Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle gets a release date on Xbox, PC and… PS5!

One of the most anticipated games of 2024, Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle finally got some news during Gamescom 2024. Microsoft finally announced the game’s release date for PC, Xbox Series S/X and Game Pass: December 9.

Additionally, the company also confirmed rumors that the game will be released on the PS5. Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle will appear on Sony’s console in 2025, between March and June.

In addition to appearing at Open Night Live, the game was also featured in an exclusive event at the event. At the invitation of Bethesda, Voxel watched an unreleased gameplay of Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle, the latest game from the world’s most famous archaeologist.

What is the story and where does it take place?

During the guided gameplay, more details about the story of The Great Circle were revealed: after a long day of classes, Doctor Jones sees that someone is stealing something inside the college where he is a professor, leading to the beginning of the adventure. His adventure companion, Gina, is also interested in the artifact, but for another reason: her sister has disappeared, and that is the only thing that can tell her where she is.

Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle takes place between two of the adventurer’s films.

Another thing that has already been said, but the directors emphasized, is that The game takes place between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade (remembering that The Temple of Doom would be a prequel, taking place before the story of the first film)

Gameplay and mechanics

The event opened with the Xbox Showcase trailer and a new Raiders of the Lost Ark-style gameplay snippet, where Indiana retrieves an item from a place it shouldn’t have left. Instead of the Peruvian jungle, this time we’re inside a tomb in Egypt, which quickly fills with sand after the trap is activated, giving a little idea of ​​how the fast pace at certain points in the game will be dictated.

In this brief clip, the directors revealed that several places in the game were based on photos of ruins from the 1930s, giving an extra touch to the realism they want to show in the game. In fact, it was revealed that several ruins can be explored, either to discover secrets or to get items that help the character.

Indiana Jones will have a first-person camera.

The directors also revealed more details about the mechanics of Indiana Jones and the Grand Circle, starting with the puzzle: somewhat reminiscent of Uncharted (which was based on Indiana Jones in terms of the travel diary), Indy will have a diary that contains details not only about the plot but that can help him with some puzzles inside temples.

“It will be a mix between very hard and easy, a balanced experience,” said Jerk Gustafsson, Game Director of the game. “Puzzles that are too hard are not very fun, I personally don’t like them.”

In addition, “Adventure Points” were revealed, which will be some points that will help you acquire some new skills for stealth and heavier combats. To obtain them, Indy will have a camera that will reveal curiosities of the places he visited, which apparently will also serve as curiosities for the player, reminding a bit of Assassin’s Creed.

Some books will be scattered throughout the levels so that the player can evolve their character, much like what we’ve seen in previous Bethesda games, but not in the RPG mode. Books about weapons and fighting techniques will be essential for your progression (did you like it, huh?)

The directors also revealed that you’ll have multiple ways to take down an enemy, opting for stealth combat or doing the classic Indiana and shooting everything in front of you. “You might prefer to use the gun, but there are better ways to get to the objective.” In addition, the game will also have side missions, which will be a mix of linear missions combined with larger areas, as the game seems to be a kind of ‘open world, but linear’.

Machine Games’ biggest game

Regarding the duration, the directors only said that “It will be the biggest game Machine Games has ever produced, if you decide to explore 100% of the places.” In other words, expect something above 33 hours (since its biggest game is Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, with 33 hours to be 100% completed).

And of course, the iconic hat will fall off Indy’s head at certain points in the game, forcing you to go after the damn thing and put it back on. After all, there is no Indiana Jones without a hat.