Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Focuses on Melee Combat Over Gun Fights

The development team at MachineGames and Bethesda, responsible for the upcoming action-adventure game Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, emphasizes that the game will not be a shooter. Design director Jens Andersson firmly stated, "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could never be a shooter, should never be a shooter."

Emphasis on Hand-to-Hand Combat, Stealth, and Puzzles

In an exclusive interview with PC Gamer, Jens Andersson and creative director Axel Torvenius provided insights into the game's development. Leveraging their experience from titles like the Wolfenstein series and Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, the team is crafting a gameplay experience centered around hand-to-hand combat, improvised brawls, and stealth.

Andersson explained, "Indiana Jones, he's not a gunslinger, right? He doesn't go guns blazing into situations. So it could never be a shooter, should never be a shooter. But hand-to-hand combat, that makes total sense." The melee combat system is inspired by Chronicles of Riddick but tailored to fit Indiana Jones' character. Players will use everyday objects like pots, pans, and even banjos as weapons, reflecting Indy's nature as an unlikely hero who often finds himself in fights despite not being a fighter by trade.

The game will also feature a variety of navigation methods, inspired by the blend of linear and open environments in Wolfenstein. Players will encounter both structured paths and expansive areas designed for exploration. Some of these larger spaces will offer immersive sim-style challenges, allowing players to approach objectives in multiple ways. Andersson described, "There are also more open areas, almost bordering immersive sim-style, like there's an enemy camp, here you're supposed to get into the main building, figure it out, and you can explore."

Stealth will play a significant role, with both traditional infiltration tactics and a new "social stealth" mechanic. Players can find and equip disguises in certain locations to blend in and access restricted areas. "Every big location has a number of disguises for you to discover," Andersson said. "That helps you pass as someone that belongs there, gives you access to areas you otherwise would have a really hard time getting through."

In a previous interview with Inverse, game director Jerk Gustafsson elaborated on the decision to minimize gunplay. "The starting point for us was to try to ignore the shooting part," Gustafsson said. "We know that we can do it well, so it's never something that would ever concern us. We know that we can get that right. So very early on, we did this pie chart with different types of experiences. Everything from stuff like hand-to-hand, navigation, and traversal. We started our focus on those things that we knew were going to be challenging, especially in first-person."

Additionally, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will feature numerous puzzles, some of which will challenge even the most experienced puzzle enthusiasts. Gustafsson noted, "Those [players] that are looking for puzzles that can be hard to solve, they will find them," emphasizing that some of the toughest puzzles will be optional to maintain accessibility for all players.