Indiana Jones and the Great Game Review | Indiana Jones and The Great Circle Review

WACO, Texas (KWTX) -

his is my second review for Hardwired and also my second review for a Bethesda game. I did one a year ago for a game called Starfield. Bethesda is back as the publisher for this title. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was developed by my Machine Games and clearly since this is an Indiana Jones title, Lucas Film Games is going to be attached to it. It was developed using the Motor game engine. There are two options for picture framing, one being a standard widescreen and the other is a cinematic experience complete with the anamorphic black bars on the top and bottom of the screen which I’m always going to go with. Which it’s more than just the black bars, it actually works like a real anamorphic lens and extends the image to the left and right so you’ll see more than you would in the standard mode. In this game, you play as Dr. Indiana Jones, professor of Archaeology at Marshall College, which you’ll be able to visit very early on in the game.

Right out of the main menu you’re dropped into South America during the events from the film Raiders of the Lost Ark. Your path takes you through the Temple of the Golden Idol and eventually leads to the iconic boulder scene from the movie. Shortly after, you’ll awaken in Marshall College where Indy is a professor. It’s a dark and stormy night as your cut loose to investigate a break-in on campus, where you’ll soon discover an artifact has been stolen from the schools museum. As you play through the story you’ll uncover clues about this missing artifact and it’s whereabouts, sending you across the globe, beginning with a journey through the halls of the Vatican. You’ll begin to unravel the truth about the stolen artifact and how it ties into a much bigger story of the Great Circle. From here the game really starts to take off and gets better the further down the rabbit hole you go. Every clue you find, every puzzle solved, pulls you deeper and deeper into this game and it’s hard to put it down. While you can focus on the main mission at hand, there are also many side quests and hidden secrets to find along your journey.

The graphics in this game are gorgeous. Jungles are rich with foliage and alive with fauna. Stone walls are etched with carvings and paintings. Haze drifts through the air of underground boxing rings. Light rays beam in from windows and doorways. Heat and embers rise up from fires. Tombs are dimly lit forcing you to find torches and other means to light the way. The textures are highly detailed with rocks, grass and snow. I never really noticed any areas that fell flat. The game visually, is just very gorgeous. I do however have one complaint, in my playthrough I never could figure out a way to remove the reticle from the center of the picture. I never use crosshairs in games unless I’m looking through a scope and since this game is primarily throwing punches and guitars, I don’t need the dot on my screen. So devs, please add a feature that lets us remove the reticle from the HUD. Unless I somehow missed the option and it’s there, but I don’t think I did.

*Editors note: They have since added this option to remove the reticle.

The game’s beautiful visuals are brought to life with rich voiceovers.

The dialog feels like it’s right out of an Indiana Jones movie, complete with Indy himself. You’d think it’s Harrison Ford voicing the lines, but it’s actually voiced by Troy Baker, who also worked on Last of Us II, God of War and Batman of Arkham shadow. He nails the voice of Indy. For that matter, the rest of the cast also does a bang up job. This has some of the best voice acting in a game.

All the sound and visuals wouldn’t be complete without a great score and the game’s soundtrack could make John Williams proud. It’s composed by Gordy Haab who has scored music for Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Battlefront, Star Wars Squadrons, and an array of other titles.

Speaking of good audio, the sound design is a chef’s kiss. Birds chirping in forests. Winds howling through tunnels and tombs. Fire’s scorching up from well-laid traps. Aged doors groaning as they open. They pull you into the world of Indiana Jones with their sound. Every sound effect in this game is so crisp and clear. Every punch has impact.

Which brings me to my favorite part of the great circle. The combat in this game is solid. Every punch you connect, leaves you feeling like Mike Tyson, but like 1990′s Mike Tyson. Not like 2024 Mike Tyson.

From led pipes, and sledge hammers, to frying pans and guitars, there’s an array of weapons lying around to choose from as you fight your way past Nazis. The weapons have durability and will break but there’s plenty more bottles and statue heads lying around to get your hands on. There are also repair kits but they only work the main weapons that are attached to your costumes and in your inventory. For example, the cleric outfit has a cane. If it breaks, you’ll need a repair kit to fix it. You’re loaded up with a health and stamina bar, which you’ll need to keep your eye on as you’re knocking out Nazis. They can be replenished with food, fruit, and bandages. Stamina refills over time, but the fruit can act as a buffer, lengthening how long it lasts. Food plays a similar role in health. They can both be extended through the use of books you buy from various vendors in the wild. You’ll also uncover various books along your journey that give you traits. Each book, once found, will need to be unlocked to receive its bonus. The books will add various tricks to your inventory, such as a whip pull where you can yank enemies to you like scorpion for Mortal Kombat. Another will let you pick up your hat dust it off after you’re knocked down from fists and bullets. Yes, the Indy hat trick even works after you’ve been shot down, proving even bullets aren’t a match for this cinematic legend.

But maybe combat isn’t your thing. Perhaps you’d rather play a more stealthy approach. This game has you covered there, too. You can just as easily slip past some guards and crawl your way into a building as you would fight your way to the front door. The game gives you the freedom to approach the mission the way you like to play.

Now this wouldn’t be an Indiana Jones game without its share of puzzles and this game is loaded with them. There’s enough traps in this title to make Laura Croft blush. From pulling levers to moving mirrors. If you’re looking for a true Indiana Jones tomb raiding adventure, look no further. You’ll find yourself falling through traps, swinging from your whip, scaling ledges, and hanging onto the side of blimps as you unearth the mysteries of the Great Circle. And if the puzzles are holding you back, relax. There’s a difficulty option for the puzzles as well as the combat and gameplay, so you can tone down those tricky traps.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an instant classic. This game quinches my thirst for a real Hollywood-esque Spielberg style adventure. The visuals and sound are top notch and I found it very easy to get lost in this title. It’s the Indiana Jones game I’ve always wanted to play and that’s why I give Indiana Jones and the Great Circle a 10 out of 10.

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