One of gaming’s biggest surprises last year came with the launch of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. In an age of franchise fatigue, many players had written off MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game long before its December 2024 release. However, when Indiana Jones and the Great Circle finally came out, it received an incredible amount of praise from fans and critics alike. The game was a clear love letter to the source material, and it featured an entertaining story, accessible gameplay, and an award-worthy performance by Troy Baker.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle not only reignited the Indiana Jones fanbase, it also proved to be quite a success for MachineGames. The game has drawn in over 4 million players, and it will expand its audience further when it launches for PlayStation later this year. Rumors have already begun circulating that Disney has been in touch with MachineGames and wants to see more Indiana Jones from the developer in the future. Luckily for MachineGames, its design philosophy for The Great Circle is one that could easily be applied to future Indiana Jones titles.
Applying The Great Circle’s Level Design to Subsequent Games
Both the story and core gameplay of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle follow a distinct pattern. As the player progresses through the game, they travel to different areas around the globe, which include the Vatican, Gizeh, Sukhothai, and more. Though each of these areas are visually distinct, they all have a shared design approach.
Players can explore each sandbox at their own pace and take on side objectives, uncover a vast array of collectibles, and sneak — or fight — their way through enemy camps scattered about. The biggest locations in the game feature shops where the player can trade in collectibles for information or upgrades, and there are also disguises that the player can obtain in order to gain easy access to restricted areas.
Why Exploration Works in The Great Circle — and Could Work For Sequels
While this approach to level design is consistent throughout the entirety of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, it never overstays its welcome. With the game encouraging player creativity and providing unique settings that feel perfect for an Indiana Jones story, even a task as mundane as collecting medicine vials can feel like an adventure of its own thanks to MachineGames thoughtful design. The Great Circle‘s engrossing gameplay formula is successful in spite of its seemingly repetitive nature, and it offers an easy path forward should MachineGames pursue Indiana Jones sequels.
MachineGames could take The Great Circle‘s formula and apply it to new locations throughout the world, providing similar objectives but new disguises and gameplay gimmicks in each sandbox. There are plenty of settings and years that have yet to be explored in the Indiana Jones timeline, meaning that future games can still put their own spin on an Indiana Jones story without retreading ground. At launch, The Great Circle‘s gameplay drew comparisons to series like Hitman and Sniper Elite. Both were able to successfully maintain momentum across multiple games despite reusing design ideas, so there’s no reason why an Indiana Jones game series couldn’t do the same.
- Released
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December 9, 2024
- ESRB
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N/A