Indiana Jones and The Great Circle: The Wicked Good Review
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is Bethesda’s latest sprawling, dungeon crawling, temple raiding adventure – and while it just only came out a few weeks ago, a game this good might very well already belong in a museum.
In 2011’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, my favorite aspect of the game was always when you would stumble upon an ancient ruin or catacomb and head down underneath the map. Whether it be a human dungeon, Draugr ruins filled with angry skeletons or the remains of the Dwemer Empire glittering with gold accents and ancient technology, I loved just picking through, triggering traps and coming out on the other end with a little more treasure. I always felt like Indiana Jones in those sections of the game, and I always found myself wanting more from them. Man, if whips were a weapon type in Skyrim, that would have made me feel even more like the good doctor himself… Maybe in the next Elder Scrolls when it comes out in 2038!
The puzzles found in these sections were always present but lacking in complexity, once you figured them out you could pretty easily speed through them again next time. Still, I loved those sections and took them for what they were worth. Fast forward to 2024 and my desire to have an entire game that felt like that has come to fruition, with Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, from MachineGames & Bethesda Softworks.
From the very start this game grabbed my attention. What better way to do so then letting you play one of, if not the, most iconic scene of the entire franchise? You know the one, an overgrown temple in the middle of the jungle, spiders and cobwebs, a golden idol, a rolling boulder, complete with Alfred Molina like a cherry on top of the nostalgia sundae. I loved it.
From there the adventure gets rolling at Indy’s educational institute of employment, Marshall College, setting the stage for the mystery that will unravel over the next 14 or so hours of gameplay. I don’t want to get into spoilers in this review but what I will say is this is a story which I would’ve loved to have seen play out on the big screen and absolutely could have believed as a full on Indiana Jones film. There are twists and turns, love and loss, action and oh so much adventure. Adventure is the key word here, as you spring from one to the next. One moment you might be tasked with liberating some gold from a Nazi camp, the next you might be a mile underground in an ancient burial chamber solving a puzzle that might mean life or death. It’s those dungeon delving sections that really deliver on that desire I had to be Indiana Jones while playing Skyrim all those years ago, it’s exactly the feeling that I wanted, and I get it here in spades.
So that covers adventure, what about action?
Initially in the first big section of the game, I was wondering when there would be a big bombastic action set piece. The first big section, The Vatican is a bit more espionage focused than, say, raiding an enemy base or escaping a crumbling temple. Eventually though, I was heavily rewarded for my patience with a scene that I would have loved to have gotten a live action version of. You’ll know it when you see it. The game has no shortage of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular type moments that are sure to thrill just as much as watching the classic films.
Again, not trying to get into spoiler territory but action junkies will be pleased with the variety of trouble Indy gets into over the course of the adventure. I have to take a moment to commend that stellar cast of this game, Troy Baker as Indiana Jones, absolutely nailing his Harrison Ford impersonation. If you told me it was actually him I would’ve believed you, he played the role that well! Alessandra Mastronardi joins us as Gina Lombardi, a perfect addition to the pantheon of Indiana Jones female companions, she was tough, capable, funny and heartfelt, if there’s a sequel I would love to see her again. The late great Tony Todd who we very recently just lost, in what is possibly his final role, so wonderful to see him again in a larger than life role like Locus. And finally Mario Gavrilis as Emmerich Voss, (two m’s two s’s) the love-to-hate-him main villain who oozes that Nazi slimeball better-than-you attitude.
Overall my time with The Great Circle was largely positive but if one thing stuck out to me in a less than stellar way it would be the stealth mechanics. Stealth gave me a hard time in several sections of the game, where I felt like I had no choice but to run in, fists flying, and run out before I got taken down. In a hopeful sequel I would love to see the stealth mechanics expanded upon. You can smash someone over the head from behind but it felt too loud, as if it would alert the guards anyway. Perhaps next time we could have the ability to grab an enemy from behind for a truly silent takedown? That seemed to be the main tool missing from the toolbox.
FINAL SCORE: 4.5/5
Aside from some sub-par stealth systems, I greatly enjoyed my time with The Great Circle and will absolutely be returning to it to collect all of the artifacts and complete all the adventures. I’d love to see some episodic DLC down the line that expands on the story or even gives us smaller new bits to enjoy, here’s hoping! If you’re a fan of the Indiana Jones films and you’re on the fence about this one, it’s time to grab your whip and dive in, this is a great time all around and comes highly recommended.
