Few characters are as iconic as pop culture’s most famous fictional archeologist (sorry, Lara Croft fans). I’m talking, of course, about Indiana Jones.
The fedora-wearing, whip-cracking, treasure-finding hero is a legend of the silver screen, yet despite some earnest attempts in the 80s and 90s, the character has never really had a video game worthy of his status – although LEGO Indiana Jones certainly came close.
Thankfully, all that’s changed, courtesy of the developers over at MachineGames, who’ve been hard at work making Indiana Jones and the Great Circle the sort of title that belongs in a museum of the best adventure games ever made (read our review if you don’t believe us).
That said, when it comes to translating a character as widely beloved as Indiana Jones from the silver screen to the gaming monitor, there are always going to be challenges. After all, capturing the adventurous spirit, snarky wit, and heart that made Indiana Jones a cultural icon was always going to be more difficult than convincing Indy to cross a temple full of snakes.
Bringing Indy to life
So, what were the biggest issues the Dev team faced? Well, we sat down with Axel Torvenius, the Creative Director at MachineGames, to chat about that, and needless to say, it wasn’t easy – especially as The Great Circle is a first-person game, and that means you can’t actually see Indy half the time.
“[It was] very, very challenging. There’s a big difference between a beloved character that works on the cinema screen and then trying to [adapt that for a] game.”
“We believe in player agency, so everything is interactive in the game,” Axel explained. “In a game, you can go outside the frame, and you have to try to maintain the same mood and vibe.”
So how did they do it? As Axel told us, they had one particular advantage: they could turn to Steven Spielberg’s inimitable style for direction and guidance. This led to the team trying to “preserve and push” Spielberg’s unique cinematic sensibilities and “mood” wherever they could, and the first-person perspective meant they had to get creative.
What would Indy do?
To do this, the team working on the game had one approach. Everything had to feel as authentic to Indy’s character and the world he inhabits as possible. In combat, they wanted to make sure that when you fought, you felt like Indiana Jones, and to Axel, this meant more than just cracking a whip. Each punch had to feel like a blow Indy himself would throw, and the whip crack couldn’t be generic. It needed to feel and sound like Indy’s whip.
Beyond combat, Axel and his team worked hard to make sure the Great Circle was as full of compelling visual images as any Spielberg picture. Needless to say, the locations you visit – including ancient temples, the streets of Shanghai, and even the Vatican – are beautifully detailed, as if they’ve been ripped from the silver screen and brought to life.
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It wasn’t all big-budget locations, though. The game knows how to craft an impressive visual on a smaller scale, and there have been times while playing when I was mightily impressed by the clever use of Indy’s unique silhouette. This was something Axel admitted was intentional.
“We deliberately worked a lot with his shadow projection as well,” he said. “[We wanted to] make sure that you see his iconic shadow being projected onto walls or environments when you walk around in certain angles and then the fact we could work in the third-person perspective during the traversal moments, and then you, of course, see Indy in full.”
The right man for the job
Indy’s so much more than a vibe or look, though. Part of the character’s enduring charm is in his wit and humor. Axel and the team managed to bring this to life through Indy’s inner monologue. As you play, Indy will regularly make a lot of snide remarks about the characters you encounter in the game, and they feel so in character for Indy you’d be forgiven for thinking Lawrence Kasdan wasn’t writing them under a pseudonym.
That’s only part of the magic used to bring the Great Circle’s Indy to life, though. “We also set out with a mission to make sure that we have a 100% likeness”, Axel explained. “We didn’t want to reinvent his face or, you know, have someone else portray his face. It needs to look like a young Harrison Ford, and that comes, of course, with the voice and acting. And you know, that’s eventually led to having the amazing Troy Baker on the project.”
Baker’s work on this game is scarily good. No, seriously, the guy does an eerily accurate impression of Harrison Ford that’s so authentic at times you’ll have to remind yourself while playing it’s not actually Ford delivering the lines.
Honestly, with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, MachineGames has done something as incredible as finding the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant (Ok, that might be a slightly heretical exaggeration). They’ve taken the challenge of making a first-person Indiana Jones game and perfectly captured the spirit and feel of Spielberg’s classic through incredible attention to detail and a lot of hard work.
So why not get that old fedora out, grab the leather jacket from the wardrobe (we all have one), and step into Indy’s well-worn boots? Adventure awaits, and this time, you’re the one holding the whip.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is available now on PC Game Pass. So what are you waiting for? There are mysteries to be uncovered and secrets to be found!
