Indiana Jones Game Focuses on Melee Combat

In the eagerly anticipated action-adventure game, *Indiana Jones and the Great Circle*, developed by MachineGames and Bethesda, the focus is decidedly on melee combat rather than gunplay. This approach aligns with the iconic character's persona, as emphasized by the game's development team. According to design director Jens Andersson and creative director Axel Torvenius, in an exclusive interview with PC Gamer, the game aims to capture Indiana Jones' essence by emphasizing hand-to-hand combat, improvised brawls, and stealth over traditional shooting mechanics.

"Indiana Jones, he's not a gunslinger, right? He doesn't go guns blazing into situations," Andersson stated, underscoring the game's design philosophy. "So it could never be a shooter, should never be a shooter. But hand-to-hand combat, that makes total sense." Drawing from their experience with melee combat in *Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay*, the team tailored the combat to fit Indy's style, where everyday items like pots, pans, and banjos become weapons. This approach aims to reflect Indy's nature as an unlikely hero who often finds himself in unexpected fights.

Beyond combat, *Indiana Jones and the Great Circle* will offer players a diverse range of gameplay experiences. Inspired by the blend of linear and open environments found in the *Wolfenstein* series, the game will transition between structured paths and more expansive areas, encouraging exploration. Some of these larger spaces will lean towards immersive sim territory, providing players with various ways to tackle challenges. "There are also more open areas, almost bordering immersive sim-style, like there's an enemy camp, here you're supposed to get into the main building, figure it out, and you can explore," Andersson elaborated.

Stealth plays a significant role in the game, incorporating both traditional infiltration techniques and a novel "social stealth" mechanic. Players can discover and equip disguises in various locations to blend in and access restricted areas. "Every big location has a number of disguises for you to discover," Andersson explained. "That helps you pass as someone that belongs there, gives you access to areas you otherwise would have a really hard time getting through."

In a previous discussion with Inverse, game director Jerk Gustafsson highlighted the team's decision to downplay gunplay, making it a secondary aspect of the game. "The starting point for us was to try to ignore the shooting part," Gustafsson remarked. "We know that we can do it well, so it's never something that would ever concern us. We know that we can get that right. So very early on, we did this pie chart with different types of experiences. Everything from stuff like hand-to-hand, navigation, and traversal. We started our focus on those things that we knew were going to be challenging, especially in first-person."

Additionally, the game will challenge players with a variety of puzzles, some of which will be particularly demanding. "Those [players] that are looking for puzzles that can be hard to solve, they will find them," Gustafsson noted, adding that some of the more difficult puzzles will be optional to maintain a level of accessibility for all players.