Indiana Jones is ‘not a superhero’ in The Great Circle, says developer MachineGames

Developer MachineGames has shone a light on its upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle game and its approach to the iconic character.

In a post on the official Lucasfilm website, game director Jerk Gustafsson talked about the upcoming game which is slated to launch on Xbox Series X|S and PC later this year. In the post, Gustafsson makes it quite clear that Indy – much like in the movies – isn’t all-powerful.

“We based our philosophy of the gameplay around the character of Indiana Jones,” Gustafsson says. “He is not a superhero, he is a very agile and tough archaeologist. When you overcome the numerous obstacles in your way, it takes a lot of effort and hard work, like a real human being.”

Gustafsson goes on to explain the “sense of dread” players may feel while traversing the game’s environments, as well as the “grounded and heavy” feeling of the combat. Both are approaches that I think fit the game well, especially considering that original trilogy of movies are full of scenes where Indy barely scrapes through by the skin of his teeth. Hopefully, MachineGames can translate that level of tension for The Great Circle.

Gustafsson also hints that there’s probably going to be a strong sense of discovery in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, stating: “A third major component is, of course, the discovery of all these historical moments hidden in the earth, or in the sand. Feeling like you are an expert archaeologist out on an adventure is perhaps the most important part of shaping the experience of being Indiana Jones.”

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set to release sometime in 2024. And, as an Xbox Game Studios-developed title, it’ll be available to download and play for Xbox Game Pass subscribers on day one of release.

Can’t wait for Indy? Keep yourself busy with the best Xbox Series X games and best Xbox Game Pass games in the run-up to the game’s eventual 2024 launch.