Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: Whip cracking thrills guaranteed
What’s that age-old adage, fortune favours the brave? Truer words have never been spoken. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a perilous journey, fraught with danger with every stone disturbed, yet its rewards are worth the scorpion bites and cramped conditions.
Having got but a brief taste of what Indy experiences regularly, it’s easy to understand why he leaves behind the library in search of adventure. The best, and worst, moments happen when you take such a leap. Regrettably, I’ll never become an adventurer, but I can vicariously live out the fantasy through the actions of one of the most legendary archaeologists in popular culture. Safe from spiders and I get to discover lost artefacts? It’s ideal.
I’ve longed to get hands on with Indy since the online preview I attended in August. Cynical though it may be, I wanted to know if the game had substance beyond a compelling presentation – could this rendition live up to the dated wiles of the films? Fortuitously, it does. This is an ode to the tongue-in-cheek whimsy of the 80s movies. MachineGames has superbly reproduced that magic, while also sprinkling in much of its own; it's a potent concoction readily consumed.
In its quest to capture the cinematic quality of Indy's adventuring, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is cutscene heavy. There are plenty of moments where you’re in control, grappling with your whip as you swing over a looming abyss, however, they’re woven together by the artistic stitching of these scenes. Arguably, going between these two different methods of storytelling and perspective had me concerned. Switching from first-person to third-person, if done poorly, would pull the player out of the experience.
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Truth be told, after the first 30 minutes, I didn’t even register when these transitions happened. Obviously, you can tell them apart – you go from being Indiana Jones to acting as a spectator – but the way in which it’s done feels right. That sounds loftily vague. Unfortunately, this is one of those in-game features you need to experience first-hand to fully appreciate the sentiment behind my words. Once you see the fluidity with which these changes are executed, you’ll question why blending the two together felt so controversial.
Notwithstanding, there is action at regular intervals. To the point that my body was rigid with tension by the time I escaped yet another near-death escapade. The worst moments for me were the stealth sections because I have the subtly of a brass band. Try though I might to conceal my actions, I eventually get impatient and activate bull-in-a-china-shop mode. Opportunely for both Indy and me, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle doesn’t enforce stealth. You may end up creating a pile of bodies at the foot of a watchtower because you funnelled every Nazi in a mile radius up that one ladder, but you get the job done. Much like Indy, I don’t have a plan.
My advice to those of you who don’t frequently play action games is to play ‘Light’ mode. This is the easiest level for both action and adventure (aka puzzles), though don’t get cocky now, there’s still challenges ahead. As I found out the hard way, the easy option isn’t so easy, especially when you’re used to throwing spells rather than punching Nazis. I soon got the hang of it, but it felt like a steep learning curve. Should you grow in confidence or skill, or need to backtrack because you assumed you could handle the hellish might of the German army pursuing you, you can alter the difficulty at any point.
An arsenal of weapons are at your disposal. In fact, Indy is like Xbox in that anything can be a weapon if you want it to be – a glass bottle, hammer, plunger, and even a guitar. Indy isn’t picky nor should he be, for there are moments when your gun won’t save you, and your whip can only do so much. While it’s a useful way to take enemies by surprise and yank weapons from their hands, it isn’t a combative tool you rely on. Throughout my playthrough I’ve relied on my revolver and a shovel, both of which I regularly repair when they get too damaged to function.
You may hate this in-game mechanic, but your weapons do break down. Consequently, repair boxes become a staple satchel item. You can’t repair every weapon you find and use – some are destined to remain splintered on the ground – but your key players, like your revolver, will never let you down. Even if you run out of bullets, you can use the butt of your gun to knock an enemy on their arse. Other tools of the trade can also be found in your bag, including relics, bandages, food, disguises, Indy’s trusty camera, a lighter, and his journal. It’s like opening Mary Poppins’ bag.
Besides bandages, which are obviously vital for surviving encounters with power-hungry foes, the camera and journal are the two most essential items of the game. The camera especially. Not only is it a way for you to photograph important locations to earn yourself Adventure Points (AP) to spend on improving Indy’s skills, but it also provides puzzle hints if you’re stumped. You’ll know when to snap a photo because the little camera icon will pop up.
The journal is where you store photographs, as well as any other documents you purloin on the way. From postcards to newspaper clippings to sketches of Gina, Indy takes journaling very seriously. Ergo, it pays to explore. I don’t necessarily mean in a completionist sense but rather an investigative one; Indy loves having all the puzzle pieces, even if it doesn’t directly impact the main mission. To begin with, I found myself actively avoiding the main story quests so that I could focus on side missions. It was highly rewarding, yet unfeasible to continue when on a deadline to deliver a review. Indy didn’t leave no stone unturned, however, he upturned quite a few at each location he visited.
Inside the journal is where you’ll also level up Indy’s core abilities. Adventure Books are dotted around in every region you visit, each one offering Dr. Jones knowledge in exchange for AP. You receive these points for solving mysteries, making discoveries, and delving deeper in a bid to better understand the secrets of the world. Do not neglect this part of the game; in doing so you’ll miss out on beneficial perks. Still, even without their aid, Indy is resourceful.
Being an international man of renown, not least of all because he always stirs up trouble one way or another, Indy can’t just afford to be spotted by the enemy. The classic outfit, although iconic, does tend to stand out from the crowd when you’re walking around the Vatican, for example. When restricted areas stand between you and the Great Circle, disguises become a means to survival. I wouldn’t say that he’s a master of disguise, however, Indy blends in more easily when he dresses for the occasion. That said, I did find it hilarious that he was dressed as a man of the cloth while walking around with a whip clearly visible under his jacket.
Going between his traditional ensemble and a disguise is seamless, to the point that you don’t really see Indy change. With but a quick removal of his hat he can become anyone, provided you have a new outfit to change into. Although disguises allow you to move around more freely, some enemies will still spot you if you raise their suspicions. Furthermore, you won’t be able to use your revolver when you’re dressed as an excavation worker.
When minutes matter, it’s beneficial that Indy does a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it costume change. Be that as it may, I feel like there was a missed opportunity here, or rather, the potential of the feature wasn’t fully realised. It’s such an integral part of exploration, yet the action of changing your outfit is underwhelming. Evidently, you can’t traverse certain sectors without disguises, however, that’s about the only reason you’ll be bothered about the feature.
Undoubtedly by now, this has further piqued your curiosity about the length of the game. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a sizeable romp, but it doesn’t overstay its welcome; you could finish the game in under 15-20 hours, give or take, if you primarily focus on the main storyline. In this sense, this experience is what you make it. Thematically, it better aligns with the cinematic origins of the character to have a more condensed story; hundreds of hours of action would be too much even for the great Indiana Jones. MachineGames leaves you hungry for more, though also satisfied if this should be Indy’s one and only outing.
And oh, what an expedition it is! I've never been so relieved to see the harsh, blinding light of day hit me in the face as I crawl out of a tomb. Yet, strangely, I longed to descend into another catacomb the moment normality was somewhat restored. I say this even as someone who’s had to endure what she feared most: in-game swimming. The water could be as clear as a summer’s day sky, yet I’d still break out into a cold sweat at the prospect of diving below the surface. There are times, unfortunately for me, when I’ve had to grin and bear it. I could moan about this, however, Indy diving down to find a secret underwater tunnel feels like a given – he couldn’t be such a successful daredevil if a bit of water got in his way. Or a lot of water, at times.
Even when Indy’s submerged, the beauty of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle shines through. It’s the light in the endless dark; the glint of an ancient coin out of the corner of your eye. At every stop on the map, I found myself admiring the attention to detail MachineGames has incorporated into this experience. Regardless of whether you can interact with an item or not, it’s still a visual treat for the eyes. There are various aspects of gameplay the developers have done exceedingly well, but its aesthetic is arguably the best bit. Seeing spots of rain leave damp patches on Indy’s hat as rivulets left glistening lines on his cheeks was one of those “holy s**t, this is stunning” moments.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that some elements of gameplay are a little janky, randomly floating weapons being one such issue. During a skirmish, I watched as an NPC’s arms were positioned to hold a rifle while said rifle levitated above him, untouched yet able to fire. There was also another moment when a gun jiggled after getting caught on the rung of a ladder; I shouldn’t have been able to pick it up, yet I was able to. In doing so, I lived to fight another day. Nonetheless, while there are some problems to iron out, they’re not game-breaking obstacles but rather minor details that require additional finesse.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has fortune and glory in spades. In the words of Indy, “If you wanna be a good archaeologist, you gotta get out of the library!” This homage, lovingly crafted by MachineGames, takes you on the adventure of a lifetime, not as a casual viewer but as the intrepid explorer himself.
You’ll see the world through Indy’s eyes, experiencing his thirst for knowledge and treasure that’s never quite sated. We become a part of the mysticism that bubbles beneath the surface of the mundane, allowing us a tangible insight into the life of an adventurer many of us have admired since childhood. MachineGames, I tip my hat to you. You put everything into this. Not just your industry experience but your passion for Indiana Jones also, culminating in a breathtaking love letter to the valiant hero.
Pros: Visually stunning, exceptional voice acting, authentic to the films, and high stakes action
Cons: Sometimes janky, and cutscene heavy (personally, I don’t mind this, but some will)
For fans of: Uncharted, Tomb Raider, Horizon Forbidden West
Score: 9/10 - Exceptional
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is available on Xbox Series X/S (version tested), and Steam. Review code provided by the publisher. Find a complete guide to GAMINGbible's review scores here.