Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Sticks to Melee Combat Over Gun Fights

MachineGames and Bethesda's upcoming action-adventure game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, will emphasize close-quarters combat over gunfights, according to the development team. This design choice reflects Indiana Jones's character and avoids straying into the territory of a typical shooter.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Fists, Stealth, and Puzzles Take Center Stage

Stealth and Puzzles Integral to Gameplay

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

"Indiana Jones isn't known for gunfights," the design director explained. "Hand-to-hand combat, however, feels completely natural for the character." The team drew inspiration from Chronicles of Riddick's melee system, adapting it to suit Indy's unique fighting style. Players will utilize everyday objects—pots, pans, even musical instruments—as makeshift weapons. The goal is to capture Indy's resourceful and somewhat clumsy heroism in the gameplay itself.

Beyond combat, exploration will be a crucial aspect. The game's level design blends linear sections with more open environments, offering a mix of guided progression and free-form exploration. Some areas will resemble immersive sims, allowing for multiple solutions to challenges. Players will have the freedom to approach objectives strategically.

Stealth mechanics will play a significant role, incorporating both traditional infiltration and a novel "social stealth" system. This innovative feature enables players to acquire and utilize disguises to blend into crowds and access restricted areas. A variety of disguises will be available in each major location.

In a previous interview with Inverse, the game director confirmed the deliberate downplaying of gunplay. The team prioritized other gameplay elements, focusing on hand-to-hand combat, navigation, and traversal—areas deemed more challenging to execute effectively in a first-person perspective.

The game will also feature a robust puzzle system, with challenges designed to test even the most experienced players. However, the developers confirmed that the most difficult puzzles will be optional to maintain accessibility.