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How do you build a brainteaser worthy of Indiana Jones?

That’s the question the designers of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle asked themselves early on in creating the video game from Bethesda and MachineGames, in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. And with the recent release of the new DLC, The Order of Giants, they took everything they learned even further.

First, designers had to bring the iconic character to life.

“Getting the character right was essential, from how he acts, responds, and sounds to how he moves through the world,” says Lucasfilm Games’ executive producer Craig Derrick. “Doing that in a predominantly first-person perspective, where the player is truly stepping into Indy’s shoes, was daunting at first. But once we cracked it, it felt like we were contributing a meaningful new chapter to his story and journey.”

The next challenge was figuring out what makes a good Indiana Jones puzzle, MachineGames lead level designer Andrew Yoder tells Lucasfilm.com. He unearthed some vital clues in Indy’s very first adventure.

“For me, where it really clicked was when I was rewatching Raiders of the Lost Ark,” he says. “There’s the great map room sequence where he’s got the headpiece to the Staff of Ra. It just captured everything that makes a great Indy puzzle: the hidden information on both sides of the headpiece, brushing away the sand, consulting the journal, and translating the hieroglyphs. And then there’s really powerful feedback once he’s actually socketed the thing in. So, for me, that was this aha moment.”

The Order of Giants gives Indiana Jones more to discover in Rome, the first location seen in The Great Circle. Returning to the iconic city for the setting of the DLC gives both new players and players who finished the original game even more history and context to explore.

“Rome and the Vatican feel like places built on secrets,” Derrick says. “They’re steeped in history, myth, and mystery, and many of the threads of The Great Circle, including the origins of the Nephilim, tie back to that part of the world. It felt like the perfect backdrop to introduce another great mystery for Indy to dive into.”

he Order of Giants gives Indiana Jones more to discover in Rome, the first location seen in The Great Circle. Returning to the iconic city for the setting of the DLC gives both new players and players who finished the original game even more history and context to explore.

“Rome and the Vatican feel like places built on secrets,” Derrick says. “They’re steeped in history, myth, and mystery, and many of the threads of The Great Circle, including the origins of the Nephilim, tie back to that part of the world. It felt like the perfect backdrop to introduce another great mystery for Indy to dive into.”

And while The Order of Giants might be the end of this particular adventure, that doesn’t mean players have seen the last of the famed archaeologist, Derrick teases.

“Indiana Jones is timeless, and I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished with The Great Circle. I have a strong feeling we haven’t seen the last of the man with the hat in video games, whatever form that may take.”