For years, Indiana Jones fans have yearned for an authentic adaptation that recaptures the charm, comedy, and feel of the beloved 1980s movie trilogy outside of LEGO form. With its expert mixture of exhilarating action, thematic puzzles, and beautifully crafted sound design, I’m delighted to say Indiana Jones and the Great Circle delivers everything an Indy fan could ever want.
Set after the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle places players in the boots —and beneath the iconic fedora— of Indiana Jones in a first-person adventure spanning the globe. Following a masterful recreation of Raiders‘ intro serving as the tutorial, the story is set into motion when a giant man (played by the late and great Tony Todd) steals a seemingly inconspicuous artifact from Marshall College. With a new mystery to solve, Indy has an excuse to skip teaching and hop on a plane to beat the stuffing out of various Axis powers to unravel a wider conspiracy.
Players have free roam around most of the locations Indy winds up in, such as the Vatican and an Egyptian dig site. While Indy’s friends in the main story gently nudge you forward, the game encourages venturing off the path to solve optional “Mysteries,” take photographs, and find hidden collectibles. These side activities all reward “Adventure Points,” a currency used to enhance Indy’s abilities. Your level of guidance reflects your “Adventure Experience” settings, which allows you to individually control aspects such as puzzle difficulty, objective text, and location markers to suit your playstyle.
Even at its highest Adventure Experience difficulty, the puzzles in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are more about immersion and enhancing the adventure than providing head-scratching challenges. While more challenge would’ve been welcome, the relatively straightforward puzzles allow you to focus on the narrative and exploration without being halted by overly complex riddles.
The areas featured in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle feel authentically rooted in their era and culture and are a treat to explore. The visual fidelity is stunning, with outdoor areas enhanced by impressive lighting effects and dimly lit tombs glowing under the faint flicker of a torch. Indoor environments are especially remarkable, with photorealistic detail in paintings and decor, making it hard not to take a break from the adventure and admire.
Throughout most of the adventure, Indiana is accompanied by Gina Lombardi, portrayed wonderfully by Alessandra Mastronardi. Gina, an Italian journalist, becomes a vital part of the story as she investigates the mysterious disappearance of her sister while joining forces with Indy to achieve their shared goals. Gina often works alongside Jones to solve puzzles, uncover clues, and provide a unique perspective on story elements along the way. She also throws hands alongside you, making combat easier when she’s around. During stealth segments, enemies completely ignore her, which works well but results in unintentionally hilarious moments with enemies frantically searching for her while staring at her in the eye. Gina’s dynamic with Indy works brilliantly, both in terms of gameplay and story, and has landed Miss Lombardi as one of my favorite companions in the franchise. Nobody is ever replacing Short Round, though.
In addition to puzzle-solving and exploration, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle puts significant emphasis on hand-to-hand combat and stealth mechanics. As someone who typically winces at the sheer mention of stealth in adventure games, I was genuinely impressed at how well this works. The system is simple yet effective — you can pick up objects lying around, sneak behind an enemy, and knock them out with a satisfying WHACK to the skull and/or a swift kick between the legs.
You can also throw objects to divert an enemy’s attention, though that’s as complex as it gets.If stealth is absolutely off the table, the good news is that the game generally doesn’t force you into it. In the fashion of the classic movies, I’ve managed to escape from fights with clever use of the bullwhip to disarm enemies and attach myself onto a ledge they couldn’t reach. You will struggle without the use of stealth on higher difficulties, however.
Melee combat in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an exhilarating experience, amplified by its fluidity, excellent sound design, and the natural satisfaction that comes with landing hits on Nazis and Fascists. Whether wielding improvised weapons or bare-knuckle brawling, each hit feels impactful and rewarding. Combat mechanics are tied to a stamina gauge, which adds a layer of strategy to each encounter. Every action depletes your stamina, and since it doesn’t regenerate while blocking, timing your punches and use of the bullwhip to stun or disarm is essential. You can pick up from enemies for quick and effective kills but at the tradeoff of being loud enough to alert the entire area of your presence.
Like the adventure side of the Great Circle, the “Action Experience” sections feature numerous customizable combat difficulty settings. This includes the number of melee attackers, ranged enemies, enemy damage, awareness indicators, auto-parry, and more. Overall, the level of customizability with difficulty settings is an excellent feature that opens the door for any Indiana Jones or action-adventure gamers to enjoy equally.
One of the most standout aspects of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is its sound design, which perfectly captures the spirit of the original trilogy. Any fan of Indiana Jones—or ’80s and ’90s classics in general— knows how crucial John Williams’ iconic music is, and Gordy Haab has masterfully emulated and utilized that magic here. The soundtrack is dynamic, often adapting the gameplay, such as when enemies start to suspect Indy and the shift in music to heighten intense scenes. Similarly, the score elevates emotional or action-packed moments in cutscenes, crafting an experience that feels cinematic and incredibly true to the films.
The excellence in sound design extends far beyond the music, too, with rich, detailed sounds that make environments feel alive. Every sound is meticulously crafted, from the sharp crack of Indy’s whip to the rush of water when passing metal pipes or coins on the floor of an ancient tomb reacting to the speed of your movement.
The performances and motion capture in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are top-notch, bringing characters new and old to life with remarkable authenticity straight out of the movies. Troy Baker does an excellent job of capturing Indy’s distinctive wit and charm in a genuine and respectful way. Equally impressive is Marios Gavrilis, whose portrayal of Emmerich Voss has cemented his place as my all-time favorite villain in the franchise. The high-quality motion capture elevates these performances, capturing subtle changes in expression and movement that truly make the game feel like a genuine movie from the original trilogy’s era. The slapstick, humor, charm, and sense of adventure are all present.
I’m not exaggerating when I say Indiana Jones and the Great Circle feels like a movie. The game is packed with cutscenes. So much so that the sheer number might have been frustrating in a less polished game, but the strong performances, authentic feel, and compelling story ensure they never overstay their welcome. The pacing strikes a fine balance between gameplay and storytelling, which kept me engaged throughout the entire adventure. In terms of length, I expect the average player to complete Indiana Jones and the Great Circle between 13-18 hours, though this will vary between difficulty levels and the number of optional content completed.
You don’t need to be an Indiana Jones fan to play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, though I believe it certainly plays a significant part in the overall enjoyment. At times, the amusement relies on fans recognizing callbacks and references. I admit I found myself smiling like an idiot at aspects like the plane map transitions and humming along to the iconic tune. When you find a collectible that references an obscure character from a 1993 Indiana Jones book published only in French, you know MachineGames did their homework.
Despite the intimidating system requirements for the PC version, my experience with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was silky smooth on Xbox Series X at 4K resolution. I can count the number of frame drops on one hand, and each instance lasted less than a second, typically occurring during cutscenes. As mentioned earlier, the game shines visually, with an unmatched attention to detail in its indoor areas. From sweltering deserts to beautiful ancient architecture, the environments in this game are beautifully rendered, immersive, and crafted with care. Occasionally, character faces and details under specific lighting, particularly in bright areas, seemed lower in quality than the environment. However, this doesn’t apply to cutscenes, which have phenomenal detail and likeness to existing characters.
With its stunning visuals, satisfying combat, immersive exploration, and standout character performances, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle delivers on every front, offering an experience as close to a classic Indiana Jones film as an action-adventure game can get. The game successfully combines cinematic storytelling with engaging gameplay and outstanding sound design, bringing players to the heart of the adventure a must-play title for Indiana Jones fans everywhere.
Whether you’re a casual gamer with a soft spot for Indiana Jones or a fan of cinematic action-adventure titles, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has something for everyone. The game’s customizable difficulty settings and accessible mechanics ensure players of all skill levels can enjoy the adventure. However, don’t expect to spend hours cracking intricate puzzles and riddles — the Great Circle leans more into its action, narrative, and authenticity than brain teasers.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is available for PC and Xbox Series X, with a PlayStation 5 version arriving in 2025.
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.
With its stunning visuals, satisfying combat, immersive exploration, and standout character performances, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle delivers on every front, offering an experience as close to a classic Indiana Jones film as an action-adventure game can get. The game successfully combines cinematic storytelling with engaging gameplay and outstanding sound design, bringing players to the heart of the adventure a must-play title for Indiana Jones fans everywhere.
- The cast delivers a stellar performance throughout.
- Puzzles take a backseat compared to action and exploration but still enhance the adventure overall.
- I apologize for the title.
- Watching Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is recommended but not required.
Published: Dec 5, 2024 07:01 pm