In our review of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, we take a closer look at Indy’s exciting adventures in many parts of the world.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review : Indiana Jones, who has won the hearts of archaeology enthusiasts and action lovers, is back on stage with a new game. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an action-adventure game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks, offering a brand new story that carries the spirit of the classic film series. This production, prepared in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, takes us to 1937, placing us in a period between “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The Last Crusade”. In the game, we witness our famous archaeologist Indiana Jones unravel the mysteries inside the circle.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review/PC
When Bethesda and MachineGames announced the game was in development in 2021, many gamers were excited. Todd Howard described the project as a “passion project,” and he personally penned the game’s story, demonstrating his love for the series. Troy Baker brings the character to life in the game’s voice and motion capture process, while the music includes original works by Gordy Haab and reinterpretations of classic themes by John Williams. These elements provide a modern experience along with a nostalgic atmosphere familiar from the Indiana Jones films.
Story
The story follows Indy, who is chasing the mysterious Great Circle that has spread to different parts of the world. The Great Circle begins with the coming together of a series of pieces that form a perfect circle when combined and are thought to contain ancient secrets of history, and the Nazis who are chasing it. This adventure takes us on a world tour from Rome to Thailand, Egypt to Shanghai and the Himalayas. However, this time we will not only fight with historical artifacts, but also with various groups who want to use this power for their own interests. Traps, betrayals and secrets waiting to be solved await us at every corner.
The Great Circle begins after Jones leaves his fiancée Marion Ravenwood. After a Mummy Cat figurine is stolen from Marshall College by a towering man known as Locus (Tony Todd), Jones travels to the Vatican to investigate. He discovers that spiritual sites have been constructed throughout history, and that their locations form a perfectly aligned circle around the world. In addition to Rome, other locations include the temples of Sukhothai in Thailand, the pyramids of Egypt, Shanghai, China, and the Himalayas. During his journey, he teams up with Gina Lombardi (Alessandra Mastronardi), an investigative reporter interested in the case. They come face to face with Emmerich Voss (Marios Gavrilis), who uses psychological manipulation against his enemies.
Whip Man
When Indiana Jones is mentioned, there are two items that come to mind. One of them is his hat and the other is his whip. Old-timers remember that Indiana Jones is also known as “the man with the whip”. Although his hat is nothing more than a visual, his whip is one of his most effective tools. We have seen him use it many times in many movies. I played the game for about an hour and during this process I saw scenes where the whip was used frequently. Sometimes while solving a puzzle, sometimes it was with me as one of my unique tools in various climbing scenes.
Although it is not as well known as his other two items, Indy’s weapon is also quite familiar. It is a revolver brand six-shooter. It is a nice detail that he does not always use this as in the movies. Because although our game is in the adventure genre, finishing it in the least bloody way possible reflects Indiana’s spirit.
Benefactors and Enemies
Throughout the series’ history, we have often seen our hero embarking on adventures with his friends. There is a similar situation in The Great Circle. We have many helpers throughout the game. Sometimes they help us solve a puzzle, and sometimes they support us during a fight. One of our greatest supporters throughout the story is Italian Ginetta “Gina” Lombardi. While working for a national newspaper, she wrote an article that caused her to be labeled as subversive and imprisoned, and there she met an Italian resistance movement. After serving her sentence, she began writing for an underground publication investigating the dirty truths that the Italian government was trying to hide, but in the process, she went after her kidnapped linguist sister and ended up in the Vatican. Although there seem to be very different reasons behind her story, after meeting Indiana within the borders of the Vatican, she joins her, thinking that it would be easier to progress together.
Of course, if there are good people, there will be enemies. This time, we have Emmerich Voss, an old rival of Jones. Voss’s pre-existing narcissism and obsession with psychoanalysis are combined with a dangerous and complete devotion to the “power” of Nazi Germany. There is nothing he will not do to get what he wants, but his sharp intelligence allows him to psychologically pressure the opponent and get what he wants from them in a short time. This includes top-level managers and even dictators. For this reason, it will not be possible for our hero to solve the problem with just his fists this time.
Gameplay
What impressed me the most about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s gameplay was its resemblance to simulation-heavy games like Dishonored or Thief. While the levels generally have a linear structure, there are multiple alternative paths to reach the goal in each encounter. Contrary to expectations, the game includes much more simulation elements and offers a very rich experience in terms of gameplay mechanics.
It is played from the much-discussed first-person perspective, but third-person camera angles are also used occasionally for environmental interaction and special mechanics. Third-person camera is used especially in puzzles. However, when we look at the game as a whole, the FPS angle takes up almost 90% of the game. It only uses the first-person perspective, especially during fights. Such situations can sometimes be disadvantageous. Although there is no problem when there is only one enemy you have to face, when you think you are fighting with one person and realize that you are surrounded by more than one, it can be too late. I experienced this a few times. Although it may seem right when you look at it in terms of reality, it often causes you to lose the fight.
We need to control our energy well during the fight. Because after every punch we throw, the energy bar decreases and ends shortly after. For this reason, especially in big fights, I used to fight by running away after throwing 3-4 punches and resting a little while. Although it does not seem like an ideal fight, at least it gives results. Also, when my strength is not enough, sometimes we can use a shovel or a piece of iron on the ground to hit. Although the sticks that are abundant break in a short time, they were my biggest helpers throughout the game. In addition, after some fights, you can pick up and use your opponents’ weapons that have fallen on the ground. But it should not be forgotten that if you want to stay hidden, you should not make too much noise.
Puzzles That Are Challenging or Not Worth Trying
Speaking of puzzles, sometimes they are very simple, but sometimes you encounter puzzles that you don’t understand how to solve. In fact, I still can’t figure out how I passed a few of them. While I was pulling the sticks to solve them, I suddenly realized that the task was completed and the door was already opened. There are often not enough clues for the solution. Also, you don’t have to solve every puzzle as you progress through the game. You had to know the number of a safe with a combination lock that I came across in order to open it. While I was wandering around trying to find clues, I suddenly realized that I had gone to many different places. I had even forgotten the safe where it was. I still wonder. I wonder what would be inside if I could open it?
Graphics
The production, which takes place in the 1930s, reflects the atmosphere and political situation of that period quite well. Especially in the interviews given before, it is obvious that a lot of thought was put into how a building could have been 100 years ago or how to cover a historical building that is still being excavated, and it is reflected beautifully.
Even though there are a lot of details around, I never saw my system struggling. I can say that the id Tech 7 game engine used does its job well. However, I think that another reason for this may be that other characters (especially enemies) are limited to almost a few models. Because after knocking a guy down, the next enemy that comes can look exactly the same as the previous one. I don’t know if it’s because the engine is called id Tech, but it wouldn’t be a lie if I said that I felt like I was playing Doom while progressing through some difficult sections.
Graphically, although very rare, some scenes felt like they were designed 15 years ago and the rendering techniques of that period were used. I don’t know if it’s a lighting problem or if it’s really a scene from that far back, but when you look at the image below, you’ll understand what I mean, and this situation usually occurs in scenes from a third-person perspective.
The game progresses linearly in some places. However, there are also areas that are left free for us to explore the environment and perhaps write our own story. These areas generally seem to be designed for us to search and find things we need, such as bandages, food to increase our energy, or letters or books to deepen the story.
Conclusion
Considering that this is an Indiana Jones game, it is inevitable that the game will reflect his characteristics. Indy’s arrogant attitude, his success in solving puzzles and his luck that leads to unexpected things do not leave us alone in The Great Circle. While it offers exciting content to follow, the minor glitches in the game’s mechanics and long cutscenes sometimes make it difficult to enjoy the game. Of course, this is an Indiana Jones story, but when compared to an Uncharted or Tomb Raider, it makes you feel the lack of some important touches. Still, if you say you will play it, it is a production that you can easily buy and install without thinking.
