Can You Play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle in Third-Person

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle can only be played in first person with no option to switch to third-person, and this is by design.

The game will be in first-person (Source: Bethesda Softworks)
The game will be in first-person (Source: Bethesda Softworks)

The release of Indian Jones and the Great Circle is right around the corner, and fans are beyond excited to see Indy lace up his boots for one more adventure. The Great Circle will put you in those very boots, allowing you to go on a treasure-hunting adventure while beating up some Nazis along the way.

The game, however, takes the “in the shoes of Indy” quite literally, and will make you experience the adventure through Indy’s eyes in first person. The game cannot be played in third person, which is a decision that has the Indiana Jones fanbase divided. 

Why the Game Is Not in Third-Person

MachineGames’ First-person DNA

When MachineGames, the developer of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, revealed that the game was first-person, the fanbase stood divided. This prompted the developers to defend their decision in an interview with Lucasfilm. The developer reiterated their history of making first-person games, with critically acclaimed titles like Wolfenstein: The New Colossus. Making Indy’s next adventure a first-person affair felt like a natural step for the developers. 

“First-person gameplay is part of MachineGames’ DNA, and we wanted to see how we could use this to create a really immersive experience around stepping into the shoes of the world’s most famous archaeologist,” MachineGames Director Gustafsson explained.

Different From Its Contemporaries 

Another likely reason for the game to avoid the third-person perspective is to avoid comparisons with its contemporaries such as Uncharted and Tomb Raider. Taking the first-person perspective allows MachineGames to play to its strength while also forging its own path and differentiating Indy’s latest adventure from the likes of Lara Croft and Nathan Drake. 

“It also separates our game from many other action-adventure titles, making it a unique experience that you cannot find anywhere else. However, we still want to show Indy as much as possible, so we have a seamless flow between first-person gameplay and third-person actions, events, and cinematics,” Gustafsson added.

The developers want Indy to forge his own path in the video game medium (Source: Bethesda Softworks)
The developers want Indy to forge his own path in the video game medium (Source: Bethesda Softworks)

In the Shoes of Indiana Jones

The game, more so than anything, wants you to feel like you’re Indiana Jones, as confirmed by Gustafsson in a blog post on Bethesda’s website. Making the player “become Indy” was important for the team behind the game, and the new perspective allow them to achieve that goal. 

“Our game is about putting you in the shoes of an iconic hero. Since we are doing this mostly in first-person, you have the chance to truly become Indy,” Design Director Jens Andersson said. 


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