The last time MachineGames developers made a first-person action-adventure game based on a movie character for Xbox, they turned that game into one of the best of the entire Xbox/PS2 generation. That game was "The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay." Back then, the core members of MachineGames were still working at their old company, Starbreeze.

I mention this because after watching a lengthy gameplay demonstration of MachineGames’ latest work, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (which is also Xbox-exclusive), I couldn’t help but think of that classic Xbox game starring Vin Diesel.

The protagonists, Indiana Jones from Indiana Jones and Riddick from The Chronicles of Riddick, are two very similar characters, and because of this, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has quickly become my most anticipated game of the year (to be precise, the PC and Xbox versions will be released on December 9 this year, while the PS5 version will have to wait until spring 2025).

The demo I watched began in a massive underground temple (how Indiana Jones!), with sunlight shining on a small statue. Indiana picks it up, and the door behind him closes. He smashes the statue with a stone, revealing a small object inside—perhaps a key? Then, as per tradition, the temple starts collapsing, and our protagonist quips, “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

The camera then switches to first-person, and the player takes control of the character (though during platforming sections, the perspective still switches to third-person). As sand floods in, gradually filling the scene, Jones scrambles to a window, and thanks to the sand raising him, the window becomes within reach. He trips but quickly gets back up and starts running, with a stamina bar clearly showing how long Jones can keep sprinting. Using his familiar whip, he swings over a canyon, narrowly escaping as the temple becomes increasingly unstable, sliding out just in time to make it out alive.

MachineGames promises that Ancient Circle will feature plenty of tense and thrilling action sequences. It’s worth noting that, like Riddick, these scenes rarely involve firearms. Sure, Dr. Jones has his iconic revolver, but the game’s creative director Axel Torvenius explains, “The key to combat in this game is carefully considering your strategy.”

He also warns, “In this game, firing a gun comes with a high risk.” Although these situations won’t occur often, when players do need to fire a gun, they should do so cautiously. He further explains, “First, you should try to use your wits and whip to come up with other solutions.”

Thus, calling this Indiana Jones game a first-person shooter would be inaccurate. Although it’s primarily played from a first-person perspective, it’s clearly not a shooting game. The gameplay is more of a mix of puzzle-solving, platforming, stealth, and combat, much like the team’s earlier debut game featuring a bald criminal.

“The focus of this game is on adventure,” says game director Jerk Gustaffson. “We want to create a truly rewarding exploration experience.”

As a result, one of the player’s primary tools is Indiana’s journal. Initially, the journal is blank, but it will soon be filled with all sorts of things you observe, including your travels to Egypt, the Himalayas, and other locations. To further emphasize the spirit of adventure, you will sometimes need to disguise yourself and infiltrate enemy areas, such as in one part of the demo where the beloved archaeology professor disguises himself as a clergyman to infiltrate a heavily guarded area.

This adventure-focused design is even reflected in the structure of Ancient Circle. MachineGames reveals that the game’s progression consists of linear areas combined with open, free-to-explore regions.

During your adventure, you can earn adventure points by discovering objects and secrets worth recording in your journal, as well as photographing key items with your camera. These points can be used to purchase skill upgrades, allowing you to improve your stealth, combat abilities, or gain other enhancements. For example, the “True Grit” skill allows you to return to battle after suffering lethal damage.

Additionally, you can purchase items from merchants. In the demo, I saw a vendor with a monkey by his stall, though I couldn’t make out exactly what he was selling.

Most of the combat appears to involve hand-to-hand fighting, but just like in The Chronicles of Riddick, you can’t simply button-mash to defeat enemies. You need to master parrying, blocking, and combos to win in close-quarters combat. Don’t hesitate to use your whip, as hitting an opponent’s feet can trip them, which is just one of the whip’s many uses in the game.

However, in many cases, your fists may not be your best option. I saw Jones use a rolling pin to whack a Nazi in the face in a kitchen. I also saw him pick up a shovel and sneak up behind a Nazi soldier, delivering a hard blow to the back of the head. In fact, it seems that stealth is an important aspect of Ancient Circle, perhaps even a core gameplay element, which is another similarity to Riddick.

However, Riddick was mostly a lone wolf throughout his journey. Indiana Jones, on the other hand, is often accompanied by others who assist him along the way. In the demo I watched, his companions had quite a bit of screen time. They don’t accompany him throughout the entire game, but even when they are around, I haven’t yet seen how they impact gameplay. Are they just there to advance the story and provide some banter, or will they assist in combat, like Elizabeth did in Bioshock Infinite?

This remains to be seen, but the final segment of the demo showcased many of the core elements of Ancient Circle: adventure, trap evasion, and puzzle-solving.

To find a key to open a temple, Jones had to disguise himself as a worker to infiltrate enemy territory. After sneaking around for a while, he finally found the golden medallion he needed and quietly took it (Adventure Points +5). He encountered four enemies sitting around a table, but this time, he managed to leave the tent without incident. He returned to the hidden door nearby, inserted the medallion, and the door opened. Jones lit a lighter to illuminate the path ahead, stepping into the darkness with his companion. The professor muttered, “This place hasn’t been touched in thousands of years.”

They cautiously explored the dark temple, lighting torches as they went. At the end of a narrow corridor stood a lavishly decorated iron door. They pulled a lever, causing the floor to collapse, revealing deadly spikes beneath! Jones narrowly avoided being impaled, saved by his companion’s timely intervention.

Next, Jones used his whip to grab onto a beam above and lowered himself into a newly revealed crawl space beneath the floor. Crawling through the passage, he found a pull cord, tugged it, and the door finally opened. Dr. Jones and his companion discovered a mural and took a picture (Adventure Points +10).

They arrived in a sunlit room, with a structure in the back that was part obelisk, part throne, bathed in sunlight. Several beams of light were directed at a golden mask. The puzzle involved adjusting mirrors near the throne to redirect the beams.

After solving the puzzle, his companion picked up the mask. Excited, she sat on the throne with the mask on, but the throne immediately collapsed. Jones reached out to save her, but both ended up falling into a dark pit. By torchlight, they saw the ground was crawling with... scorpions (you thought I’d say snakes, didn’t you?).

MachineGames’ core development team has never disappointed. From Escape from Butcher Bay to The Darkness and more recently the Wolfenstein games, this is a team with a track record of success (many of them have been working together for over 20 years). Now, after 20 years of experience, they return to their roots, refining the design template from their debut game (which I consider to be their best) and crafting a playable Indiana Jones adventure experience—Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I can’t wait to embark on this new adventure.