Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Sticks to Melee Combat Over Gun Fights

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s gameplay will prioritize melee combat and stealth over gunfights, according to the development team at MachineGames and Bethesda.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: More Brawls, Less Bullets

Stealth and Puzzles Take Center Stage

In an exclusive interview with PC Gamer, MachineGames design director Jens Andersson and creative director Axel Torvenius revealed key gameplay details. Drawing on their experience with titles like the Wolfenstein series and Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, they emphasized hand-to-hand combat, improvised weaponry, and stealth as core mechanics.

"Indiana Jones isn't known for gunfights," Andersson explained. "He doesn't storm into situations blazing away. Hand-to-hand combat, however, fits his character perfectly." The team used their Chronicles of Riddick melee combat experience as a foundation, adapting it to Indy's unique fighting style.

"He's not a trained fighter, but he gets into fights constantly," Andersson added. Expect inventive combat using everyday objects—pots, pans, even banjos—as improvised weapons. "He's an unlikely hero, often lucky—we wanted to translate that humor and resourcefulness into the gameplay."

Beyond combat, players will explore diverse environments. Inspired by Wolfenstein’s blend of linear and open areas, the game will offer structured paths alongside expansive explorable zones. Some larger areas will approach immersive sim-style gameplay, allowing players multiple approaches to challenges. "There are open areas, almost immersive sim-like, such as enemy camps where you need to infiltrate a main building; you'll have freedom to explore and find your own way in," Andersson described.

Stealth plays a crucial role, combining traditional infiltration with a unique "social stealth" mechanic. Players can find and use disguises to blend in and access restricted areas. "Every major location has several disguises to discover," Andersson said. "These disguises allow you to pass as someone who belongs, granting access to areas otherwise difficult to reach."

In a previous interview with Inverse, game director Jerk Gustafsson highlighted the deliberate downplaying of gunplay. "Our starting point was to largely ignore shooting," Gustafsson stated. "We know we can do shooting well, so it wasn't a concern. Early on, we prioritized hand-to-hand combat, navigation, and traversal in our design. We focused on the challenging aspects, especially within a first-person perspective."

The game will also feature challenging puzzles, catering to both casual and hardcore puzzle solvers. "Players seeking difficult puzzles will find them," Gustafsson confirmed, adding that some particularly challenging puzzles will be optional to maintain accessibility.