Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: exhilarating old-school action
Comment information
Reviewed platforms: Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Available for: Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, PS5 (Spring 2025)
release date: December 6, 2024
As an adaptation of its source material, Indiana Jones and the Circle It was simply a huge success. It perfectly captures the overall look and tone of the film series, offering a world-traveling adventure that will delight even those who know nothing about it. It’s also a pure joy to play, thanks to some incredibly well-designed locations filled with enough secrets to keep you occupied for hours at a time.
I’ve had reservations about the first-person combat system since the game’s initial release, but I can confidently say that developer MachineGames has deftly transitioned from an over-the-top shooter to a more scrappy melee system. Fighting Nazi legions has never been more satisfying, and the focus on improvisation actually results in memorable moments, especially if you’re not afraid to try out every tool at your disposal.
have something to hold on to Indiana Jones and the Circle However, there is a distinct lack of finishing on the back. Progress-blocking bugs are common, but fortunately they’re never a big problem thanks to an extremely effective autosave system. And stunning visual effects Xbox Series Xsimply not up to the standards of the less powerful Xbox Series S. A patch will almost inevitably address this issue in the coming weeks and months, but it will really dampen an otherwise strong launch.
popcorn movie
The story takes place after the events of the first film in the series, Lost Ark Guide, Indiana Jones and the Circle A self-contained story is told that, apart from brief flashback sequences and a handful of references, stands alone. When a burly man breaks into Marshall College and steals an ancient cat mummy from the university’s archeology department, Indy is forced into a race to uncover the Great Circle, a series of interconnected ancient sites around the world. secret and protect it from destruction. Nazi archaeologist Emmerich Voss hopes to use its power to expand the Third Reich.
The pair are dynamic and have a believable and engaging rivalry that could easily put Vos on par with some of cinema’s most memorable villains. Reporter Gina Lombardi spent several hours in Indy searching for her missing sister. She makes a great companion, and as the plot progresses, her initial misgivings slowly turn into true friendship. There’s nothing groundbreaking about the narrative by any means, but everything is told and conveyed through cutscenes that are absolutely stunning.
the best bit
Indy is definitely a foodie. Each map is filled with unique treats to collect, from exotic fruits to biscotti that you can wolf down to quickly build up your stamina. Stopping to stuff my face before a big encounter was a constant source of fun.
Indiana Jones and the Circle Benefiting from some of the best motion capture and animation work I’ve ever experienced, only surpassed by films that truly push the boundaries Senua’s Legend: Hellblade 2. The characters’ movements are almost eerily real, and their faces are so stunning that it’s easy to forget you’re not sitting in a movie theater. Of course, that wouldn’t mean much if the voice acting wasn’t perfect.
Luckily, the ever-reliable Troy Baker gives a wonderful Indiana Jones performance, and Alessandra Mastronardi seems to be just as good as Kat. Gina, too, deftly retorts and cries in agony at emotional climaxes. Cutscenes are presented in a near-continuous manner, neatly intertwined between gameplay moments, and can last for minutes at a time, but it’s impossible to complain about their hands-off nature when they look and sound this good.
thinking hat
The plot takes you through a series of different locations around the world, from war-torn Shanghai to a frozen Nazi ship wrecked atop a Himalayan mountain. Each piece has been meticulously recreated, filled with authentic 1930s details and countless items to pick up and examine. The choice to accurately represent regional languages ​​and accents is also a great one, truly giving each region its own flavor and adding greatly to the immersion.
While most parts are linear, there are three huge open world areas worth exploring. The first is in Vatican City, where Mussolini’s Blackshirts are exploiting the ailing pope’s weaknesses to hunt for ancient artifacts. It’s no exaggeration to say that this is one of the best environments I’ve ever explored in a video game.
On my first playthrough, I spent nearly seven hours trying to complete optional objectives and track down collectibles, and it felt like I’d barely scratched the surface of what was on offer. There’s something new to discover every few steps, and it’s all interesting and well-designed rather than just filler. The puzzles are plentiful and, to me, they’re perfectly balanced – requiring just the right amount of thinking but not becoming frustrating on medium difficulty.
The same goes for the people you meet in the story, although these also have a smart integrated hint system if you get stuck. Use Indy’s camera to take a photo of any story puzzle to get a quick tip or, if you continue, detailed instructions on what you need to do. It’s not a system I need to use, but I’m glad it works for players who prefer to focus on the action.
Unfortunately, I also ran into some frustrating progress-blocking bugs during these puzzles. Sometimes the items needed to complete them don’t spawn at all, causing the progress to be impossible to complete. There are also times when Indy’s hands get stuck – unable to interact with the world. A note mentioned a fireplace, so I climbed in, thinking there might be some kind of hidden door, only to fall through the floor to my death – I guess you’d say I was almost right?
All of these issues were resolved by reverting to my last autosave, which thankfully was very frequent, but did once require me to go back even further and painfully lose nearly an hour of gameplay.
Button masher
Puzzles and exploration are only part of the game, though, with combat also being a key pillar of the experience. There’s a basic stealth system here, but I always choose to go in as loud as the situation allows, which is an approach I highly recommend. With powerful, satisfying punches and lightning-fast dodges, the melee system delivers thrilling combat. You also have Indy’s iconic whip, which can be used in a variety of ways depending on your goals.
A quick attack with both hands will disarm most enemies, giving you the opportunity to sweep across and grab their weapons. Aim for the leg and you’ll see Indy yank it, perfect if you want to send an unsuspecting guard flying off a ledge. You can also pull enemies towards you, grabbing them for a vicious beating. Almost any object you find can be used as a weapon, and fighting Nazis with everything from feather dusters to frying pans is as cathartic as it sounds.
Guns are also present, albeit always representing a fascinating balance of risk and reward. They’re much faster than fists, but loud enough to prompt enemies to draw their own fists – and it only takes a few hits to render you incapacitated. It’s a well-thought-out dichotomy that makes them ideal in a pinch, but prevents run and gun from being a consistently viable approach. Factor in the numerous upgrades that are hidden throughout the stages in book form, and you have a formula that left me eager to get back in for more after the credits rolled.
That is to say, Indiana Jones and the Circle There’s one unavoidable drawback that you might encounter, depending on how you play: its visuals on the Xbox Series S. The game looks great on Xbox Series X, but just isn’t up to par on Xbox Series X. MicrosoftThe machine is weaker. The framerate is smooth, but muddy textures, blurry resolution, low-detail models, and unpleasant lighting ruin most environments – even with the optional high-resolution texture pack installed. It’s not impossible to have fun like this by any means, but given the system’s massive user base, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to have higher expectations for first-party games.
I’m crossing my fingers that some kind of visual overhaul is coming, because that’s really the only thing stopping me from accepting more unreserved, truly glowing recommendations. If you own an Xbox Series X, a powerful gaming PC, or can Xbox Game Pass Subscribe and there’s no reason not to get involved.
Should I play Indiana Jones and the Circle?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility
Indiana Jones and the Circle has a great set of accessibility options. You can increase the size of the UI to increase visibility, or swap between some color presets.
There are multiple color filter modes in addition to high-contrast effects and customizable high-contrast color options for key items, weapons, and more.
This is on top of multiple difficulty levels for combat, puzzles, or exploration.
How do I review Indiana Jones and the Circle?
I play Indiana Jones and the Circle More than 20 hours for both parties Xbox Series S 1TB and Xbox Series X.
During that time, I completed the entire main story and spent a considerable amount of time exploring each environment. I worked hard to find as much extra content as possible, mastered some side quests and optional activities, and plan to get back into it with more.
On Xbox Series S, I use a 1080p monitor to play games, while on Xbox Series XI I rely on 4K sony television. In both cases I used the standard Xbox Wireless Controller. For audio, I pulled out my most trusted Astronomy A50X On Xbox Series S and SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 On Xbox Series X.
The first review will be in December 2024.
