It's a dark and stormy night in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and my demo session begins as I make my way through the halls of Marshall College. Someone has broken in, leaving a trail of muddy footprints and destruction in their wake. I'm following in pursuit of the mysterious trespasser, but I can't stop myself from getting distracted by my surroundings. I quickly veer off my intended route when the sight of a door slightly ajar is impossible to resist investigating. I'm rewarded for my detour with the discovery of some correspondence penned by Marcus Brody – a fellow lecturer and friend of Indy's – that really hammers home where I am. As someone who grew up watching the Indiana Jones movies, and daydreamed about becoming an archaeologist right up until university, I can't help but appreciate the level of attention to detail.
I feel like I've been transported directly into the location where Indy famously taught a lesson about a Neolithic burial site to an infatuated audience in Raiders of the Lost Ark. As creative director Axel Torvenius tells me, bringing Marshall College to life was a matter of "pure research", examining the location in the movie "frame by frame" to capture how it's portrayed. "We've been working closely with Lucas Film games throughout as well," Torvenius says. "Getting access to their archives, we could see photos from the sets, concept art, all invaluable material when you're trying to recreate something like that."
Finding Indiana Jones
"He's this academic teacher. He's a nerd. He's obsessed with archeology and finding out secrets"
Axel Torvenius, creative director
After I eventually tear myself away from admiring the recreation of the college, I carry on following the intruder, who happens to be one very large fellow that knocks me out in a fistfight. But when brawn doesn't work for Indiana, brains certainly do, and I'm soon trying to figure out what the burglar has swiped by taking inventory of what artifacts were simply strewn about in the chaos. In just the first 20 minutes of my hands-on time with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I'm already getting a taste of what's to come – this is an adventure where fistfights, exploration, and puzzling go hand in hand. The only thing that's missing from the get-go is the journal I've heard so much about, acting as a way to catalog all of your discoveries and help you refer back to crucial clues.
As I pack things away to move on to the next location in pursuit of the very tall trespasser, I'm delighted to find the journal already tucked in the sleeve of my suitcase, wrapped up in a bow. This key tool is a gift from none other than Marion Ravenwood from the first movie, who I've long considered to be one of the series' best characters. It's just a small touch, but given Marion's importance to Indiana, it's a fitting throughline that effortlessly makes the game feel connected to the movies.
"We all love Marion. She's a super cool character. It's one of those small things that's very nice and important to add to get the right amount of hints and nods to the existing franchise and the existing content in terms of the movies. [We're] just trying to find those pieces that we feel are filled with warmth and play on the human aspect of him [Indiana] as a character," Torvenius says, when we ask about the decision to reference Marion.
"You know, he's not this macho guy that's all about just fighting and smashing people over the head. He has a very human side to him as well," Torvenius continues. "He's this academic teacher. He's a nerd. He's obsessed with archeology and finding out secrets, and obviously, he's very human in the sense that he has emotions and he has love interests. So I think it's part of trying to portray him as this very human, warm character, because those are the characteristics that we've chosen to really bring forth that we see in the early movies."
Cloak-and-whip
While Indiana's not all about the action, I do my fair share of "fighting and smashing people over the head" when the demo draws me to the likes of the Vatican in Italy, and Giza in Egypt. The former location feels more linear, as I have to make my way to the top of a Costello to meet with one of Indiana's contacts. Several soldiers guard the area, and while I do engage in one scrap at the very beginning, going stealthy feels like the necessary approach. In fact, as I go on to discover throughout my session, opting to be sneaky is far more rewarding than the close quarters punch-ups.
Whipping a latch on a rooftop above, I clamber up high to reach an elevated walkway that allows me to both stay out of sight and assess my surroundings. I'm constantly making use of the environment to stay unseen, from looking for ways to put my whip to use, to throwing bottles to cause distractions. There are plenty of objects placed around the area to pick up and turn into a useful improvised weapon, such as a spade that can promptly meet an Nazi skull for a quiet knockout. Taking out foes unawares is constantly satisfying, and I find I'd much rather smash a violin I found over their head, then ready my fists.
Of course, sometimes a rumble is called for if you get spotted, but it can be pretty tricky if you catch the attention of multiple enemies at once. It often feels like you're encouraged to do things covertly above all, but it's hard to complain when being sneaky feels this good. Even the much more open Giza map proves great to explore in this way. It's here in Egypt that I get a real feel for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's blend of puzzles, discovery, and disguises.
Map in hand, I'm free to roam around the vast area with set objectives offering hints that act as my guide and encourage exploration. From uncovering the location of a disguise which allows me to waltz into enemy territory, to snapping pictures of landmarks to store in my journal that serve as clues, and sneaking my way through an underground archaeological site to try and swipe an artifact, every opportunity makes me feel like I'm the fedora-wearing adventurer.
Following some vague directions on a note, I stumble across a hidden tomb tucked beneath the sand that offers a welcome little side adventure. I have to puzzle my way through, finding canopic jars that need to be set down correctly to unlock a sarcophagus. I'm rewarded with Adventure Points for my findings, which can be used to unlock a myriad of skills and upgrades – such as being more effective in brawls.
Your adventure
Beyond simply including different modes of play, I really appreciate the way each is factored into a range of difficulty settings. Want fisticuffs to be a breeze but puzzles to stump you? Indiana Jones and the Great Circle allows for that. You can also tailor it further with granular settings for things like enemy damage. As Torvenius tells me, the team wanted to make accessibility features as good as they can be to try and ensure that as many people as possible can play.
"Older fans of Indiana Jones should be able to pick this up and even younger [fans]," Torvenius says. "I mean, in the best case scenario, you could play this with your kid and your granddad at the same time, because that's basically what we've been trying to do; make a very accessible game that shouldn't be hard to pick up." But those looking for a more hardcore adventure will be well-served too. "For those who enjoy a challenge, there are those opportunities to turn all the dials up to 11," says Torvenius.
The moments that really capture Indy's signature personality and aptitude for discovery remain the highlights of my time with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and it's filled to the fedora's brim with them. Whether it be seeing the silhouette of his hat in a tent as he begrudgingly attempts to feed a snake, to venturing through the corridors of Marshall Hall, I came away from the adventure feeling like this is about as close as I could get to being in an Indiana Jones movie myself. While it does entail a lot more stealth than I was expecting, it serves the kind of character Indy is - he's no bullet-spewing Nathan Drake - and I found it very satisfying to take out foes and traverse through the environment sight unseen. I've only gotten a taste of what's in store so far, but I'm keen to experience the wider picture of MachineGames' take on the beloved character.
Look ahead to all of the exciting upcoming releases we have to look forward to with our roundup of new games for 2024 (and beyond).
