Prepare to return to the Vatican in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants, the long-awaited first DLC for the title from MachineGames. Players were first introduced to The Order of Giants, or more specifically, the Nephilim Order, through a performance by the late and great Tony Todd, who portrayed Locus, a guardian of the secrets behind The Great Circle. Locus and his fellow Order of Giants played an integral part in the main story of the game, and some side missions as well, as they tried to protect the world from an unimaginable power. Now, with the upcoming paid DLC (either separately or by getting the Ultimate Edition), players will have the opportunity to return to the Vatican to learn more about the secret order, discover more mysteries, solve puzzles, meet new friends, and more. This time around, Indy will uncover a plot by Emperor Nero and the Cult of Mithras, who have their own secrets to unveil.
“There is a myth of a beast in the hidden depths of Rome, rumored to guard a terrible secret… When Indiana Jones encounters Father Ricci, a young priest desperate for help to track down a Roman artifact, a standard treasure hunt soon turns into a perilous journey.”
-Bethesda Softworks
Xbox Wire met with the team behind Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants, who had quite a bit to say about the goals and challenges in creating the DLC. One goal was to expand story elements that couldn’t be fully explored in the main campaign, “the DLC functions as it its own chapter, like a very complex side mission almost, but it also deepens the experience and the understanding of the main game campaign,” said Creative Director Axel Torvenius.
MachineGames continues to use puzzles for players to solve along the way, but were concerned about making them too difficult or having them hamper the player’s ability to enjoy the story. The DLC introduces a new system to help balance its enemies based on how far the player has progressed in the main campaign, “It’s important for us to give players a consistent challenge no matter when they begin their playthrough of The Order of Giants”, said Lead Game Designer Zeke Virant.
“And like the main game, The Order of Giants’ puzzles are designed to be accommodating to different players and their preferences: the overall difficulty of the puzzles can be adjusted as with the main game, and for players who just need a nudge, they can still use Indy’s camera to get incremental hints,” added Virant. Those interested in learning more about the upcoming DLC should check out Xbox Wire’s early hands-on report, which does go a bit more in-depth on what to expect.