2023's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may have been the last time Harrison Ford portrays the famed professor of archaeology, but it certainly wasn't the last globe-trotting adventure fans would have with Indy. Thanks to Microsoft and Bethesda Softworks, fans were treated to another fun romp with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
The 2024 action-adventure game developed by MachineGames was set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The story follows Indy as he uncovers one of history's greatest mysteries. Rather than watch the adventure unfold, however, players got to experience it first-hand, playing as the titular archaeologist.
You may be surprised to learn that the voice you're hearing in that trailer isn't Harrison Ford, but rather prominent video game voice actor Troy Baker. Baker is one of the industry's most renowned voice actors, best known for voicing Joel Miller in The Last of Us, Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite, Sam Drake in Uncharted, and now Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Critics and fans alike were all very impressed with Baker's performance in the game. And apparently, they weren't the only ones. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Harrison Ford also weighed in on Baker's ability to bring the character to life in the video game. Taking a shot at Hollywood and gaming's tendency to rely on AI to replicate actor's performances, Ford said:
"You don't need artificial intelligence to steal my soul. You can already do it for nickels and dimes with good ideas and talent. [Baker] did a brilliant job, and it didn't take AI to do it."
AI certainly does have its place in entertainment. It was actually used to help de-age Ford in the latest movie Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. While it worked wonders there, the idea of keeping the franchise alive through AI replicating Ford just doesn't seem feasible. Rather, it seems the future of Indy is with video games, especially if Baker can continue to take on the role.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has seemingly been a success for Xbox and Bethesda, reaching four million players on Xbox and PC. We're not quite sure how that translated to sales as the game was a day one launch on Game Pass. It's presumed to have done well though as insiders report that more Indiana Jones games are on the way. For now, though, gamers can look forward to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle coming to PS5 in the coming months.