Developer MachineGames is headed into uncharted territory withIndiana Jones and the Great Circle. Although the studio’s core team has experience outside of theWolfensteinfranchise that it has recently become well-known for, this is still something different. A game centered on puzzles and exploration feels essential for anIndiana Jonesproperty, and it’s also an experience that would be new for MachineGames.
Having played a few hours ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circleand seeing the trailers, I was still struck by how much of a departure this is for the development team. Even fans ofThe DarknessorThe Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay(developed by Starbreeze, a studio comprised of many key members of MachineGames) will findIndiana Jones and the Great Circleis less combat-heavy and puts a greater emphasis on stealth. And, of course, the game takes advantage of the Indiana Jones IP to have players deciphering clues and completing puzzles to obtain priceless artifacts.
The Look and Feel are Classic Indiana Jones
Right off the bat, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle feels like one of Spielberg’s films. It opens with Jones and a Marshall College colleague having enjoyed a night on the town before a break-in catches the archeology professor’s attention and sets off another globetrotting adventure. With Harrison Ford’s likeness and a solidperformance from Troy Baker, the characterization of Jones is exactly what fans want. Baker gives Jones the classic wry smirk and the gruff delivery that Ford became known for – it’s as close to the real thing as a game is going to get without hiring the man himself.
While the preview didn’t give a full sense of thecentral mystery/adventure ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, the story doesn’t seem to exist on a canonical island. Without giving spoilers, there were references to film characters within the game’s opening prologue, suggesting that the setting betweenRaidersandThe Last Crusadeis not merely to grab a snapshot of Jones’ life without upsetting existing relationships. Rather, there is the potential forThe Great Circleto enrich the characters fans know and love, principally its titular, fedora-wielding, whip-cracking hero.
Speaking of that whip,Indiana Jones and the Great Circleadapts the character’s fighting sensibilities to a video game well. Running in guns blazing is ill-advised in the game, and players will spend more time misdirecting or silently taking out baddies in Indy’s way. The best tool is an improvised one, be it a bottle, broom, shovel, or hammer. Indy can use these either to toss in a direction and lead bad guys away from his intended path or to sneak up behind and eliminate them in some pretty brutal ways.
Stealth is a fun way to take out enemies inIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, but if it doesn’t work, Indie always has his Whip and fists.
Stealth feels like Indiana Jones’ first option, but if he’s spotted or gets in a bit of trouble, his whip and his fists can get him out of it.The Great Circleuses a familiar first-person brawler setup where each trigger makes Indiana Jones punch and the bumpers act as a block. Timing a block right as an enemy blow lands, however, will trigger a parry and open up that bad guy for more damage. It feels like first-person fistfighting, but missing a block can take a big chunk of Indy’s health. Those items that Indiana Jones picks up to misdirect can even the score in the melee combat, but each has a set durability of no more than a few hits.
Indiana Jones' whip adds a further wrinkle to the combatby allowing players to disarm enemies or break their blocking stance. MachineGames even came up with some fun interactions for stealth, like wrapping the whip around an enemy’s legs and sending them tumbling to the ground. It’s used more often for traversal, but still, having the whip as a tool helps reinforce this is an Indiana Jones game.
This is an Indiana Jones Adventure Through and Through
Where things mostfeel like an Indiana Jones adventureis in the puzzling and the exploration. Although the preview had a good bit of stealth and combat, there were also plenty of opportunities to raid some tombs and search out some hidden artifacts. In most cases, the puzzles were not overly challenging, but they weren’t simple either. They required using relevant information in the level design or from a manuscript to solve and were cleverly designed. For those who might be stumped, though, MachineGames has given Indiana Jones a camera that will trigger a hint when pointed at a puzzle.
Structurally,Indiana Jones and the Great Circlehas a mix of linear levels and semi-open world areas. Following the introduction at Marshall College, the preview jumped to The Vatican where Indy was secretly meeting up with a contact. Here, the progression was straightforward, although there were branching paths to get from point A to point B. If players choose to go a direct route they might risk getting caught and combat, while sticking to the shadows and rooftops offered a slower but safer path.
After The Vatican, the preview jumped to Giza, an area with a lot more freedom. There were many points of interest, side quests to complete, NPCs to meet, and collectibles to find, so consulting Indy’s map was essential to get your bearings. While there is a critical path, even the main mission took advantage of the larger space and required completing several sub-tasks in different areas. MachineGames could have very easily played it safe and gone with a totally linear experience forIndiana Jones and the Great Circle, but mixing in these open areas felt like it widened the adventure and filled in the margins that would otherwise be implied in a feature film.
One important thing to mention about Indiana Jones is that while the focus is on stealth and hand-to-hand combat, there are guns in the game.Indy has a pistoland enemies will drop their firearms when defeated. It’s a tempting choice for a game like this, but it also feels like MachineGames wants to try to steer you as much away from gunplay as possible. Alerting a full enemy camp or base is rarely the answer to success, and while Indy can heal using food he picks up, his health bar disappears really fast if players aren’t careful. Still, those red barrels are very tempting.
Other points of note include the adventure books that are hidden around levels that will upgrade/modify Indy’s abilities. They offer upgrades like being able to regain stamina after defeating an enemy, a precious resource for combat. Finding collectibles, artifacts, and reading manuscripts will earn players money, which is used to unlock the upgrades tied to those Adventure Books. And while this is a first-person game, there are a few moments during traversal, like climbing a building or swinging on the whip, where the game switches to the third person. MachineGames worked hard to make these transitions seamless because they felt it was crucial to remind players they are playing as Indiana Jones.
MachineGames could have easily just made Indiana Jones meetWolfensteinand likely found plenty of success, but you have to appreciate the effort to make a true experience fitting this iconic character. You can tell just from the way the game brings Troy Baker’s performance to life with Harrison Ford’s likeness, the reverence that everyone involved has for this property, and bringing it to life in a way that respects fans seemed to be a priority.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circleisn’t just one type of game; it has stealth, action combat, puzzle solving, and exploration. What I played felt like an engaging mix of those elements and a satisfying adaptation of Indiana Jones to an interactive medium. How that will feel in the long term is yet to be determined, but if this initial slice was any indication, thenIndiana Jones and the Great Circleshould be a grand adventure.
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?
