MachineGames came up with an immersive and compelling Indiana Jones experience set right after the 'Raiders Of The Lost Ark' film.
MachineGames set out to create an authentic Indiana Jones experience with Indiana Jones And The Great Circle, and they’ve hit the mark.
While I initially had reservations about Harrison Ford not providing his voice for his iconic role, Troy Baker steps into Indy’s boots with remarkable finesse.
His vocal performance is so reminiscent of Ford that at no point did I find myself thinking that the voice didn’t match the face.
However, MachineGames’ choice to present the game predominantly in first-person (barring certain tasks like climbing) is likely a nod to their expertise with recent Wolfenstein titles. However, this means you lose out on seeing Indy’s physical movements that we’ve grown so accustomed to from the films.
Troy Baker steps into Indy’s boots with remarkable finesse, with a vocal performance strikingly reminiscent of Harrison Ford.
But it was a worthy trade-off, especially since the first-person perspective makes for an exceptionally immersive and compelling experience.
There’s a thrilling sense of adventure in navigating ancient ruins, as players take the reins in their very own Indiana Jones adventure.
Grab your fedora and whip
Picking up right after the Raiders Of The Lost Ark film, The Great Circle sets players off on a globe-trotting hunt for an artefact stolen during a break-in at Jones’ Marshall College circa 1937.
Right off the bat, players encounter callbacks to classic Indy moments – running from boulders, nearly losing his iconic fedora, and delivering slick one-liners and quips.
Right off the bat, players encounter callbacks to classic Indy moments.
Something I appreciated a lot was the ability to customise the game’s difficulty. Rather than a single catch-all level of challenge, this game has the option to tailor the difficulty of the combat and puzzles separately, which was great for me, as I’m not the biggest fan of puzzle-solving.
Speaking of combat, players will find themselves involved in plenty of brawls throughout the game, mostly punching out Blackshirts and Nazis rather than engaging in gunfights.
Fistfights are relatively straightforward, with the option to pick up weapons like bats from your surroundings, while the brawling system is based on parrying, blocking, shoving and dodging.
Players will find themselves involved in plenty of brawls throughout the game, mostly punching out Blackshirts and Nazis rather than engaging in gunfights.
There’s also the added utility of using Indy’s whip to disarm enemies and grapple them towards you, rewarding players with a chance to land a few free blows.
Firefights are rare, with bullets and guns being scarce. This makes the moments when you actually get a fully automatic weapon stand out even more.
Although Indy has his own revolver, you’ll want to avoid using guns not just because of the ammo shortage but also because they’re loud and tend to alert nearby enemies.
This can put you in the unenviable situation of being swarmed by enemies all at once, which can be quite difficult to manage once you run out of bullets and stamina.
Players will find themselves dusting off age-old ruins and deciphering ancient languages in 'the Great Circle'.
Also, when you engage in gunfights, the controls can feel a bit awkward, as there’s no option to hip-fire. Players must aim with the right mouse button before firing.
Aside from these minor annoyances, the melee-centric combat is tight and overall enjoyable. Stealth is also an option, though the weapons used for takedowns tend to break rather quickly.
Pitfalls and perils
My biggest gripe with The Great Circle would have to be the map design, particularly in Vatican City, which leaves quite a bit to be desired. The area was mainly made up of narrow passageways, interiors, and an environment that felt quite boxed in due to the surrounding buildings.
The environment opens up a bit after players hit Egypt, though it will take a few hours to get to that point.
Indy and journalist Gina Lombardi made their way to the Himalayas after a chance encounter at the Vatican.
Another issue with the game is its sluggish traversal, which frequently left me wondering, “Why is this guy so slow?” This becomes especially problematic as the gameplay falters when players need to navigate larger areas later on.
The game also makes players manually do things like opening locked doors and boxes of loot, as well as moving objects, often requiring multiple button presses to do so.
For example, unlocking a door might involve pressing once to interact with the door, again to insert the key, and a third time to twist the key and unlock it.
While it adds a little to the game’s immersion, it can feel a bit overboard, becoming more of a hassle than an enjoyable feature, leaving players to wonder why Indy was tasked with the mundane chore of opening doors.
There's a thrilling sense of adventure in navigating ancient ruins, as players take the reins in their very own Indiana Jones adventure.
I also encountered a bug, which could have been due to the early build of the game. After beating one of the bosses, I was unable to proceed due to an item not appearing even after the button prompt was pressed. The only solution was to restart from a checkpoint and fight the boss a second time.
Despite my gripes with the game, it’s undeniable how cool it is to step into the shoes of Indy. One of the most exciting moments was at the end of the Vatican area, where Indy has to grapple onto a moving blimp with his trusty whip.
Other things I appreciate include the ability to tweak the level of aim assist when using a controller, though as a PC gaming native, I chose mouse and keyboard.
Indy faces off against Nazi archaeologist Emmerich Voss in 'the Great Circle'.
Subtitles are enabled by default too, which is something I always appreciate in story-heavy, cinematic types of games like this.
There’s also a solid amount of side content that gives more context and lore on the mystery Indy finds himself uncovering, making for an overall experience that should be enough to satisfy fans of the movies.
