For anyone who has ever watched an Indiana Jones movie, there’s no question about where the title character stands on Nazis. He’s been punching them in the face ever since Raiders of the Lost Ark hit theaters in 1981. Nazis have also been recurring villains in two of the four films that followed. But Bethesda’s upcoming game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, will further emphasis the franchise’s anti-Nazi stance with an in-game statement.
As reported by Video Games Chronicle, The Great Circle’s developer, MachineGames, added the following disclaimer: “The story and contents of this game are not intended to and should not be construed in any way to condone, glorify, or endorse the beliefs, ideologies, events, actions, persons, or behavior of the Nazi and fascist regimes, nor any other regimes or to trivialize any war crimes, genocide, and other crimes against humanity.”
This statement comes amidst a resurgence in neo-Nazi activity, in both Europe and in America. The Indiana Jones movies have never really dealt with the weightier real-world implications of the Nazi atrocities, and the game will follow in those footsteps with some history mixed with fantasy elements. But rest assured, Dr. Jones will be dealing with the game’s Nazis in the same way he’s always done for the last 43 years.
GameSpot’s Kurt Indovina recently shared his early hands-on experience with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which he favorably compared to Dishonored. He also said that the game “understands more than just the aesthetic of Indiana Jones, but also what it means to be Indiana Jones. The result is a promising prospect not just for fans of the franchise, but the adventure genre as a whole.”
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will hit Xbox Series X|S and PC on December 9. A PlayStation 5 port will follow in 2025.