Machine Games and Bethesda's Indiana Jones and Great Circle stole the show during the latest Xbox Developer Direct. The long-awaited game based on the world's most famous relic hunter features Nazi-fighting, whip-cracking adventure, and is a visual treat that really captures Harrison Ford's likeness and quirks, so what could possibly be wrong?
The game is being developed by Machine Games, well known for its excellent Wolfenstein first-person shooters, and there-in lies the issue. Many Indy fans are complaining because this new adventure will be first person and not third-person. But really? A third-person Indiana Jones game would put The Great Circle into direct comparison to both Sony's Uncharted and the Tomb Raider series, two franchises that clearly owe a debt to George Lucas and Steve Spielberg's creation.
Humberto Guzman, a cinematographer, director and photographer wrote on X: "Except that it shouldn't have. Indiana Jones should be cinematic. When you watch an Indiana Jones movie, you watch him in 3rd person. So a game about Indiana Jones should also be in 3rd person. Otherwise it loses that Indy cinematic flare and just looks like every other FPS." He adds: "But for a property like Indiana Jones, it should've been third person. Simple as that."
Others on X joined in the fray, with B.K. BODYBAGZ wrote, "Trash makes it 3rd person"; while David 13-4 wrote, "They could’ve had a rival to PlayStation Uncharted if it was in 3rd person. Truly disappointing"; and game music composer Samantha J. Foster wrote, "Is this the first Indiana Jones game made in 1st person perspective? Remember all of the previous ones were 3rd person perspective".
Personally, I love Machine Games' Wolfenstein series and despite rumours it will run on Unreal Engine 5 it looks like this new game is being developed on the excellent Id Tech engine, which is a great platform and is ideal for first person. Also, this perspective means you are Indiana Jones and not playing as him, there's a difference.
During the gameplay reveal we also got to see moments with the game that do pull to third-person, for cinematic 'Indy' moments that fans want to see, such as whip-swinging across a castle rampart. And Machine Games has done an outstanding job of modelling Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, with subtle animation that deliver's the actors quirky smile and hound dog expressions; this game looks beautiful.
Writing on the Bethesda blog design director Jens Andersson says: "Our game is about putting you in the shoes of an iconic hero. Since we are doing this mostly in first-person, you have the chance to truly become Indy. First-person makes you part of this world – allowing you to explore and experience things more intimately. What will you do when you’re dropped into this adventure with your wits and your whip? The world of Indiana Jones is a world with mysteries around every corner, where you’re racing against the clock and outsmarting your enemies as you hunt down artifacts."
The game itself looks to perfectly capture the feel and atmosphere of the Indian Jones series. Set between the two films, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom, the new game features exotic global locations, from "Vatican and the arid deserts of Egypt to the lush and sunken temples of Sukhothai and the frigid peaks of the Himalayas", filled with puzzles, Nazis and chaotic cinematic escapes.
"It’s like two pieces of a puzzle that just fit so well together," says Senior Animator Rebecca Elfstrӧm Hidén on the Bethesda blog. "We have big, sometimes crazy ideas that seem insane on paper, but they meshed really well with the franchise. You've got this amazing adventure that digs into the heart of the character and shines a light on all the things that made people fall in love with him in the first place, and then you've got these big, complex set pieces that just fit really well in there. Our DNA and the pillars of Indiana Jones just came together so naturally."
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is coming to Xbox Series X/S, PC and Game Pass later this year, watch the first-look studio tour and gameplay reveal below.
