Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Dev Gives Insights Into Making Their Grand Villain

With every action hero and protagonist comes an arch enemy. This larger-than-life villain aims to stop you in your tracks or destroy your world. It’s what makes some of these epic game storylines so grand. However, some villains are a little more memorable than others. When it comes to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, MachineGames had a few ideas to strike off when crafting Emmerich Voss that might leave a lasting impression.

Recently, GamesRadar’s Edge Magazine had the chance to speak with Tommy Tordsson-Bjork. This is the lead writer working on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. During their conversation, Tommy offered some insight into how MachineGames handles villains. Overall, the focus is to make the villain feel real, ultimately allowing the hero to shine.

We’ve gone into every project with the philosophy that a properly characterized villain is what makes the hero shine. I always try to find some characteristics that make the villains feel more real, whether it’s giving them some quirk or flaws that they try to compensate for – even a sliver of humanity or empathy. – Tommy Tordsson-Bjork

Their next big video game release will have quite a mastermind to deal with. We know the main enemy to fight off is Emmerich Voss, a character that even Tommy noted was difficult to write for. Having to think like a mastermind required quite a bit of research, and MachineGames is likely hoping it pulled off with Indiana Jones being such a massive, worldwide beloved IP.

His personality has been incredibly fun to write. But also, since I am not hyper-intelligent myself, it can be a bit challenging. You have to go into research mode and find angles to use that lean into those characteristics whenever he and Indy go head to head. – Tommy Tordsson-Bjork

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. We know that Indiana Jones is striving to uncover the mystery of the Great Circle. In true Indiana Jones fashion, players will have to travel all around the world to over-the-top set pieces in Rome, Thailand, Egypt, and more to prevent a sinister plan. Fortunately, we’ll be able to get our hands on the game this year.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set to launch on December 9, 2024. When the game launches, it will be available on PC and Xbox Series X/S platforms. However, it was recently confirmed that it will also be released on the PlayStation 5 sometime next year.