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By Ronald Gordon

Indiana Jones is back and better than ever, taking over the screen yet again with his eccentric flair and heavy fists. Having had his precious cat mummy stolen from his exhibit, Dr. Jones dons the legendary hat, jacket, and whip once again, unknowingly falling into the tangled web of dangerous puzzles within the Great Circle. 

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an action-adventure game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. Here, I took on the mantle of one of the greatest treasure hunters in fiction to uncover the mystery of the Great Circle, the connecting line between every historical site discovered to date. I did as Indy does in all his movies and punch/shoot fascists, use my whip to traverse obstacles, and aim to preserve history in the most action-packed way. 

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle feels like every one of his movies crammed into one thrilling game. The controls are simple enough, you’re as agile as young Indy could be and can traverse any ancient ruins, using your whip to climb, swing, and yank your way over pitfalls and through locked doors. I gathered together scrawled notes and encoded letters to solve puzzles scattered around the environments I encountered, unlocking more upgrades for combat and health in the Vatican City, Shanghai, and even the Himalayas. 

My favorite part of the Great Circle has to be the combat. While it may be simple in the fact that you can beat most enemies with your fists, every hit you throw feels heavy and every fascist you drop hits the ground hard. There’s a humor to it, too. Seeing the hilarious ways that enemy NPCs fall to the ground, or even try to hit you back before they fall unconscious, has provided nothing but gut busting laughter. 

Various weapons and tools litter the environments, such as guns, hammers/chisels, and even a toilet brush occasionally, making every combat encounter a raucous bout of random weaponry. Yet Indiana Jones isn’t a juggernaut who can tank any blow. So you have to dodge, block, and even parry your enemies attacks to make sure you’re not losing more than just your hat in any given conflict. 

Having grown up on Indiana Jones movies, seeing a younger Indy on screen again hit me with a wave of nostalgia I didn’t expect. The 3D mapping of Harrison Ford’s de-aged face is fantastic, as are all of the other face models in the game. Each character is thoroughly detailed down to the pores, making it feel almost like I’m watching live actors rather than playing a game. The detailed environments only amplify that, each one feeling like a snapshot out of time to show just how amazing ancient kingdoms might’ve been. The music is dramatic and orchestral, accentuating each historical discovery or dramatic twist with a crescendo of strings and horns that make each scene feel like a symphony. 

I wouldn’t have thought that adventuring through historical monuments would be as fun as it is in the Great Circle. Not only is it an informative look into the history of various archeological sites, it’s also a rip-roaring riot of classic Indiana Jones shenanigans made enthrallingly interactive. I highly suggest it for anyone looking to experience not only history and the joy of solving ancient riddles and puzzles, but also for any fan of Indiana Jones and his fantastical adventures. 

Ronald Gordon is a New York Videogame Critics Circle Member & Mentor. He was the first of our writers – or any intern anywhere – to complete an internship at Rockstar Games.

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