Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: A Whip-Cracking Wonder

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review

I love these movies. It's not exactly a good take, but it's true. Watching Indy stomp through dusty ruins and hit Nazis over the head is an incredible moment. And you know what? The Great Circle captures some of that eternal energy. Some of the pacing seems a little awkward, but it's almost unavoidable. I was so drawn to the plot that I was expecting the fast pace of a childhood favorite. But once I accepted that I was, in fact, playing, I started having a lot of fun. It turns out that stepping into Indy's shoes for a while is a blast.

Oh, and since The Great Circle is pretty plot-driven, there are spoilers ahead! I'm not going to break down the whole story, but I will delve into it a little bit. Seriously, this is your last warning! Well, I just had to make sure.

We begin with a flashback to the opening scene of the first film. That is, it is recreated rhythm by rhythm. And it totally works! You get a tutorial and a full character introduction at the same time. From there we go straight to the incident that incited the ummm, the plot. For obvious reasons I still want to say movie. People talk about games becoming more cinematic, but The Great Circle takes this further than most. It seems that a giant weirdo (he's big and unusual) has stolen an artifact from Dr. Jones' university. So obviously Jones has to drop everything and fly to Vatican City to find this guy. From there we embark on a globe-trotting adventure, beating up fascists and solving ancient mysteries.

Excellent voice work

The voice acting will attract a lot of scrutiny. And I understand it. Harrison Ford brought an iconic character to life in a way that cannot be ignored. But Troy Baker nails this role. I don't know how much he looks like Harrison Ford. But he captures Indiana Jones with practiced ease. To me, his was Indy's voice almost immediately. Truly, this is a man who has spent decades unearthing and studying ancient relics. He's also someone used to getting into and out of serious trouble with quick fists and a quicker wit. The rest of the cast is also excellent. I loved Antonio and Herr Voss is fantastic. A big part of this is the acting. But the animation is also quite remarkable.

The facial animation in The Great Circle isn't perfect. Certain emotions are simply beyond the capabilities of this engine. But still, there were many small moments that the animation enhanced. Nothing crazy, to be clear. Just little touches. Things like relief, shock, wonder and sadness. There is a scene where Father Antonio exhales shakily after a tense conversation with another priest. His expression, his body language, and his voice felt real and genuine. Developers clearly know the limits of this system and how best to work within them. Camera tricks and musical stings also enhance the emotional impact of certain scenes. All of these techniques went a long way toward keeping me engaged.

He sucked me straight

Since I played this game on my laptop, a Stealth 16 Studio A13V, I may not have gotten the full picture graphics-wise. Certain default settings are medium or even low in a couple of cases. But even with these concessions applied, the Great Circle looks impressive. The characters are expressive and detailed, with sleeping suits and bandaged noses looking suitably sharp. Each new environment is represented from top to bottom. Nothing has been neglected, not even the endless parade of collectible documents. The lighting effects are immersive and well-crafted. I saw jagged edges on a batch of falling debris in the opening sequence; everything else looked fantastic. The random NPCs aren't rendered in the same exhaustive detail as the mental characters, but they still look pretty decent. If you have the hardware to run it properly, this game looks excellent.

I mentioned pacing earlier. Some of this is largely a reviewer-specific issue. I had to speed through the game to meet my deadlines. So maybe I had some unrealistic expectations about the pacing of the plot. But under different circumstances, I wouldn't mind this pace at all. In fact, my second chance at this game will probably take much longer. Each section is filled with side quests and collectibles that reward careful and complete consumption of the entire area. Additionally, those side quests are usually directly tied to the main plot. If they send you to look for photographic evidence? This is the main relic you are tracking. All of this is also fully voiced and beautifully filmed. You might take your time with this one.

ABW (Always Spanking)

You'll be happy to know that The Great Circle is very dynamic. Dr. Jones is scaling walls, opening doors, crossing gaps, and hitting weapons with his trusty whip. Doing so also feels nice and fluid. At least he does it during combat, which is what really counts. Breaking down walls is a bit of a chore, but I think that's how it's supposed to be. It can't be easy to scale that way, right? Plus, the sound is always quite satisfactory.

The beats sound amazing too. They are not realistic, but they are like they would be in an Indiana Jones movie. Combat, at least on moderate difficulty, is for the most part a quiet good time. You sneak up on the fascists and knock them out, or you run around shouting at them to do the same. There's always a bottle of wine, a baton or a frying pan on hand for that extra touch, which is great. He also often had access to firearms, but rarely used them. Hand-to-hand combat seemed more fun or just more appropriate for the character. The only fights he really hated were with giants. I made those on easy mode, and once you find enough of them, you'll understand why.

The final result? The Great Circle is an excellent time. The voice acting is great, the action is upbeat and fast-paced, and the entire game is quite beautiful. Plus, the story has some serious hooks. Indiana Jones is about globe-trotting adventures, Nazi-bashing, and solving gigantic mysteries. This game captures that vibe with ease. I had mixed thoughts about the pacing at times, but maybe non-critics don't feel it as intensely. However, everyone may hate giant fights. I also had some issues with recoil during side missions, but they weren't a deal breaker. If you're a die-hard Indy devotee or a fan of great adventures, Indiana Jones and the Big Circle is a great choice.

***A Steam key was provided by the publisher***