It’s been a long time since we got a proper Indiana Jones video game. Sure, the LEGO games are always a blast and have handled Indy’s adventures nicely – but prior to that, you’d have to look to 2009’s Staff Of Kings for the last time Indy cracked the whip on consoles, multiple gaming generations ago. Prior to that, Indy has long proved an ideal fit for the gaming world, whether it’s the Tomb Raider-alike action games The Infernal Machine and The Emperor’s Tomb, or point-and-click adventures like The Fate Of Atlantis. Now, 15 years after the last proper Indy game, the hero is heading back to the gaming realm for an all-new AAA title – get ready to step into the shoes of cinema’s greatest archaeologist in Indiana Jones And The Great Circle.
The new game comes from gaming studio Bethesda – synonymous with sprawling RPGs like Fallout, yes, but also for more direct single-player narrative games like Prey, Wolfenstein and Deathloop too. And the studio has unveiled the first look at the game in a trailer, showing a mix of cutscenes and gameplay. Check it out here:
There’s plenty of intriguing stuff here – not just a confirmation that Indy here is absolutely modelled on Harrison Ford (though played by Troy Baker, aka Joel in The Last Of Us games, and Samuel Drake in Uncharted), but that the game is set in a prime Indy period between the events of Raiders Of The Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. Here’s the synopsis: “The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.”
Most notable from a gameplay point of view? It’ll be a first-person game, meaning you’re literally in Indy’s head – and, most importantly, you’ll get an up-close view while you crack that whip and smack Nazis in the face. Game of the year material, right there. Previous Indy games have tended to operate in a third-person view, but the first-person presentation seems to be all about putting you firmly in Henry Jones Jr’s shoes. You are Indy! There looks to be all the artefact-hunting, tomb-desecrating, and action scrapes you’d want from an Indiana Jones adventure – plus an appearance from Marcus Brody for good measure. (And yes, that was Candyman’s Tony Todd in there too as a new character.)
Will The Great Circle enter the ranks of great Indy games? Will it capture the legacy of one of cinema’s most iconic action heroes? Will we ever get bored of beating on Nazis? We’ll find out when the game releases later in 2024, coming to Xbox Series X and Series S, and Windows. (Sorry, PS5 owners.)