On Thursday, Xbox shared a “Developer Direct” showcase with fans to show what the Microsoft-backed video game system has in store for the immediate future.
The show followed standard showcase protocols and showed off a number of new and upcoming games, but few garnered the visceral reaction that the ballyhooed new trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle did.
And can you blame fans of Dr. Jones?
Indy, the beloved archaeologist/treasure hunter/adventurer portrayed by legendary actor Harrison Ford, hasn’t exactly had a sterling last couple of outings.
Jones’ silver screen issues began with the deeply polarizing 2008 film “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”
That movie was poorly received for a number of reasons, but the failures of that film were nothing compared to Indy’s most recent outing, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
The commercial and critical failure of that film (though some did enjoy it) all but assured it would be the last film anyone sees with Indiana Jones for the foreseeable future.
Surely, an iconic movie hero like Jones wouldn’t go out that meekly?
Are you planning on playing this game?
Enter: Thursday’s Xbox showcase and The Great Circle, perhaps the last, best shot at rehabilitating Indiana Jones’ noticeably diminished star.
You can watch the highly-anticipated trailer reveal of the game below:
2024 plans:
1) Become Indiana Jones
2) Uncover one of the greatest mysteries of all timeGet a glimpse of your future adventures in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | #IndianaJones #DeveloperDirect pic.twitter.com/jh9B3ykPcO
— Xbox (@Xbox) January 18, 2024
The game itself seems like a classic, swashbuckling affair one would expect from prime Indiana Jones, but fans couldn’t help but notice one peculiar design choice: the perspective.
The Great Circle is a first-person game, perhaps not a huge surprise given the pedigree of the game’s developer, MachineGames. That studio is best known for its incredible work on the Wolfenstein series of first-person shooters.
But whereas B.J. Blazkowicz (the main protagonist of the Wolfenstein games) and Jones both have a propensity of fighting and killing swathes of Nazis, the former is a gun-toting super soldier.
Indiana Jones, for all of his epic travels, is a college teacher.
Fans were decidedly split on the decision to put the game in the direct perspective of Jones.
Indiana Jones is First Person! What the…. Too much jank in the animations but atleast the graphics in cinematics scenes look ok. Man! Kinda disappointed pic.twitter.com/qMEZsRsOXg
— Jaydub (@JayDubcity16) January 18, 2024
First person!? No no no no no nooooo! pic.twitter.com/HJwyCNGU0B
— ManChild Media Review (@TheMCMR) January 18, 2024
exactly. I’m super happy Indiana Jones is first-person. I’m a big fan of first-person shooters, they’re pretty much what I play most of the time. Can’t wait for MachineGames to show more https://t.co/jjh2qLcdJ4
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) January 18, 2024
As anticipation (and likely debate) will continue to mount for Indiana Jones’ next grand adventure, more information will likely be revealed to fans.
The game is currently slated for a generic “2024” release date.
