Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review: Gleeful Globe-Trotting Beyond the Stealth Slog
Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Circle deftly try to stay true to the source material while also trying to outdo the game series it most inspired, Uncharted. The adventure game has the charm of a movie, but unfortunately it falls short in gameplay.
The Great Circle is the latest in a series of video games starring archaeologist and explorer Indiana Jones in new adventures outside of the original film. Swedish studio MachineGames, best known for its new-age Wolfenstein games, has been tapped by parent publisher Bethesda to bring its experience making modern Nazi shooters to the legendary Indiana Jones series in game. Needless to say, there are big expectations for the game, which is set to release on December 8th.
The story of “The Great Circle” takes place in 1937, right between “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and the first and third “Last Crusade” in the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” timeline. Indy teaches archeology at Marshall College, and when an artifact is stolen, he embarks on another globe-trotting adventure. Just like in the movie, he must uncover long-lost secrets by solving ancient puzzles while racing against Nazis who also seek to gain access to secret powers found in magical artifacts.
The game did an excellent job of immersing me in the interwar world of Indiana Jones, with great voice acting, character swapping, and an experience lifted directly from the movies, but the stealth gameplay left a lot to be desired.
Explore the world with Indy
An Indiana Jones game needs to have a specific tone that combines a sense of wonder and adventure with the charm of Indy. Da Yuan hits these notes again and again.
Fidelity to the source material is evident right from the start of the game, as the tutorial level recreates the opening sequence from Raiders of the Lost Ark, which introduces the audience to the adventurers exploring a South American tomb. Amazingly, the game captures the look and feel of this iconic scene, featuring a striking digital version of Harrison Ford who looks just like he did in the movie, right down to the moment he cracks his whip at the guy. Only then did I see his face. About to shoot him. The opening credits even feature Alfred Molina as Sepito.
Famous voice actor Troy Baker provides the voice for “Indy” and his impersonation really made me believe Harrison Ford was doing the voice. Baker expertly recreates Indy’s different tones throughout the film, from his professional, calm voice at Marshall College to his sarcastic shouts when things aren’t going well. The rest of the main voice cast is equally charming, and there’s a lot of fun banter between Indy and the other characters that really gives the game an Indiana Jones feel.
As expected from an Indiana Jones game, there are multiple locations around the world to explore, starting with Vatican City after the tutorial phase. Developer MachineGames has brought the expected grandeur to the area. It gives people a sense of wonder and mystery, as if there is a 1,000-year-old secret hidden behind every wall.
After discovering clues in Vatican City, Indy continues his travels to learn more about the Great Circle in Egypt, Thailand, and beyond. Each area is somewhat like an open world where Indy can perform some tasks, which usually involve collecting items and visiting attractions.
Indy acquires a camera in the Vatican, an important item that he uses to photograph historical monuments, which will reward the player with action points. When Indy encounters certain books scattered around the world, these points can be used to improve Indy’s health, stamina, and other attributes – a progression that rewards exploration and makes combat easier. Money can also be found and used to unlock the location of some treasures in the area, which will lead to more action points.
As Indy explores each area, he encounters ancient puzzles, another aspect that the game faithfully recreates from the movie. The puzzles are light challenges, often involving things like moving around certain structures, drawing horizontal lines, and reflecting sunlight off mirrors. There are some head-scratching things, and sometimes Indy’s companions give him instructions on what to do. Some of the harder puzzles require you to solve them on your own, though most of the time I was confused and that’s because I didn’t look up to see the next area to a ledge I could jump to or a pillar Indy could climb up with his whip.
It was during the puzzle that I found myself delighted with the score. The game’s soundtrack, composed by Gordy Haab, recreates John Willaims’ legendary score for the original film, while also adding some new touches of his own, but what stood out to me the most was What smiles is the little musical snippet of the puzzle. These subtle soundtrack cues are like thinking music to me.
Invisibility, why must it be invisible?
It makes sense that an archeology professor wouldn’t put up a serious fight with Nazis. While I’m not a big fan of stealth games these days, The Great Circle’s gameplay understandably focuses on stealth, and there are plenty of tools you can use to avoid drawing attention. While Indy is good at taking down multiple combatants at once, stealth will be key to surviving among his squadrons of soldiers.
There is no particularly unique stealth mechanic in Big Circle. Just follow the standard strategy of trying not to be spotted by enemies, but you do have a timer that starts from when enemies spot you and then they become aggressive, so there’s plenty of time to hide behind boxes or vehicles. When there’s a bunch of bad guys around, it’s common to throw some bottles nearby to distract them.
One tool available is the various camouflages that help blend in with the local area. Once Indy gains disguise, he’ll be able to access more enemy-protected areas, but you’ll have to play the role. If Indy is seen grabbing items from the table or attacking someone randomly, all nearby enemies will notice and immediately become aggressive. Among the bad guys are captains who instantly detect disguises, which provides an extra level of stealth gameplay in certain areas.
Stealth works well in Big Circle, but it doesn’t add anything special. There were also some frustrating moments when enemies spotted me earlier than I expected, requiring me to quickly hide or run away until I had a better idea of ​​the range at which the enemy would have to detect me.
Fighting Nazis is not that easy
Just like stealth, the combat in Big Circle is both faithful to the film and logical. Indy is not a Marine who can wipe out a battalion of Nazis with just one rifle. Just like in the movie, he can only punch using the various melee weapons scattered throughout, and occasionally brandish his pistol. Unfortunately, this isn’t as fun as it sounds and gets a bit boring.
Melee combat is very simple. Indy can punch with his left and right fists, or you can hold down the punch button to unleash a more powerful blow that lowers an enemy’s defense. He can also block enemy attacks, giving them a little push to gain some space or quickly dodge.
Pipes, shovels and even fly swatters are used as improvised weapons around the world. Each has its own strength and durability, with some capable of knocking out enemies in one or two hits and lasting several hits before being destroyed. One frustrating aspect of weapons is that Indy will constantly drop them when picking up other items or performing other actions, requiring him to pick them up again and again.
Indy does have his trusty pistol on him, but don’t get too excited. It only comes with a few bullets, and it’s hard to find more. Some soldiers carry machine guns that Indy can use briefly, but you’ll still likely be at a disadvantage when you encounter them, making stealth a better option.
And Indy’s iconic whip. He’ll always have it with him, but it’s mostly a tool for crossing gaps and climbing up and down. When used in combat, it can distract enemies and even take guns away from them. Its unique function is to subdue watchdogs that whimper and run away when it breaks.
Unfortunately, despite this combination of tools and methods, combat takes away from the fun. Just a little boring. Of course, if you’re stealthy, there won’t be a lot of fights, but if you find yourself stuck in one fight after another, it’ll be boring and no more fun.
A world-traveling adventure fit for a movie, not a game
Great Circle attempts and succeeds in staying true to the original work, making players feel like they are in the world of the classic original film. While this achievement is impressive for such a prestigious film series, this reserved tone doesn’t extend to the more interactive parts of the video game. I would feel giddy while watching cutscenes, solving puzzles, or listening to Indy explain the history of certain artifacts. That fun is lost when dealing with the same boring stealth sections and combat.
However, if you can get through the more tedious aspects of The Great Circle’s gameplay, there’s an interesting story to experience, as well as great character writing, voice acting, and music. This is one of those situations where you’ll prefer watching cutscenes rather than playing the actual game, because MachineGames does everything just right. I’ve mentioned the comparisons to Uncharted before, and when it comes to presentation, it’s right up there. When you consider whether the game is fun or not, Big Circle can’t compete.
Indiana Jones and the Circle will be available on Steam on December 8 for $70, but you can play it three days early if you buy the premium version for $100. The game will launch on Xbox Series consoles on December 9th for $70 and will be available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription on day one.
