On December 9, Indiana Jones will get his first video game adaptation in over a decade with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. With over three hours of cinematic cutscenes, multiple tools at players’ disposal, and a globe-spanning adventure, the game is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year.
With the release date approaching and preorders for the game already available, Tech Reader caught up with Executive Producer Todd Howard and Indiana Jones actor Troy Baker to discuss The Great Circle and the wild few years they’ve had with the success of the Fallout and The Last of Us series adaptations. Both talked about the effort and insecurity behind turning an iconic character into a video game hero once again. Like a lot of skeptics, Baker didn’t believe he was cut out for it originally — and neither did Todd Howard.
Tech Reader: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle takes place between Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade, so it focuses on a younger Indy. When you went to make the game, did you get any tips or advice from Harrison Ford or Steven Spielberg about how Indy would move, act, and talk?
Howard: They’re aware of the project, but we really used the movies as our guide. We looked at Raiders and said this is the character, this is the time period in his life, and these are his mannerisms.
Baker: We have 40 years of source material, so there’s a lot to learn from. To prepare for the role, I would wake up every morning and watch some of Raiders, then I’d listen to John Williams’ score, and watch Temple and Crusade. What I found is that Harrison Ford is the auteur of that character, along with Lucas and Spielberg. But the Indy we all know and love is also created by how we all felt watching those movies. My idea of Indy will be a little different from Todd’s, even though we’re watching the same character in the same movie. For me, it’s not just about understanding his mannerisms and movements, it’s about understanding what’s behind it all. That’s what really helped us take the character they created and make our own story for him.
I have to say, you did a fantastic job of recreating his voice in the game.
Baker: You know, I didn’t originally think I’d be right for the role. Back in 2019, Tom Keegan, a director I’d never worked with before, reached out to my agent and asked if he could call me. He said that they were casting for an Indiana Jones game and he’d like me for the role. I said, “Great I’ll give you two names and one of these two people will be a great fit.” He said, “Thanks, but I like you for this role.” So I agreed to put myself on tape, and I told him that if he thinks it’s good, he can send it on, but if it’s not, then burn that tape (laughs). He ended up liking my audition and everything culminated in one final Zoom call with everyone, including Todd. And Todd gets on and says, “I didn’t want you in my game.” It was a hell of a way to start a meeting.
Howard: I’ll be honest, when they first said they wanted Troy for the game, I gave an eye roll. I believe my exact line was, “What, Troy Baker’s the guy to solve every lead actor issue in a game now?” (laughs) It just felt like a cop-out in some way. But then Troy’s audition came in, and it was just so good. It wasn’t just the voice, but also the mannerisms. We even did a bunch of blind tests with Troy and some of the other possible actors, and every time, Troy won.
I’ve already seen some chatter online with people wondering if this will just feel like Uncharted or Tomb Raider … which is ironic since both of those games are heavily inspired by Indiana Jones. Aside from Indy’s character, what would you say to anyone who is worried this will feel too similar to other franchises?
Howard: Our game has a lot of cinematics. There’s over three hours of scenes in it, but at its heart, it’s still a game. There’s also certain things that work well for movies and things that work well for video games. Games do geography well and they can put you in a character in ways a movie can’t. It’s a new unique way to experience the franchise.
Baker: I also feel like it isn’t a “do you pick up this or that,” I feel like a lot of people will pick up both. When you watch Indy, you want to be there, cracking that whip and solving mysteries, and that’s exactly what this game allows you to do.
This game is releasing after you’ve both had a pretty massive few years. Todd, you work on Fallout, which just received an acclaimed, Emmy-nominated series adaptation, and Troy, you’re the voice of Joel in The Last of Us, which has had a widely praised Emmy-winning series adaptation. What’s it been like navigating these few years?
Howard: For Fallout, it was a long journey. There were a lot of pitches to do Fallout as a movie or TV show, and then I met Jonah Nolan and his crew at Kilter, and it felt like we melded on what this could be. My mode was ‘Don’t treat it like it’s a video game, this is source material for a linear story.’ It’s been great to see so many people experience the world of Fallout who never would have played the game.
Baker: I think what led to the success of both Fallout and The Last of Us was that they kept the creators involved. Even if it’s a spiritual connection to the people who brought these franchises into the world, keep them involved and engaged, as opposed to just going, “Yeah, yeah, we get it.”
Do you think there are any other games out there that would be perfect to adapt into a movie or TV show?
Howard: Indiana Jones, I feel like Indiana Jones would make a good movie (laughs).
Baker: Oh yeah, someone should really do that!
