I have been fizzing with excitement since Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was first announced – after all, it's been decades since we last saw a decent Indy game.
The Lego titles were good, but hardly the sort of action-adventure epic Spielberg's character deserves. Instead, we've had to turn to heavily-influenced surrogates in the form of Lara Croft and Nathan Drake, and while they've each starred in some of the best releases of their type, neither is quite as iconic outside of gaming.
But, here come Bethesda and MachineGames to save the day. Trusting the well-worn whip to the studio behind the Wolfenstein reboots might seem odd, but it turns out it was a genius mode and my patience has been rewarded. Not only have we got an Indiana Jones game befitting the title, but the best Xbox game of the year.
Here are my five main reasons why.
1. First-person
Perhaps the biggest double-take on MachineGames being chosen for development duty is that it is mostly known for first-person shooters. As well as Wolfenstein: The New Order and The Old Blood (plus offshoots), it gave us the remastered versions of Quake, Quake II and Doom II. You don't get more first-person shooter-y than that.
However, it turns out the decision was a masterstroke.
By making Indiana Jones and the Great Circle a (mostly) first-person game has resulted in two things – it reduces comparisons with the Tomb Raider and Uncharted games, and increases the feeling of immersion, especially during puzzles and traversal.
You really do get the feeling of stepping into Indy's patinaed boots, while the stealth elements seem to work so much better when you don't see a remote camera's view of the action. Hiding behind a crate for guards to pass is much trickier when you can't see them.
It also adds to the "adventure" part of action-adventure.
The game wears many influences on its sleeve – Hitman, Uncharted and Tomb Raider (of course), Mirror's Edge, even a spot of Fight Night (or Frank Bruno's Boxing for those longer in the tooth) – but it also has a touch of the Sherlock Holmes games about it. Everywhere you go there are things to pick up, discover or hunt down, with clues and bonuses aplenty.
It is, therefore, more "adventure-action" than action-adventure. That's a term coined by MachineGames itself during a preview session I attended before playing the final build and fits it well. You always find yourself looking in every nook and cranny for pick-ups. Some earn you experience to spend on abilities, others flesh out the game world more, while most provide weapons to take on enemies.
Indeed, combat is cleverly implemented, ensuring that gun fights are rare (and mostly deadly) with melee encounters preferred. And for that you'll often need a weapon as fisticuffs can result in quick energy drain. Thankfully, each location is teeming with items you can wrap around a Nazi's noggin – including mops, hammers and even back scrubbers.
It all feels so very matinee adventure movie and very much what Spielberg had in mind when he helmed Raiders of the Lost Ark. It displays a deep understanding of the licensed material, yet never forgets that it's a game too – ensuring it's just as much fun to play as observe.
Again, that's largely thanks to the first-person view – giving you an all-new perspective on Indy's exploits.
2. Puzzles
The FP (not so much S) perspective also lends itself well to the numerous puzzles throughout The Great Circle. The tombs and traps have been a major aspect of the Indiana Jones mythos and the developer has rightly gone to town here.
As well as puzzles that move the story along, you also get multiple side missions and quests throughout the game that require the solving of different styles of riddles and enigmas.
Some are more physical – such as figuring out how to get out of a room in which you've been locked, or placing different items on triggers – while some require logic. You also have a journal and camera to help, so may need to refer to previously taken notes to give you a hint.
That's all very Uncharted and Tomb Raider too, although there's more a sense of trial and error here – something that comes across in Harrison Ford's portrayal of Jones in the films. He always seems to be winging it, figuring out the answers as he goes, and that really comes across in the game.
It especially makes the storyline puzzles more interesting and fun, as you feel the character knows about as much as you do, so you learn as you play. It's hard to nail down exactly, but is another great example of immersion.
3. Locations
As with the films, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is set across multiple global locations, including Vatican City, Giza in Egypt (at the foot of the pyramids) and the Himalayas. And while it is level-based, with completed objectives sending you to the next region, most of them are set in huge open world landscapes featuring a healthy dose of collectables and side missions off the beaten path.
This encourages exploration and expands the play time greatly. Yes, you can whip through the story itself in 15 or so hours, but you'll miss out on so much – including some great, movie-like interactions with other characters and NPCs. In fact, I spent more than 10 hours in just the Vatican alone and didn't even collect everything there was to find.
Each location is cinematic too, in that the design feels like a Hollywood representation rather than the real thing, and that's exactly what's needed. NPCs are effectively exaggerated characters from a movie, while every building, tomb or rock face seems to have been placed for gameplay reasons, not just to look pretty.
By allowing players to take their own sweet merry time in each location, the game feels alive and absorbing. While secrets are always worth hunting out, as there are rewards around every corner.
4. Graphically stunning
Part of the reason why the locations are so much fun to explore is that they look simply stunning.
MachineGames has always done a great job with its releases, with the Wolfenstein games looking particularly great, but The Great Circle is on a whole new level. Character models are superb, capturing the nuances of Harrison Ford's performances in real-time cut scenes especially. And while there is a sort-of rinse and repeat about some of the enemies and other non-player avatars scattered around each locale, you never really mind.
But it is scenery that perhaps wows even more. Ray-traced lighting is employed throughout, even on the Xbox Series S, and it makes interiors and tombs look especially majestic.
The opening section of the game is a playable lift of the most famous scene in Raiders, with the Golden Idol being swapped for sand and therefore triggering the giant ball trap. And, thanks to ray tracing and superb game direction, it bears amazing similarity without resorting to pre-rendering or video effects.
The game just looks right – accurately placed within its 1937 timeframe – and without losing a beat. It plays at a locked 60 frames per second on Xbox Series X and S, with the former also displaying crisp details throughout.
I experienced a few glitches during cutscenes – a touch of stuttering and jerkiness – but nothing during gameplay. I'm also certain that the (minor) issue will be ironed out in a future patch.
5. Troy Baker IS Indiana Jones
My last main reason for loving Indiana Jones and The Great Circle so much is Indiana Jones himself – or at least, Troy Baker's skill in portraying him.
The seasoned voice actor (who also played Sam Drake in Uncharted 4: A Thief's End) not only gets the character's intonations spot on, it'd be easy to think that it was Ford himself reading the script.
This is partly thanks to the dialogue, which cleverly prevents overuse of Indy's dulcet tones during gameplay, but also Baker's experience in voicing games especially. His inflections and pitch changes during wisecracks and exchanges is simply masterful.
If you want players to truly believe they are stepping into the shoes of a major movie icon, this is the way to do it.
Conclusion
The Great Circle is everything I've always wanted an Indiana Jones game to be and more. It has a tight storyline befitting the franchise (and far better than the last two films achieved), while also exhibiting a keen understanding of why Raiders, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade are so loved.
It also never misses a beat and certainly never "nukes the fridge" (just watch Kingdom of the Crystal Skull if you don't know what I mean).
PC gamers with the best rigs will naturally get the beefiest version, but it's great to see that the Xbox Series X edition is also excellent. Even Xbox Series S owners will thoroughly enjoy it, albeit at a reduced resolution.
And all three can do so through Game Pass at no extra cost. Staggering really.
PS5 owners will have to wait a bit longer – it's coming next spring – but hopefully that'll also mean there will be a PS5 Pro Enhanced version too.
And when it does arrive, at least you'll know that you'll be getting real, whip-cracking treat.
