The New Indiana Jones Video Game Takes Place Between Raiders And Last Crusade
This week, Lucasfilm and Bethesda, the makers of hit video games like "Fallout" and "Elder Scrolls," provided an exciting first look at their upcoming Indiana Jones video game. Titled "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle," the game is a first-person adventure (one made for the Xbox Series X/S and PC) that puts players into the shoes of Dr. Henry Jones Jr. as he embarks on yet another thrilling quest for archaeological glory. However, with a total of five films in the Indiana Jones film franchise, you might be wondering: when does this particular story take place? Fortunately, we have the answer.
The trailer for "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" shows us a younger Indiana Jones, so it was clear this wouldn't be taking place closer to the recently released "Dial of Destiny" or even "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Instead, the official press release for the Indy video game confirms that "Great Circle" will unfold in 1937, between the events of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1936) and "The Last Crusade" (1938). So, for all of you holding out for a surprise appearance from Mutt Williams, you're going to walk away disappointed.
By taking place between "Raiders" and "Last Crusade," the game is undoubtedly giving us Indiana Jones in his prime. If you're wondering where "Temple of Doom" stands in all of this, let us remind you that the sequel is actually a prequel that takes place in 1935, before the events of "Raiders," so by the time "The Great Circle" rolls around, that movie has already happened to Indy. There's a chance that it also leaves room for an appearance by Marion Ravenwood, though it would likely be brief, especially since there's a new female companion glimpsed in the trailer (as seen above).
What about Henry Jones Sr.?
Personally, I'm wondering if having the movie set before "Last Crusade" means there's a chance we'll get involvement from Indy's father, Henry Jones Sr. After all, he was an archaeologist long before his son put on the fedora, and it wouldn't be too hard for the character to have some kind of presence, whether it's in a flashback, reading a letter to Indy, being heard on a phone call, or maybe even helping Indy somewhere in person. With an adventure that sprawls from "hallowed halls of the Vatican and the arid deserts of Egypt to the lush and sunken temples of Sukhothai and the frigid peaks of the Himalayas," the expertise of Indy's father could certainly come in handy.
Having a new wrinkle and a piece of adventure between the Jones family would make for a nice addition to the canon. Though Sean Connery is no longer with us, neither is Denholm Elliott, but that didn't keep his character Marcus Brody from appearing in the game's trailer. Surely, there's a good Connery voice actor out there who could bring the senior Jones to life in video game form alongside Troy Baker as Indiana Jones.
Furthermore, as the trailer teases, there are also plenty of Nazis messing about in this new adventure. Though we won't encounter any of the primary villains from "Raiders of the Lost Ark," since they all either had their faces melted off or ended up blown away entirely, there will still be plenty of Hitler's cronies to whip, punch, kick, and shoot, and that will surely make the game very satisfying.
"Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" doesn't have a specific release date yet, but it's expected to arrive sometime in 2024.