by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: $17.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Troy Baker, Tony Todd
Intro:
… this is a game that absolutely delivers on the promise of its premise.
For people of a certain age (Gen X and elder millennials in particular) the character of Indiana Jones was the epitome of cool and bad arse. Played to perfection by Harrison Ford in his prime, the cocky, smart and heroic archeologist headlined the absurdly enjoyable adventure flicks, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). That latter film actually capped-off the trilogy perfectly and left our heroes riding into the sunset, much missed but never to be disturbed again. Right? No, because in 2008 Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull dropped and it was… look, it’s probably not the disaster rabidly passionate fans made it out to be at the time, but it wasn’t great. Still, we can all ignore one mediocre legacy sequel and that would surely be the end, eh? Yeah, nah. For in 2023, the world endured Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny for its crimes, which was simultaneously a box office flop and a wet, hot bummer of a flick that killed off the franchise once and for all. Well, that’s actually not entirely true. Although we’re unlikely to get another Indiana Jones movie (unless it’s a reboot created by some mad AI in the future), the world of video games is still open to the series. Enter Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and against all odds, it’s pretty bloody good!
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set between the events of Raiders and Last Crusade (Temple of Doom was actually a prequel, FYI) and kicks off when a cat mummy is stolen by a giant (played by the late, great Tony Todd!) from Marshall College, the workplace of one Doctor Jones. Before you can say “where’s my hat and whip?”, Indiana is swinging into action in a globetrotting quest to fight fascists, Nazis, giants and uncover a big supernatural secret. Basically, it’s Indy doing what Indy does best.
The Great Circle comes to us from MachineGames, who are best known for the modern Wolfenstein games, The New Order and The New Colossus. You might think from that impressive pedigree that this latest title would be a fast-paced, first person shooter. Not so, while The Great Circle does feature limited gunplay, the vast bulk of the game is exploring ancient ruins, solving intricate puzzles and punching a whole bunch of fascists. There’s also a surprisingly robust narrative here, with superb cutscenes and a genuinely intriguing plot helped mightily by the voice acting from Troy Baker, who nails the part of Indy with shocking alacrity.
The presentation of the game, too, is absolutely gorgeous with every biome offering a distinct visual palette and the animations all smooth and slick. In terms of downsides, the story does seem to run out of steam a little before the climax, and the stealth sections can get a tad repetitive, but overall, this is a game that absolutely delivers on the promise of its premise.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle won’t be for everyone. It’s slower paced than you might expect and requires mental agility as much as twitchy trigger fingers. However, for those who grew up loving the first three films, this whip-cracking, secret uncovering adventure will feel like coming home. The movie franchise may belong in a museum, but this video game iteration belongs in your Playstation, XBOX or PC.
