Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review
What is it?: A first person, globetrotting adventure starring everyone's favorite archeologist.
Release date: December 8, 2024 (Dec 5 advanced access)
Expect to pay: $70/£60
Developer: MachineGames
Publisher: Microsoft
Reviewed on: Nvidia GeForce RTX3070, Intel Core i5 12600K, 32GB RAM
Steam Deck: All signs point to «no»
Link: Official site
I wasn't over the moon about the prospect of a triple-A Indiana Jones game before starting The Great Circle. A new MachineGames joint, now that's something I'd hang my hat on, but Dr. Jones? How many stories could there be left to tell about the Connecticut-based archeologist named after Illinois' weird little neighbor? Well it turns out he had at least one damn good videogame left in the tank—MachineGames' finest to date.
The pairing made great sense on paper: The neo-Wolfenstein games were pulpy, swashbuckling adventures with tons of heart where a lovable, all-American protagonist gave those dastardly Nazis what-for. But I didn't believe it, feel it until Indy donned a Catholic priest's vestments to go undercover in a fascist-occupied Vatican—a miniature open world that I can only compare to the best hubs of the Deus Ex series. The combat, stealth, and puzzles are all simple but fun enough (maybe not the stealth—more on that later), but paired with The Great Circle's phenomenal levels and nailing of what makes Jones such an iconic character, the result is a Batman Arkham-tier «who knew a licensed game about this guy could be this good?»
Indy starts with that priest outfit and can upgrade to an Italian fascist Blackshirt's uniform (that feels very weird to say).
Rather than the dual-wielding ultraviolence of Wolfenstein, The Great Circle is all about more brand-appropriate hand-to-hand brawling, exploration, and puzzle solving. There are guns, but limited ammo makes them more situational tools—I only ever used Indy's trusty revolver to help take down a particularly meddlesome boss. Of The Great Circle's four pillars, the
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