Welcomed to the Vatican City under the influence of fascism, Indiana Jones is kitted out with a clerical outfit and a small staff from his jazz-loving pal Father Antonio. The outfit, in true Indy movie fashion, allows me to cut about the place arousing less suspicion than the classic leather duds. The first proper mission in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, tutorials out of the way, is to snoop around for ancient reliefs while on the hunt for a stolen cat mummy (it's a long story). I step out of the Vatican's library with the goal to acquire a camera, but beyond that I'm free to explore at my own pace as I take snaps for Father Antonio.
Fascist blackshirts serving Mussolini have camped out nearby, so I surreptitiously poke through their tents. After all, I'm Indiana Jones. And if there's one thing Indiana Jones loves almost as much as maps and documents, it's shiny things. I liberate a vial of medicine that I'll soon discover was stolen by the do-badders from the local pharmacy. A big wad of cash tempts me, but a thug stands in front of it. With clerical staff in hand, I quietly knock him out, stuffing the money into my pockets. You can't catch someone stealing and alert your friends if you're not conscious, right?
What I first take to be a fairly small courtyard area quickly unravels once I've picked these encampments clean. On one end, a road with big wooden doors and a parked truck makes me think this is a limitation, but drawing near, I get a button prompt that allows Indy to push it open, revealing a fascist detention center nearby a spectacular carved fountain.
Checking the other side, I wander towards a checkpoint manned by brutes. Surely a soft cut-off? But, through a combination of saucepans and fruit I bonk the guards into submission, and am able to worm my way through and access the ruins of a tower and clamber up some battlements. Back to the courtyard, I notice scaffolding behind a stage that I can use my whip to climb. An open window beckons. It leads inside a palace where a miniature sculpture of the building hides a treasure. Another window leads out in another direction, flanked by two more doors. The Vatican keeps on going.
Making it up
What did we think of the full thing? In our Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review we gave it the coveted five stars, saying that it's "the best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"
Whether it's stumbling completely unprompted on a digital recreation of the stunning Sistine Chapel, or cracking the delivery code to a lockbox that the fascists have stupidly bungled, The Vatican is a ridiculously dense hub area filled to the brim with new mysteries around every corner. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is always ready to let you revel in those small details as well. My first mission leads me to pick up a camera, which opens up yet another collectible for the keen-eyed – snapping picks of architecture like the aforementioned Sistine Chapel, and even small everyday scenes like two priests struggling to rehang a painting.
Seamlessly broken up into little mini-areas, all with different levels of access restrictions tailored to a handful of disguises (a little like Hitman, believe it or not), this small but mighty map packs loads of variety. Before long, you're even exploring underground sewer systems and abandoned tombs, working out how they connect back up top, and getting used to the many, many shortcuts that connect these spaces.
Several pick-ups are locked behind mini-puzzles that you'll just stumble upon. The actual main quest could be polished off fairly quickly, with the rest of the exploration yours to undertake as you please. Yet rather than feel throwaway, they all connect back to the whole. Even the tiniest of puzzles contribute to the flavor, from being the consequences of the ramped up fascist presence in the area, to themselves being linked to the mystery of the Great Circle. Many of the best cutscenes that perfectly recreate the tone of the Indiana Jones movies are hidden with them.
At one point I realize I've broken into the decadent office of Father Ventura within the Apostlic Palace – the Vatican figure who's been selling out the faith to Mussolini himself. Notes inside lead me naturally to come upon not just some extra treasure, but information that ties into the area's final tomb (with decorations also pointing to the connection). It's rewarding not just because it's something to tick off, but because in moments like this I really feel like I'm inhabiting Indiana Jones as a character as he puts all the pieces together, and doing so under my own steam.
Exploration is rewarded, then, but I would recommend anyone playing who's stumped by a certain locked door or two ensures they progress not just the main quest up to the (clearly signposted) final mission, but does the Fieldwork assignments that make up the bulk of the sidequests, as these also open up previously closed off areas. For the most part, though, it's stunning how almost every little detour has something genuinely compelling to discover just off the beaten path. Areas I would have written off in similar games as inaccessible or pointless side-paths always hide something meaningful, from more puzzles to ponder or just an excellent view.
Which is all to say that, with the final tomb now accessible, and the rest of the adventure waiting just beyond… I'm still not ready to leave. Clocking in at around nine hours, this portion of Indy's quest would be enough to satisfy me alone in most other games. And with only a couple of mysteries left to solve – including at least one door that "opens from the other side" (below the Sistine Chapel) – I think I'm going to stay right where I am, solving all the Vatican has to offer and boogying down to some jazz with Father Antonio.
Looking for some more thrills? We've got a handy list of the best adventure games for you to chart your next journey!
