Summary
Tentatively announced back in January 2021, MachineGames’Indiana Jonesgame finally has a title, some gameplay footage, and even a general release window. Now officially namedIndiana Jones and the Great Circle,MachineGames' action/adventuretitle will put players into the travel-worn boots of the titular professor-by-day, adventurer-by-night as he searches the globe for answers to a major mystery surrounding the Seven Wonders of the World.
Clearly taking all of its past video game experiences into account,Indiana Jones and the Great Circlelooks like a MachineGames title through and through, putting players into a first-person perspective as they shoot, punch, and of course, whip Nazis to their brutal doom. While only a brief gameplay trailer was revealed atthe recent Xbox Developer Direct, the accompanying commentary from the game’s developers clearly showed just how much passion MachineGames has for theIndiana Joneslicense, and its spot on the franchise timeline paves the way for some interesting opportunities.
When Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Takes Place
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Is Set Between Raiders and Last Crusade
Generally speaking, theIndiana Jonestimeline is pretty straightforward, though there’s one big caveat.Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, the second movie in the franchise, is actually a prequel, set one year before the events ofRaiders of the Lost Ark. TheoriginalIndiana Jonestrilogytakes place between 1935 and 1938, withTemple of Doombeing set in 1935,Raidersin 1936, andLast Crusadein 1938. Of course, thenKingdom of the Crystal SkullandDial of Destinyare set much further in the future, taking place in 1957 and 1969 respectively.
Interestingly, there’s a little gap of a year betweenIndiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost ArkandThe Last Crusade, and that’s whereIndiana Jones and the Great Circlesnugly fits. Taking place in 1937,Indiana Jones and the Great Circlewill see Indy unravel a mystery that connects all the Seven Wonders, which he believes makes some kind of “circle” around the world. Being set in 1937, players can expect to see plenty of classicIndiana Jonesimagery, from Nazis to airships to recently uncovered temples and archaeological sites.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Setting Paves the Way for Some Big Cameos
Setting the game in 1937 is a pretty genius move on MachineGames' part. Not only does this setting pave the way for the aforementioned iconicIndiana Jonesimagery, but it also flings the door wide open for a range of franchise cameos, the vast majority of which would actually make a lot of sense in this game.Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s reveal traileralready showed that Indy’s college colleague and surrogate father figure Marcus Brody will be in the game, and that could just be the beginning.
Set just a year afterRaiders of the Lost Ark, it would make complete sense forThe Great Circleto at least reference Marion Ravenwood, and why she’s no longer in the picture, withKingdom of the Crystal Skullstating that Indy ditched her just a week before their wedding. It would also make a lot of sense for Sallah to make an appearance inThe Great Circle, with Egypt being confirmed as one of the game’s many locations. There’s even a possibility, albeit a much smaller one, thatShort Round could make a cameo. Fans have been wanting Short Round to return for a while now, and whileThe Great Circle’s place on the timeline would mean that he’s still a child and technically wouldn’t be played by Ke Huy Quan, it’d still be fun to see him show up on anotherIndyadventure.
