Why Indiana Jones’ Improvised Weapons Mattered to The Great Circle’s Combat

MachineGames considered a Grand Theft Auto-style wanted system while developing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, according to design director Jens Andersson. The idea addressed a central combat problem: how to include satisfying firearms without encouraging players to shoot their way through every encounter.

As PC Gamer reports, citing Andersson’s conversation with FRVR, the studio explored a system in which shooting someone would bring reinforcements. Andersson described the team’s concern that players would collect a fallen enemy’s gun and use it to eliminate everyone nearby.

Making other options appealing

The challenge was partly about matching the films. MachineGames wanted firearms to remain useful within Indy’s broader toolkit, alongside his whip and hand-to-hand fighting. Slower reloading helped encourage that variety, but Andersson said it did not solve the problem on its own.

Breakable melee weapons became an important answer. Everyday objects, including frying pans and violins, gave players alternatives for knocking out enemies while sneaking or after running out of ammunition. According to Andersson, those weapons arrived late in development; seeing their effectiveness prompted the team to add more unusual objects.

Andersson also stressed accessibility in the way players enter melee combat, distinguishing that from making encounters easy. The appeal of finding another object to try helped support the system.

A balance shaped around improvisation

The design takeaway is that discouraging gunfire was only part of the task. Giving players appealing alternatives helped make improvisation central to combat. Andersson’s account describes that development process, rather than announcing a wanted system for the released game.