TheIndiana Jonesfranchise has had some solid villains over the years.Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Toht and Belloqwere an unlikely but formidable duo,Temple of Doom’s Mola Ram was a terrifying supernatural threat,The Last Crusade’s Donovan had wealth on his side,Kingdom of the Crystal Skullswapped out Nazis for Soviet Union troops, andDial of Destinyoffered a new spin on fascism.
EachIndiana Jonesvillain has two main purposes in the movie they appear in. One is to add stakes to the story, usually in the form of a race against the clock for the eponymous hero, and the second is to throw life-threatening obstacles in Indy’s way.Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Emmerich Voss achieves that and so much more.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Emmerich Voss Is One of the Franchise’s Best Villains
Emmerich Voss Is The Perfect Foil for Indiana Jones
One of the most memorable antagonists intheIndiana JonesfranchiseisRaiders of the Lost Ark’s Rene Belloq. A French archaeologist, Belloq acts as a foil to Indiana Jones, essentially being the darker version of the titular adventurer. While Belloq’s career and life feature many similarities to Indiana Jones', his methods are far more unethical. That thin line between hero and villain is one ofRaiders of the Lost Ark’s more subtle, but intriguing thematic explorations.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circlefeatures its own foil for Indiana Jones, albeit one who’s decisively more evil. The head of the Third Reich’s archeology efforts, Emmerich Voss is a lover of ancient worlds just like Indy, but where Indy sees wonder and the capacity for learning in ancient artifacts, Voss only sees the potential to gain power.
Manipulation is Emmerich Voss' Whole MO
While theIndiana Jonesfranchise has had some threatening villains, none have been quite so intimidating as Emmerich Voss. When players first lay their eyes on Voss duringIndiana Jones and the Great Circle’s story, Indy immediately remarks that the Nazi archaeologist is a master manipulator who uses his research on psychology to toy with people’s minds and get what he wants.
The first time players properlymeet Emmerich Voss, they get to see this professional manipulation first hand. Voss convinces the Vatican’s Father Ventura to show him top-secret artifacts, simply by using his wit, powers of deduction, and some fancy words. In Gizeh, players watch as Voss manipulates his Nazi colleague Gantz into becoming his lapdog, turning his insecurities against him and offering sudden affirmations to make the officer loyal.
Players can also find a letter inhe Gizeh Nazi headquartersfrom an officer named Meier, further detailing Voss' manipulative behavior. In the letter, Meier writes that whenever a soldier simply bores Voss, he dissects their psychology and breaks them, apparently leading to some men running into the desert without water.
Emmerich Voss Poses More of a Tangible Threat Than Any Other Indiana Jones Villain
Indy has dealt with plenty of Nazis in his time, but none has posed such an overt, mighty threat as Emmerich Voss. Players can find several letters throughoutIndiana Jones and the Great Circleaddressed to Voss from Adolf Hitler himself. These letters confirm that Voss has a good portion of the Nazi army at his disposal, and in 1937, that carries some heavy weight. With Voss, Indiana Jones is truly one man going against an army.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them - Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.YOU ARE INDIANA JONESLive the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITSTravel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.WHIP-CRACKING ACTIONIndiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERYVenture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps ,and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
