With the poor reception of recent installments in the franchise, it should come as no surprise that fans of the original trilogy would be skeptical of a big-budget AAA Indiana Jones video game. As trailers and new information came forward about the game, fans had plenty of questions and concerns: why is the game in first person? Will this work without Harrison Ford in the lead role? How can this possibly stand up to theUnchartedseries which has served as gaming’s beloved response to the Indiana Jones movies for over a decade?
Expectations were low, to say the least (especially considering the recent string of disappointing releases at Bethesda), but thankfullyIndiana Jones and the Great Circlefar exceeds expectations, and while it isn’t a perfect game by any means, itisone of the most engaging and entertaining titles of 2024 (as well as a faithful and loyal continuation of the franchise).
The Adventures Continue
The trademark features of an Indiana Jones movie are all here: canned punching sound effects, funny gags in enemy takedowns, sarcastic quips and fedora grabs from our leading man (and even a Wilhelm scream or two). Plus, there are so many Easter eggs and references to the original material that any fan will be geeking out for hours (a personal favorite: a map of the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, the setting for the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland). Getting into the finer details ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circlewould do it (and the reader) a disservice, as the sense of mystery is the driving force of the title.
Getting into the finer details ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circlewould do it (and the reader) a disservice, as the sense of mystery is the driving force of the title.
The standout achievement ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circleis how perfectly it captures the tone, atmosphere and character of the Indiana Jones films. Troy Baker’s Indy impression is shockingly accurate to Harrison Ford’s voice and mannerisms, and the character model bearing Ford’s physical likeness isn’t half-bad either. The mystery and story surrounding the artifacts that Indy is chasing is both intriguing and unpredictable, bringing players along for the ride without making things too easy or difficult to understand. The locations chosen for Indy’s adventures are each reminiscent of one of the first three Indiana Jones films, stuffed to the brim with secrets and mysteries that players can solve at their own speed.
“I don’t know, I’m making this up as I go.”
Those locations, by the way, are legitimately impressive works of level design. There are three of these massive, semi-open world levels in the game (with some shorter, linear sections in other places spread throughout), and each of them beautifully crafts an atmosphere of freedom, exploration and possibility that enhances the treasure-hunting experience to a height never seen before. Small villages have locals to mingle and chat with, as well as find side quests related to the main mystery to discover. I realize now why Indy’s friends are always getting distracted and caught up in the local culture in the films, as I couldn’t stop playing around with the villagers and inhabitants of these areas.
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This level of freedom is one of the biggest ways that Indiana Jones exceeds the treasure-hunting fantasy of Uncharted. Puzzles don’t hold your hand (unless your companion, Gina, is present, as she may begin blurting out hints), allowing you to figure them out for yourself by exploring and deducing clues from leftover notes and environmental features. There are tons of these puzzles in the temples, but also scattered throughout the world in the form of “Mysteries,” short side quests that revolve around solving a single puzzle, and the first-person perspective makes it a lot easier to get up close to details and interactables.
Even with its grand sense of freedom and amazing exploration, it’s hard not to see where theUnchartedseries still reigns superior.The Great Circledoesn’t carry Naughty Dog’s perfectly-crafted character animations, tight and satisfying combat, jaw-dropping set pieces or ungodly level of polish, but it does have Indiana Jones, and that alone manages to be enough for the game to stand on its own.
The Great Circledoesn’t carry Naughty Dog’s perfectly-crafted character animations, tight and satisfying combat, jaw-dropping set pieces or ungodly level of polish, but it does have Indiana Jones, and that alone manages to be enough for the game to stand on its own.
It Belongs in a Museum!
Of course, no Indiana Jones adventure would be complete without killer fights and explosive action sequences.The Great Circletakes a simplistic approach to combat, a choice that has its own set of pros and cons. Indy’s scrappiness is put on full display as he can pick up tons of different objects to use as improvised weapons against enemies, breaking broomsticks over Nazis' heads or knocking out fascists with frying pans.
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There’s also an attempt at integrating a boxing-style hand-to-hand combat system as the primary form of combat, which (kind of) works in one-on-one scenarios, but becomes obsolete during fights against larger groups of enemies. Thankfully, Indy can just pull out his revolver at any time and make quick work of a baddie or two if you’re not feeling like a brawl. you may also loot larger guns from enemies, which can’t be stored or reloaded but can be turned into a melee weapon with a simple press of a button. Combat doesn’t take a front seat in this game, so the basic and (frankly) bland mechanics involved aren’t deal-breakers.
Combat doesn’t take a front seat in this game, so the basic and (frankly) bland mechanics involved aren’t deal-breakers.
One major issue the game has is its dependency on cutscenes and quick-time events, which appear constantly and interrupt the flow of gameplay each time they start. Lots of these cutscenes are simply two characters talking or a character moving through an obstacle, and could easily just remain in gameplay mode instead of locking the player out. I found myself setting my controller down just to pick it up again pretty often. The cutscenes and dialogue are so reminiscent of the films that I didn’t really mind watching, and there’s a level of campiness captured that only Indiana Jones could pull off.
Closing Comments:
Closing out a season of fantastic launches,Indiana Jones and the Great Circlefinally delivers on the promise of Xbox Games Pass, delivering a high-quality and entertaining single-player adventure that fans of the series will absolutely adore. While it’s not the most technically innovative game and it could use an upgrade in the combat department, it’s still one of the most entertaining games of the year, and a much more faithful continuation of the Indiana Jones franchise than the most recent films in the series.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Version Reviewed: Xbox Series X
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events ofRaiders of the Lost ArkandThe Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power known as 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.
