Indiana Jones and the Great Circlebegins with a nearly shot-for-shot recreation ofRaiders of the Lost Arks famous opening.
Well, for one thing, its an incredible sequence.
Meanwhile, otherwise incredible gaming franchises likeUnchartedandTomb Raiderhave practically built their empires by offering close enoughIndiana Jonescampaigns.
WithThe Great Circle, MachineGames does more than make up for lost time.
They deliver the kind ofIndiana Jonesexperience we never thought wed see again.
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It would be a crime to tell you any Great Circles narrative.
MachineGames has always been an excellent storytelling studio, but theyve outdone themselves this time.
Yes,The Great Circlefeatures timeline-appropriate callbacks toRaiders of the Lost ArkandTemple of Doom.
However, the game rarely relies on mere easter eggs.
Even the legendaryIndiana Jonestheme is used sparsely and with great care.
Without that performance, the dream experience this game aspires to deliver would have fallen apart.
Mind you, there are some lowlights in this area of the game.
Still, calling this the bestIndiana Jonesstory of the last 30 years is a tragic understatement.
Remarkably, that story isnt evenThe Great Circles best feature.
The Great Circles main levels are sizeable hubs filled with hidden items and side quests.
Unfortunately, the games combat and stealth arent nearly as satisfying as its puzzles and quests.
Shooting is very bullet-spongy and nowhere near as good as what youll find inWolfenstein.
Most melee fights boil down to a repetitious series of simple strikes regulated by your stamina bar.
In practice, enemy encounters quickly become repetitive.
WithThe Great Circle, though, MachineGames showcases the many flaws in that seemingly simple comparison.
We tend to remember Indiana Jones as the larger-than-life center of incredible action set piece moments.
The truth is that Indiana Jones is a throwback to the adventure heroes of old.
Hes an explorer, not a conqueror.
An academic, not an assassin.
Were told that their disappointing sales just dont justify their creative brilliance.
I love those games, but theyve become the standard at the cost of more substantial experiences.
Truth be told, I believe that MachineGames has an even betterIndiana Jonesgame in them.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle releases on Dec. 9 on Xbox Series X/S and PC.
It will hit PlayStation 5 in 2025.
