Indiana Jones's Melee Prowess Triumphs in 'Great Circle'

MachineGames and Bethesda's upcoming Indiana Jones title, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, will prioritize melee combat over gunfights, according to the development team. The game will eschew the typical shooter formula, focusing instead on a more authentic portrayal of the iconic adventurer.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: A Focus on Hand-to-Hand Combat

Stealth and Puzzles Take Center Stage

In a recent interview with PC Gamer, MachineGames' design director and creative director detailed the game's gameplay design. Inspired by their work on the Wolfenstein series and Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, the developers emphasized hand-to-hand combat, improvised weaponry, and stealth as core elements.

Andersson stated that Indiana Jones isn't known for gunplay, making a shooter approach unsuitable. The team leveraged their Chronicles of Riddick experience as a foundation for the melee system, adapting it to fit Indy's unique fighting style. Players will utilize everyday objects—pots, pans, even banjos—as makeshift weapons. The goal is to capture Indy's resourceful and somewhat clumsy heroism in the gameplay.

Beyond combat, exploration will be a significant component. The game will blend linear and open environments, similar to the Wolfenstein series, offering both guided paths and expansive areas for exploration. Some open areas will feature immersive sim elements, allowing players diverse approaches to problem-solving. Enemy camps, for instance, will offer multiple infiltration strategies.

Stealth mechanics will play a crucial role, incorporating both traditional infiltration and a novel "social stealth" system. Players can acquire disguises to blend in and access restricted areas. Andersson confirmed that each major location will offer various disguises to aid exploration.

A previous interview with Inverse revealed the team's deliberate decision to minimize gunplay. Game director Jerk Gustafsson explained that they prioritized other gameplay aspects, such as hand-to-hand combat, navigation, and traversal, due to their inherent design challenges. The game will also feature challenging puzzles, some optional to maintain accessibility, catering to both casual and hardcore puzzle solvers.