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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has all the Indy hallmarks you’d expect: action, adventure, the iconic archaeologist’s whip and hat, and a long list of Nazi idiots begging for a knuckle sandwich. The game will feature tombs to plunder, ancient mysteries to solve, and artifacts to collect.

But Wolfenstein developer MachineGames’ version of Indiana Jones seems to have something that’s incredibly difficult to capture without direct access to Harrison Ford: charm.

At Gamescom this week, MachineGames and publisher Bethesda Softworks showed off new gameplay from their upcoming Indiana Jones video game, which Polygon got a sneak peek of. Two moments stood out for me when I saw the new gameplay because of their impressive ability to capture Indy’s character and charisma:

1. In one scene, we saw Indiana Jones attempt to infiltrate a seminary dressed as a cleric to retrieve religious artifacts as part of a stealth mission. Indy will be able to don disguises at certain points in time Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s story, which harks back to some of the better moments in the films (for example, Jones trying to pose as a Nazi officer in Raiders of the Lost ArkJones tries to pose as a ticket inspector in The Last Crusade). MachineGames promises to let players choose stealth or direct confrontation in The Great Circleand I’m looking forward to sneaking around as Indy, pretending (sometimes awkwardly) to be someone else.
2. At some point, Indy can unlock an ability called True Grit, which allows him to revive himself after being knocked down. In Indiana Jones and the Great CircleThis is visually represented by Indy picking up his hat from the ground and dusting himself off. I imagine myself doing this a lot – waiting for a Nazi soldier who thinks he’s just got the best of me, turning him around and then tapping him on the shoulder and delivering a knockout punch.

These may seem like small elements in an incredibly ambitious game, says MachineGames. The Great Circle “by far the biggest game we’ve ever done” — but they’re important for a character with a gigantic, scene-consuming personality like Indiana Jones.

Even in first-person moments, you can feel Indy’s charm shining through, especially during the excitement that comes with a well-earned discovery. This is a game of puzzle-solving and mystery-solving, and Indy will have two tools to help him do so on his adventure: a journal filled with notes, maps, and clues that will fill up over time, and a camera that allows him to take pictures of important discoveries (which will in turn lead to more discoveries). MachineGames calls the camera “one of the most important gameplay mechanics” in The Great CirclePlayers will find “clever, unexpected uses” for all of Indy’s tools, the developer says, including that camera and his iconic whip.

The whip can be used in combat to attack and disarm enemies, as well as for movement. Expect plenty of climbing and swinging (which is shown in third-person view, unlike the rest of the game), as well as opportunities to lash Nazi soldiers with the whip. There’s gunplay, of course, but many of the one-on-one combat moments we saw involved a combination of whip and fistfighting. Indy can block, parry, and unleash punch combinations, all of which pack a solid thud worthy of the Indiana Jones films. MachineGames says pacifists will be able to avoid some of these encounters by carefully using stealth and the environment to sidestep Indy’s foes.

The story of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle takes place between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark And The Last Crusadeand features a familiar structure: Adolf Hitler’s forces, led by Nazi psychologist Emmerich Voss, are hunting for artifacts of great power, and only Indy can stop them. Jones is teamed up with an Italian journalist named Gina Lombardi, who has a personal stake in their journey. In gameplay shown off at Gamescom, we saw Indy and Gina team up to explore tombs, brave deadly traps, and solve ancient puzzles – and perhaps celebrate a victory a little too early, as what appeared to be a successful attempt to steal a priceless relic actually triggered an even deadlier trap.

MachineGames seems to put a lot of emphasis on The Great Circle‘s puzzles, which are said to be “designed to fit seamlessly into the world.” The puzzles we were shown seemed to be fairly simple, requiring the player to explore the environment and study Indy’s journal for clues. One involved breaking down parts of the environment to access a hidden room, then flipping switches to unlock a mechanism. The puzzle involving Gina seemed more complex, but she figured it out quickly — maybe at fast — gave a helpful tip on how to fix it.

I doubt Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will live and die by its puzzles. Instead, it’s the more memorable moments of escaping certain death, sneaking through Nazi-infested complexes, and enjoying the thrill of discovery, both with and if Indiana Jones seems to be where MachineGames’ game is going to shine. After seeing more of Indy’s new game, I’m optimistic that the Wolfenstein studio can deliver.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be released later on December 9 for Windows PC and Xbox Series X. A PlayStation 5 version is planned for spring 2025.