Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

"Well, things can't always be the way you want them to be."

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VIDEO GAME
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Developer	Bethesda Softworks MachineGames
Publisher	Lucasfilm Games
Platforms	Xbox Series X and S Windows Steam PlayStation 5
Released	December 6, 2024 (Early access) December 9, 2024 Spring 2025 (PlayStation)
Genre	First-person action-adventure
Mode	Single player
Timeline	October 1937

"Throughout history mankind has built sites of great spiritual significance. If you were to draw a line through these ancient sites around the globe, you get a perfectly aligned circle."

―Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an upcoming video game currently in development by Bethesda Softworks' studio MachineGames in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, and is rendered in a first-person perspective with a switch to third-person for cutscenes and environmental traversal.

The game is set in October 1937, in the wake of Indiana Jones leaving Marion Ravenwood a week before their wedding, and sees the archaeologist in pursuit of a mystery that encircles the very Earth itself.

Publisher's summary

Uncover one of history's greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark™ and The Last Crusade™. 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.

YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.

A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you'll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.

WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana's trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn't just a weapon, it's Indy's most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

Plot summary

Recently separated from Marion Ravenwood, Indiana Jones is awoken at his desk in Marshall College when an imposing individual breaks into the university one night to steal what is considered an historically insignificant relic. The archaeologist sets off around the globe to unravel the mystery and his journey takes him to locations such as the Vatican, the forgotten temples of Sukhothai, the pyramids of Egypt, and even through the hostile snow-peaked Himalayas.

Somewhere along the way, he pairs up with Gina Lombardi, an investigative reporter whose interest in the mystery is a lot more personal, and they find themselves up against Emmerich Voss, an intensely psychological and highly intelligent man who is obsessed over the human mind and its manipulation.

Gameplay

The Great Circle is a mix of puzzle solving, platforming, stealth, and combat. Players control Indiana through a first-person perspective, though the camera shifts into third-person for platforming sequences. The game is a mix of linear and more open areas. There will be sequences where Indiana has to infiltrate areas through wearing disguises.

While Indiana has access to a revolver, the game's combat is designed to be methodical. It is intended that Indiana's fists and whip be his first options if combat becomes necessary. When in combat, players have to parry, block, and combo their way to victory. The whip and fists can be used in conjunction, for instance, lashing at an opponent's feet to knock them down. Objects in the environment (e.g. shovels) can also be used in these sequences.

The player can earn "adventure points" by filling their journal with entry-worthy items and secrets, along with taking pictures of key items with their camera. The points can be spent on upgrading Indiana in various areas such as stealth or combat. Items can also be bought from shopkeepers.

Appearances

Cast

• Marcus Brody .... TBA
• Viktor Gantz .... TBA
• Indiana Jones .... Troy Baker
• Locus .... Tony Todd
• Gina Lombardi .... Alessandra Mastronardi
• Emmerich Voss .... Marios Gavrilis

Other characters

• Antonio (Mentioned only)

Artifacts

• Allmaker Relic
• Chachapoyan Fertility Idol

Creatures

• Cat (Mummy)
• Dog
• Naga (Statue)
• Rat
• Scorpion
• Snake
• Spider

Locations

• Africa
  • Egypt
    • Great Pyramid
    • Great Sphinx
    • Pyramid of Khafre
• Connecticut
  • Bedford
    • Marshall College
      • Woolley Hall
• Calcutta (On map)
• Guwahati (On map)
• Himalayas
• London (On map)
• Nepal
• New York City (On map)
• Rome
• Shanghai
• Temple of the Chachapoyan Warriors
• Temple of the Forbidden Eye (On map)
• Siam
  • Sukhothai
• Vatican City
  • St. Peter's Basilica

Events

• Second Sino-Japanese War

Organizations and titles

• Japanese Imperial Army
• Royal Italian Army
  • Fascist
• Nazi
  • Wehrmacht

Vehicles and vessels

• Japanese Zero
• Motorcycle
• Zeppelin

Weapons and equipment

• Banjo
• Bullwhip
• Revolver
• Grenade
• Lighter

Miscellanea

• Acrophobia
• Great Circle
• Mummy

Behind the scenes

In 2009, Bethesda Softworks video game designer Todd Howard originally pitched the idea of an Indiana Jones video game to franchise creator George Lucas. Although Lucasfilm Ltd. personnel had encouraged the meeting with Howard, his idea for the game didn't move forward in-part because Bethesda lacked sufficient resources to realize the project at the time. Additionally, Lucasfilm wanted to publish the game, something that Bethesda, publishers themselves, evidently declined. After Lucasfilm's acquisition by The Walt Disney Company in 2012, Howard approached Disney licensing executive Josh Drake, who liked his concept and helped him to develop the project as the corporation embraced wider game licensing efforts.

On January 12, 2021, Bethesda Softworks posted on its Twitter account a teaser video featuring what seems to be Indiana Jones' study featuring items which include a passport, a ticket to Rome stamped in October 1937, a map of Vatican City and books about Mesopotamian mythology, ancient circles with a reference to a jubilee and "forbidden stones." The teaser was followed up with another Tweet, announcing that a new Indiana Jones video game is currently in the works by Bethesda's studio MachineGames in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. The game will feature an original story and will be executive produced by Howard. Howard felt that the developers of MachineGames were enthusiastic about working on his project, citing how the company's Wolfenstein video games focusing in part on Nazis, much like in the Indiana Jones universe, could be a strength.

In a November 29, 2022 interview with Lex Fridman, Howard briefly commented on Bethesda's Indiana Jones game, saying that it is a mix of gameplay genres. On June 22, 2023, Bethesda head of global publishing Peter Hines indicated that the game would exclusively be for Xbox and PC platforms, despite Disney's original contract including other consoles, as Bethesda sought to simplify and reduce risks in game development.

In a September 6, 2023 interview with Esquire, Todd Howard hinted that more details on the game would be coming in 2024 after he suggested its emphasis would be on the Indiana Jones experience for an interactive medium.

On January 9, 2024, MachineGames and Bethesda announced that "more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights" would be unveiled at the January 18 Xbox Developer_Direct along with the first gameplay trailer.

The Xbox Games Showcase followed on June 9 released further footage largely focused on Indiana Jones and Gina Lombardi confrontation with Viktor Gantz in Nepal. Game Director Jerk Gustafsson of MachineGames and Production Director John Jennings then gave an interview to the Official Xbox Podcast on June 14.

At Gamescom 2024, a trailer was shown and the release date was revealed to be December 9, 2024 on PC and Xbox consoles, with a Spring 2025 timeframe given for PlayStation 5 indicating that the title's exclusivity on Microsoft platforms was limited period.

On September 17, The Guardian newspaper published their coverage of Great Circle at Gamescom which included an interview with design director Jens Andersson who mentioned that both George Lucas and Steven Spielberg had been "constantly involved" throughout the game's development.

Editions

Digital Premium Edition

• Base game
• The Order of the Giants story DLC
• Three days early access
• Digital Art Book
• Temple of Doom outfit
• The Last Crusade Pack (Pre-order/Game Pass bonus)
  • Traveling suit outfit
  • Lion tamer whip

Collector's Edition

• Base game
• The Order of the Giants story DLC
• Three days early access
• Digital Art Book
• Temple of Doom outfit
• The Last Crusade Pack (Pre-order/Game Pass bonus)
  • Traveling suit outfit
  • Lion tamer whip
• Jumbo SteelBook display case
• Great Circle globe with hidden storage
• Allmaker Relic replica
• New Adventure Journal

Gallery

Videos

Official Gameplay Reveal- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle – Developer Direct 2024

Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Official Showcase Reveal- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Xbox Games Showcase Deep Dive - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Gamescom Date Reveal Trailer - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

External links

• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Wikipedia
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle at the Internet Movie Database
• The Last of Us star Troy Baker now channels Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones in new game in Entertainment Weekly

Official sites

• Official website
•  Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  •  8 New Discoveries in the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Trailer on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  •  Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Trailer, Key Art, and Story Details Revealed on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  •  Inside MachineGames' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Adventure on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  •  Watch the New Pivotal Cinematic Moment in New Trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  •  Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Coming to Xbox consoles, PC, and Game Pass December 9 on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
  •  Lucasfilm Games' Craig Derrick Talks Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Lucasfilm.com (backup link on Archive.org)
•  Get Your Fedoras and Whips Ready for a New Indiana Jones Game on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)

Fan sites

• Video Game News at TheRaider.net

ADVENTURE TIMELINE
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August 1937	October 1937	Fall 1937
Indiana Jones and the Eye of the Fates	Indiana Jones and the Great Circle	Indiana Jones and the Arms of Gold