MachineGames and Bethesda's upcoming Indiana Jones title, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, will prioritize melee combat and stealth over gunfights, according to the development team. The game will not feature gunplay as a central mechanic.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: A Focus on Hand-to-Hand Combat and Stealth
Puzzles and Environmental Interaction are Key
In a recent interview with PC Gamer, MachineGames' design director Jens Andersson and creative director Axel Torvenius emphasized the game's focus on close-quarters combat, improvised weaponry, and stealth mechanics. Inspired by their work on titles like the Wolfenstein series and Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, the team aims to create an authentic Indiana Jones experience.
Andersson stated that, "Indiana Jones isn't a gunslinger. He doesn't storm into situations blazing guns." The game's melee system, while drawing inspiration from Chronicles of Riddick, has been tailored to Indy's unique fighting style. Players will utilize everyday objects—pots, pans, even banjos—as makeshift weapons. The developers aim to capture Indy's resourceful and somewhat clumsy heroism in the gameplay.
The game's level design blends linear and open environments, similar to the Wolfenstein games. This approach allows for both guided progression and opportunities for exploration in larger, more open areas. These larger spaces will offer multiple solutions to challenges, approaching the style of an immersive sim. Andersson described these areas as having, "almost immersive sim-style...enemy camps where you need to infiltrate the main building, and you can explore."
Stealth will be a crucial element, incorporating both traditional infiltration and a novel "social stealth" mechanic. Players can find and wear disguises to blend into crowds and access restricted areas. Andersson noted that, "Every major location has several disguises to discover...allowing access to areas otherwise difficult to reach."
In a previous interview with Inverse, game director Jerk Gustafsson highlighted the deliberate decision to minimize gunplay. Gustafsson explained that, "The starting point was to ignore the shooting part...We focused on hand-to-hand combat, navigation, and traversal. We tackled the challenging aspects first."
The game will also include challenging puzzles, some of which will be optional to maintain accessibility, while others will test even the most experienced puzzle solvers. Gustafsson confirmed that, "Players seeking difficult puzzles will find them."
