With a first look showcased in January 2024, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be a new adventure for Indy, set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. But, this is no new film entry, instead, it is a first-person adventure video game being developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. MachineGames has previously developed several Wolfenstein (known for their WW2 setting) games since 2014, so to see them take on another game set in the past is quite inspiring. From what has been shared, this is a globe-trotting journey for Indy, from visiting Europe to Africa and Asia in his travels to protect the mysterious Great Circle.
What exactly is “The Great Circle”?
In the wonderful world of Indiana Jones, there are various artifacts and supernatural objects that have set the plots in motion, leading to Indy saving the day one way or another. In the case of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, it appears as though certain locations (Rome, Thailand, Egypt, Shanghai, and the Himalayas) have the potential to bring forth an unspoken power when they’re all connected on a map. What they do have in common is that they are all spiritually charged locations, and when you look at them, you’ll see they form a perfect circle around Earth.
As of now, these are all the details we know of regarding the plot and the mystery behind the Great Circle. Of course, some bad actors are working to acquire this for themselves, which is what puts Indy on the road to intervene. Although unknown, the potential of this power seems like quite a threat to the world, with the impending Second World War only a few years away.
Puzzles, whips, and fights await you in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
It wouldn’t be an Indiana Jones game if it was lacking some of the most iconic pieces from the films. His famous whip will play an important part not just in combat but in traversal throughout his adventure. Gameplay videos have already shown how he can use it to subdue enemies and cross chasms with bottomless pits below. When he’s not fighting off Nazis or Blackshirts, Indy will have a variety of puzzles to unlock other passages in his escapades.
The scale of not just the traveling and exploration, but also the engagements, seems promising for this title. Stealth mechanics will play a huge part in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, where you sneak around enemies to advance the missions or avoid engaging in combat.
If moving quietly doesn’t suit you, there are always fistfights or pistols to help take out bad guys. The gameplay trailer even showed that there is a fight sequence on a plane, taking control of a machine gun and then Indy jumping onto a Japanese plane flying parallel to his.
Exciting potential for adventurous gameplay as Indy
There’s a bit of a split in reception on the decision to have the majority of gameplay through a first-person point of view. Fans are excited to play as Indiana Jones in high definition and marvelous graphics, but it appears as though it’s mostly fixed. Some cutscenes and certain moments during the adventure will shift to a third-person perspective, but not for too long, only to show the changes in the environment before switching back.
The choice to have it in first person is still quite exciting, since puzzles play an important part of the game, it helps to see them from that first-person perspective. The graphics are also exciting because we will get to see many historic and famous sites up close as we interact with them.
Lastly, getting a new story with Indiana Jones set in the earlier parts of his career has an electrifying buzz of possibilities. At this point in his story, he’s already left Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and teams up with Gina Lombardi (Alessandra Mastronardi). Also, Indy is being voiced by Troy Baker, who has an extensively long voice acting portfolio in video games and animation.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle should be a home run for the holidays
Between the graphics, gameplay, settings and the development team behind it, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has my attention. Puzzles set in exotic locations, various methods of combat, and the backdrop of history all tied into one title sound so fun. Add in the fantastic franchise that is Indiana Jones, and it seems like a home-run for the holiday season. There’s also the wonderful fact that we know so little about the plot that it manages to keep the mystery intriguing and what could be a brilliantly executed reveal in the storyline.
Coming soon to all major platforms (PC, Xbox, PlayStation), Indiana Jones and the Great Circle releases on December 9th! Pre-orders are live for different editions of the game, as well as a Collector’s Edition that includes some awesome physical goodies such as a steelbook display case, a replica of an in-game relic, and a globe with a hidden storage compartment!
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