Machine Games surprised the gaming community when it was announced they’d be making an “Indiana Jones” game. Another surprise was when people found out it would be a first-person game. Despite that, Machine Games managed to nail it and make “The Great Circle” a game worthy of Indy’s legacy.
The intro of the game recreates the famous opening of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and it’s the perfect test to see how legendary voice actor Troy Baker does in Indy’s shoes. Even though Baker has been in plenty of games in great roles, this seems like the role he was born to play. He does a great job of portraying a younger Indiana Jones.
This story takes place shortly after “Raiders” with a mystery centered around The Great Circle. It’s a geographical phenomenon that spans the entire globe and across multiple ancient cultures. The writers do a great job of stringing players along the story while also offering small revelations along the way.
Another group of Nazis is out to find the relics that can uncover the mystery of the Great Circle, and while they’re mostly the same as they were in the movies, the main villain is great in his role. Emmerich Voss is calculating, cold and sometimes a buffoon. It’s right in line with the movies, and the moments when Voss drops his mask around Indiana are actually funny.
Gameplay has a big focus on immersive exploration as each major chapter gives the players a large, open zone full of side missions, collectibles and puzzles. It’s a slower burn than a movie, but that also gives the player more time to immerse themselves in the various locations Indy visits.
The designers did a good job of filling the places with things to find and do without making the small things feel worthless in comparison to the main plot. Most of these side activities award adventure points, which are used for various upgrades. It makes it feel anything and everything in the game is worth it on some level.
Combat and stealth is the other main pillar of gameplay. Indy can use a variety of disguises to enter enemy territory, which is good because the game doesn’t feel like it’s built for big combat engagements. Melee combat has a dramatic and satisfying sense of impact, and cracking skulls with fists or big weapons never gets old. The iconic whip is also used to disarm/stun enemies, and it’s a big part of traversing levels.
The biggest problem with the gameplay here is that despite the developer’s prestige with shooters, the guns feel awful to use in this game. Aiming doesn’t use a weapon’s iron sights and even shooting an enemy in the head doesn’t kill them in one hit. I’m guessing it’s all an effort to make guns the least attractive option for combat as the game favors stealth and melee options. Either way, it’s a big disappointment because the “Wolfenstein” games had fantastic gunplay.
This game deserves props for nailing the story and tone of the source material. It’s also a game with great exploration that gives every exotic locale room to breathe. “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” earns 4.5 stars of out 5.
Source: Paradise Post
