Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Xbox Series X|S)

Game description:

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a 2024 action-adventure game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is based on the Indiana Jones franchise and features an original narrative that draws from the film series. Set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), the story follows archaeologist Indiana Jones in 1937 as he attempts to thwart various groups who are seeking to harness a power connected to the Great Circle, which refers to mysterious sites around the world that form a perfect circle when together on a map. The game spans numerous real-world locales such as the Vatican City, Thailand, Egypt, and Shanghai.

Gameplay:

In the game, players assume control of archaeologist Indiana Jones, who must stop the Axis powers from harnessing a power connected to the Great Circle, which refers to mysterious sites of cultural significance around the world that form a perfect circle when together on a map. Similar to immersive sims, levels in the game have alternate routes for players to reach their objectives. There are many entrances and exits for highly guarded areas. Players may also encounter various puzzles, many of which are optional. Photographing a puzzle repeatedly using Indiana's camera will provide players with additional hints for solving it. The game is played from a first-person perspective, but switches to a third-person view for certain gameplay actions and cutscenes, such as when Jones uses his whip to swing over gaps or when climbing pipes and walls. Players can separately adjust the difficulty of the game's "action experience", referring to its combat, and its "adventure experience", referring to puzzle-solving and exploration.

Game review:

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle nails nearly everything about the best parts of the storied franchise upon which it’s based, from the title card and location fonts to Harrison Ford’s finger waggle, but its successes go way beyond its faithfulness to the finer points of the films. With a host of gorgeous and lavishly detailed levels, satisfying combat hinged on jawbreaking haymakers, and a focus on slow-paced exploration, platforming, and puzzle solving (interspersed with a handful of high-voltage action scenes), The Great Circle is an irresistible and immersive global treasure hunt for Indy fans who’ve felt underserved by the likes of The Dial of Destiny and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Moreover, it sets itself apart from this decade’s increasingly homogenised third-person action games by opting for a classic first person perspective inspired by the likes of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. If you butt your head against its generally basic stealth systems, cracks will show – but when played as intended, The Great Circle immediately ranks amongst the best Indiana Jones games ever and its story is closer to Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade than anything that’s come after. Some pundits may claim it belongs in a museum, but museums are for dusty old relics you shouldn’t ever touch. The Great Circle doesn’t belong in a museum; it belongs on your hard drive where you can play the heck out of it.