Indiana Jones Returns to Roots with Melee Combat Focus

MachineGames and Bethesda's upcoming Indiana Jones title, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, will emphasize close-quarters combat over gunfights, according to the development team. Guns will play a secondary role.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Fists Over Firearms

Stealth and Puzzles Take Center Stage

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

"Indiana Jones isn't known for gunfights," the design director explained. "Hand-to-hand combat feels much more authentic to the character." While the team drew inspiration from Chronicles of Riddick's melee system, they adapted it to suit Indy's unique fighting style. Expect inventive combat using everyday objects—pots, pans, even banjos—as makeshift weapons. The developers aim to capture Indy's resourceful and somewhat clumsy heroism in the game's mechanics.

Beyond combat, players will navigate diverse environments. The game blends linear and open areas, similar to the Wolfenstein series, offering both guided paths and expansive zones for exploration. Some of these larger areas will offer more freedom, approaching immersive sim-like gameplay, allowing players multiple approaches to challenges. Enemy camps, for instance, will encourage exploration and creative problem-solving.

Stealth will be crucial, incorporating traditional infiltration alongside a "social stealth" system. Players can acquire disguises to blend into crowds and access restricted areas. Each major location will offer various disguises, providing alternative routes through challenging sections.

In a prior interview with Inverse, the game director confirmed the deliberate downplaying of gunplay. The team prioritized other gameplay aspects, focusing on hand-to-hand combat, navigation, and traversal. They designed challenging puzzles, some optional to maintain accessibility, while ensuring others would test even experienced puzzle solvers.