10 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle tips and tricks we wish we knew before playing

These Indiana Jones and the Great Circle tips and tricks are ones we've hand-curated after hours of play as the whip-cracking hero, with advice we wish we'd known before leaping into the fray. With a mixture of exploration, combat, puzzle solving and more besides, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is focused on bringing the Indy experience to gamers in its entirety... But if there's one thing we know about Indiana Jones, it's that he's usually surviving these experiences by the skin of his teeth - y'know, making this up as he goes along.

If you're struggling to get the advantage in early regions like the Vatican or beyond, we'll explain everything you need to know below, so that you can slug Nazis and raid temples like nobody's business. Here's the top 10 essential tips and tricks we wish we'd known before leaping into the saga of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

1. If you can't find something or reach somewhere, try coming back later

If you’re missing a note, key, disguise, or some other artifact to reach a particular area, there’s a good chance that you either need to do something else first or just come back later. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s regions sometimes change as you complete main quest objectives, while some mission critical items are actually unlocked in side quests.

If you’re really stuck, one of our guides might be able to help - one of the first problems you're likely to run into is the Indiana Jones Blackshirt Key - but it’s probably best to leave what you’re doing and come back a few missions later with fresh eyes and maybe some new gear that you didn’t realise would help.

2. If you don’t know where to climb, try looking straight up

There’s a lot of climbing around in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Whether it’s to evade traps or get the drop on some Nazis, you should frequently look up at walls, scaffolding, or things hanging from the ceiling as you’ll either be able to climb up, either by jumping or attaching your whip. For, example there were a couple of points in the game where I became a little lost while climbing up something, not realising that a bar I could hook with the whip was directly over my head or that Indy’s surprising reach meant I could get up a particularly tall ledge.

3. Walk backwards off ledges, even if it is a bit scary

You can often mitigate Indy’s fall damage by walking off ledges backwards so that he grabs the ledge on the way down – though obviously make sure there is actually something to grab onto first. While the game does tell you about this mechanic, I found it can be quite easy to forget in the first few hours, causing you to throw Dr. Jones off something and potentially shatter his ankles. Make sure you get into this habit of walking the wrong way off tall things quickly!

4. Explore as thoroughly as possible

Unsurprisingly, exploring every nook and cranny for useful items is important in a game in which you play as a renowned archeologist. Bandages and food items that help you in combat are usually common and easy to nab – eat food as often as you can so you can keep your pockets filled! Similarly, letters and cards are often left out in the open or in drawers, usually providing a little bit of lore or flavor and some Adventure Points, which are essential for unlocking new and improved abilities for Indiana Jones.

However, some letters may even have clues or codes that lead to chests that contain even more valuable items, such as wads of cash or those previously mentioned books – an innocent letter may even lead into an entire side quest. There's a lot to do which can really stack up and add to how long to beat Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

5. Look for the camera icon in the top left for easy Adventure Points

Speaking of Adventure Points, one of the best ways to get them is to take photos at every opportunity. The camera is a later unlock in the Vatican area, but it’s great to use as you explore the Holy See and beyond. You’ll frequently see prompts to use it thanks to the camera icon that appears in the top-left corner of your screen, indicating that you’re near something worth snapping – often it’s people (particularly if they’re doing something specific), animals, lovely vistas, and landmarks.

6. You can revisit locations to get collectibles

While Indy will sometimes make comments about tying up loose ends in a location before moving on to the next for the main quest, you can freely travel between any of the major destinations at any time via the Travel tab in Indy’s journal. Revisiting a location lets you pick up where you left off so you can complete the rest of the fieldwork activities and mysteries, and collect any files and other items, meaning you’ve not got to worry about missing out if you’re going for the 100% completion.

7. Stealth isn’t compulsory, but it is advised

While you can charge in and beat Nazis to a pulp or shoot them, it’s definitely best to approach enemy encounters with stealth in mind, particularly if you’re playing on one of the higher Indiana Jones and the Great Circle difficulty levels. The game isn’t especially hard, but things can go very wrong very quickly if you aren’t careful and you’ll also chew through bullets and bandages. Additionally, it’s important to make sure you’re out of sight when you’re unlocking and looting a crate or some loose items as getting spotted can lead to a small force of fascists bearing down on you.

8. If you're in a disguise, avoid enemies in fancy uniforms

One thing that helps with stealth is the disguise system, letting Indy blend in and get around restricted areas with a level-specific outfit. However, high-ranking fascists, known as Captains, will always be able to spot Indy, even in a disguise – if you see someone dressed in a fancy uniform, be sure to avoid them! Otherwise, walk past when their back is turned or try luring them out the way with sounds from thrown objects.

9. Always carry something to hit people with

One of the best things about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is that you can pick up so many different objects to use as improvised weapons, and it’s always good to have one in your hands as often as you can. Whether it’s a bottle of wine, a hammer, or a guitar, you can knock out enemies in a single hit if you strike from behind, performing a special takedown animation on an unsuspecting Nazi. Otherwise, you can throw the object to cause a distraction or drop it if you don’t need it.

However, each disguise also has it’s own special melee weapon which, rather than breaking completely, can be fixed with Repair Kits to use over and over. Additionally, while carrying Indy’s revolver or another gun, you can press X (Xbox controller) to turn the firearm into a melee weapon.

10. Don't forget to use the whip in combat

The whip is most often used for traversal and puzzles, but it’s also a vital combat tool that can be easy to forget about when you’re smashing a fine bottle of vino over a Nazi’s head. You can easily disarm enemies with a quick lash and using it when an attack dog is nearby will scare it off temporarily. There are even books you can find that unlock extra whip abilities for Indy, such as allowing him to knock out smaller foes with a whip pull.

If you want to know what we think about Indy’s adventure, make sure you read our Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review for our thoughts.

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