In a recent interview, game director Jerk Gustafsson discussed the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. He explained the meaning behind the game’s title, MachineGame’s inspiration for its story, and what the studio hopes to accomplish with gameplay.
Indiana Jones unravels the mystery of the Great Circle
In an interview for Lucasfilm, Gustafsson explained that a great circle is a circle dividing a sphere in half. The Equator is one, and others are used for things like navigation. Once such circle, Gustafsson explains, connects key historical sites. These include places like the Pyramids at Giza, the Nazca Lines, Easter Island, and the ruins of Sukhothai in modern-day Thailand. The new game will see Indi investigating these locations to unravel the mystery of what ties them together.
Bethesda’s Todd Howard had wanted to tell a story about the great circle for some time and collaborated on the project. However, Gustafsson also says that MachineGames wants to stay true to Indiana Jones’ character. The game starts about a year after Raiders of the Lost Ark, shortly after Indi’s separation from Marion. Machine Games wants to explore where Indi is at that point in his life. Lucasfilm Games offered feedback on realizing that vision while staying true to the character.
The director also talked about MachineGames’ vision regarding gameplay. “He [Indiana Jones] is not a superhero. He is a very agile and tough archaeologist,” said Gustafsson. “When you overcome the numerous obstacles in your way, it takes a lot of effort and hard work, like a real human being.” He explained how the game’s combat heavily focuses on improvisation, such as throwing a clay jar at an enemy’s head or disarming him with Indiana Jones’ whip.
Gustafsson also discussed the studio’s attempts to put the player in Indiana’s shoes. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s first-person perspective is part of that. However, the developers also wanted to show Indi on screen as much as possible. To accomplish this, MachineGames has worked to create seamless transitions between the first-person gameplay and third-person actions and cutscenes.