the real-life constraints of Harrison Ford’s age and the high costs of filming elaborate action sequences, video games allow fans to experience the best parts of the character without any limitations. “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” will take the fedora-wearing archaeologist to brand new locations never seen in the films.
Troy Baker will voice Indiana Jones, and while it remains to be seen if his portrayal can live up to Ford’s iconic role, his performance will likely be an acceptable approximation. Trailers for “The Great Circle” have already shown Indy in stunning locales like Egypt, Thailand, the Himalayas, and even the Vatican, all in a single adventure. The game seems to be embracing the series’ globe-trotting aspects better than “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Temple of Doom” ever could, thanks to the limitless possibilities of the gaming medium.
The action setpieces shown so far feel grounded, much like the original films. This approach makes “The Great Circle” feel like a proper, official chapter of the Indiana Jones mythos. It would have been easy to place Indiana Jones in over-the-top action sequences, but MachineGames has shown artful restraint, keeping the action high stakes without going overboard.
Coming off the ultraviolent alternative history games like “Wolfenstein: The New Order” and “Wolfenstein: The New Colossus,” Gustafsson mentioned that the more grounded nature of creating their own Indiana Jones tale is a welcome departure. “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” will be a first-person action-adventure game, not a first-person shooter like MachineGames’ past work.
Gustafsson noted, “We are very used to having heavy weapons, gunblazing shooters — and this is a little bit different. We are making a proper adventure game here.” Everything shown so far has been an excellent showcase for why MachineGames was chosen to bring this swashbuckling universe to life on modern gaming hardware.
While Indiana Jones’ adventures may be over on the silver screen, it’s clear that the character’s enduring appeal can easily live on in video games through talented developers who care about the property. Lucasfilm’s willingness to let game creators access such hallowed material suggests they too understand Indiana Jones’ awesome potential in the interactive medium.
“Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” does not have an exact release date yet, but it is already generating significant buzz. Fans can add it to their wishlist on Steam and eagerly await the chance to step into the shoes of the legendary archaeologist once more.
