While Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones may be done on the big screen, now the world-famous archaeologist is coming back to video games with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. After the game’s announcement in 2021, Bethesda and Machine Games have finally unveiled the title, trailer, and release year of 2024. From the trailer alone, this looks like an Indiana Jones fan’s dream come true.
The trailer, revealed in a larger 10-minute long game overview, takes the character back to his prime (between Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade), fighting Nazis in a chase to find the “Great Circle”. The footage has the action, globe-trotting adventure, puzzles, and classic musical score we’ve all come to expect from the franchise. However, there’s one major twist. This will be a first-person game that puts you in the shoes of Indy. The action-packed trailer shows off some impressive set pieces involving the whip, guns, and vehicle chases all in that well-known Bethesda perspective.
Coming from the studio that brought us the acclaimed Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. That being said, this will be the first Indiana Jones game in first-person with Indy’s character model reserved for traversal and cut scenes. It’s also the first game in the franchise since 2009’s Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings. It will take some time to get used to the new POV and Indy voice actor, but so far, this looks to be the franchise love letter we’ve been waiting years to play.
The History of ‘Indiana Jones’ Games
While Indy will always be a movie star first, the original trilogy came out at the perfect time in the 80s when Nintendo and Sega were in the middle of their “console war.” There were numerous game adaptations of Raiders, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade up until the N64 came out in 1996. Those games are beloved by many fans who grew up on the series. However, it was in the franchise’s original games where Indy left his mark past the final sunset in Last Crusade. Fate of Atlantis, Emperor’s Tomb, Infernal Machine, and the Staff of Kings joyfully filled in the 19-year gap between the Last Crusade and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Since the PS3 and Xbox 360 era of consoles, there hasn’t been an Indiana Jones game, which only makes the anticipation for the Great Circle that much higher. If any developer can live up to the hype, it’s Machine Games, who have created Quake and successfully rebooted the Wolfenstein franchise.
When Does ‘Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’ Release?
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle doesn’t have an exact release date yet, but it will come out on Xbox Series X/S in 2024. Given the popularity of the franchise, the game may be released during the busy holiday season. Until then, you can view the new exciting trailer above. All the Indiana Jones films, including Dial of Destiny, are also currently streaming on Disney+.
via Collider