Indiana Jones Favors Melee Over Guns in New Game

In the highly anticipated action-adventure game, *Indiana Jones and the Great Circle*, developed by MachineGames and Bethesda, the focus is distinctly on melee combat rather than gunfights. The development team, including design director Jens Andersson and creative director Axel Torvenius, emphasized in an exclusive interview with PC Gamer that the game's essence aligns more with hand-to-hand combat and improvised brawls than with shooting.

"Indiana Jones, he's not a gunslinger, right? He doesn't go guns blazing into situations," Andersson stated, underlining that the game "could never be a shooter, should never be a shooter." Instead, the developers drew inspiration from their previous work on the melee-centric *Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay*, adapting the combat style to fit Indy's character. Players can expect to engage in combat using everyday items like pots, pans, and even banjos, reflecting Indy's resourceful and humorous nature.

Beyond combat, *Indiana Jones and the Great Circle* will offer a variety of gameplay experiences. The game will feature a mix of linear and open environments, inspired by the team's work on the *Wolfenstein* series. These spaces will allow for exploration and multiple approaches to solving challenges, with some areas approaching immersive sim territory. "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 explained.

Stealth is another crucial element, incorporating both traditional infiltration and a novel "social stealth" mechanic. Players can discover and use disguises in key locations to blend in and gain access to restricted areas. "Every big location has a number of disguises for you to discover," said Andersson, enhancing the player's ability to navigate the game world creatively.

Game director Jerk Gustafsson, in a previous interview with Inverse, reiterated that gunplay would be a secondary feature. "The starting point for us was to try to ignore the shooting part," Gustafsson noted, emphasizing the team's focus on other gameplay aspects like hand-to-hand combat, navigation, and traversal. This approach was intentional to address the more challenging elements of first-person gameplay.

Puzzles will also play a significant role in *Indiana Jones and the Great Circle*. Gustafsson confirmed that the game will include puzzles designed to challenge even the most experienced puzzle solvers, though some of the more difficult ones will be optional to maintain accessibility.