Indiana Jones and the Great Circle preview - Reminiscent of a less ultraviolent Wolfenstein, and more puzzle solving

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is on the way, and ahead of Gamescom 2024, we had a chance to join other members of the press and take a look at how the game is coming along. While I was admittedly leery of the game being in first person instead of third person, seeing that it was Machine Games at the helm, I’m far less worried about it. They’re the masters of making quality Wolfenstein games, after all. I definitely got that vibe from the game - only without all the awesome violence they come with.

Though our time with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was brief, I found that I’m very excited for the upcoming Xbox and PC title. Set in an earlier time in Dr. Jones’ life, we got a little peek at the world he’ll be exploring, as well as some of the traps and dangers he’ll face.

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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle promises to be the next big action-adventure title

Emerick Voss is the current antagonist, but is there someone else lurking in the shadows? (Image via Bethesda)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has the potential to be the best game starring the archaeologist in the franchise’s history. This title takes place in the late 1930s, after the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark. At the time, we didn't have any news on the release date, but during Gamescom 2024, it was confirmed that this game would be released on December 9, 2024. Indiana Jones' next adventure will be released on PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025, at a date to be announced later.

The gameplay we saw looked like an Indiana Jones adventure - from the way he solves puzzles, to fighting enemies. Part of our preview showed a rather simple puzzle - Indiana Jones secured a valuable relic, but the room predictably started filling with sand. If you spot the hole in the wall, you can make your way out by staying above the sand, and then, use the whip to grapple to safety.

We got a look at the primary antagonist of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as well - Emerick Voss, who works for Germany’s government - the Third Reich. He and his goons are plundering valuable artifacts all over the world, seeking out specific artifacts. Indiana Jones, thanks to a break-in, has been roped into this great new adventure.

You’ll get access to all of Indiana Jones’s trademark tools - the whip, revolver, journal, and a handy camera. It can take photos of important milestones and clues for puzzles, and also help you grow. Taking photos of interesting things in the world appears to give you Adventure Points towards a stat/perk system.

I love the journal, too. As you take photos, explore the game, and play through scenarios, it will fill up with lots of useful information. It might give you insight into taking up disguises or sneaking through areas to gain even more information.

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Puzzle-solving looks to be interesting throughout Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

There are puzzles and mysteries to uncover all over the planet (Image via Bethesda)

It wouldn’t be an Indiana Jones game without having to solve puzzles left behind by ancient civilizations. Whether you have to throw a trident across a pit to whip your way across a gap or align lights in a crypt, there will be plenty here. They will be challenging but not impossible.

One thing I certainly appreciated is that the developers confirmed during the presentation that there will be two difficulty settings to adjust - Adventure and Puzzles. Not every player wants to be a puzzle-solving genius, so it sounds like things will be adjustable to some degree - whether it’s adding hints, glowing lights, or perhaps something else to give a clue.

Just glancing at the puzzles from the preview session showed me that they were pretty intuitive. I’m not what you’d call the best puzzle solver, but watching the preview made them feel like they fit perfectly into the world around them. As part of the preview, we also saw Indy explore the Sphinx, putting all the combat and exploration together in one package.

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Combat looks amazing in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Enemies could be lurking anywhere in the darkness (Image via Bethesda)

I knew the puzzle-solving and exploring would be just fine, but this is the part that I was admittedly the most worried about. Machine Games has a history of doing awesome things in first-person games, such as the Wolfenstein series. But that is a series that's far more violent and typically dumps dozens of bullets into enemies. Indiana Jones demanded a completely different approach - and it appears my worry was without merit.

You don’t have to always sneak around, avoiding Nazis in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. You have the choice between being clever and using your environment to distract foes or take it directly to them.

You can get into hand-to-hand combat, where landing perfect punches and blocks takes skill. You can also use nearby items to strike foes or distract them. From rolling pins to machine guns, there were some great ways to get through combat.

You also have access to your pistol and whip as well, which I loved. Whipping people off their feet to take their guns or popping a quick shot at a far-away foe looked incredibly satisfying. The combat system looks pretty interesting, as far as we saw. Being able to throw something to distract a patrol, take them out, and then brawl with other guards just looked like so much fun.

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Final thoughts

It's not all about ancient tombs - sometimes you have to explore the world around you (Image via Bethesda)

Though we couldn’t get hands-on, as we’re not at Gamescom proper, it was a very exciting preview session. I went from being a little nervous about how it would all come together to being very excited. It’s not a linear game - there are lots of little adventures and mysteries to solve, alongside the main story.

The game will take players all over the world and do it with that classic Indiana Jones swagger and charm that we’ve come to know over the years. And I also want to say that Troy Baker does a great job of voicing the younger Indiana Jones. He’s got the tone and snark down perfectly. From the scenes we saw, it’s shaping up to be one of the best action adventure titles in recent years.