It's rare that a game released in the last gasp of December manages to not only make a lasting impression on nearly a dozen staff members, but also one big enough to almost instantly supplant the last twelve months of equally excellent video games. everyone has been playing. But that's precisely what Indiana Jones and the Great Circle have done to the Eurogamer team these past few weeks, sneaking in to lift this year's most coveted prize before any of us really knew what was happening.
It's a testament to the strength of what MachineGames has managed to achieve here with its globe-trotting game about an ancient and mysterious legend surrounding the planet, as well as its deep commitment to allowing players to create their own improvised fun within it. It's also a lesson in how we, as critics, must always embrace the full scope of what any given year has to offer us, as ignoring such a bright, shiny gem of a game just because it falls at an awkward time of year is simply a A disservice to you, our readers.
This spirit of play and unbridled adventure is also what defines Eurogamer's second game of 2024, the cheerful Astro Bot from the Asobi team. It was a pretty close race between these two games this year, and both were head and shoulders above almost everything else when the final vote came down.
In some respects, these two games are at almost opposite ends of the spectrum: one is a platformer featuring the PlayStation family mascot that runs through 30 years of video game history with delightful exuberance, while the other is a boisterous Xbox blockbuster that combines light-hearted and spontaneous stealth systems. with clever puzzles and muscular melee action. But I think they both speak to the same underlying longing we all feel: that we're tired of being spoon-fed the same bland AAA food year after year, and that what we really want is to poke, twist, poke, and really get under it. skin of what makes these games work. We want to be challenged, to engage with what is in front of us, and we also want to feel excited and euphoric about it all.
That's not to say we're actively avoiding some of the darker aspects that also make games great. The sheer number of horror games on this year's list is ample proof of this. In fact, these can also be sumptuous interactive feasts that make our brains light up in the same way that games like Astro Bot and Indiana Jones do. But I think it's that particular mix of chaos and player-created creativity that The Great Circle harnesses that has made it such a deserving champion of this year's picks.
The invitation to reach out and grab a broomstick, a hammer, a mandolin, a violin bow, and then grab it and hold it in Indy's hand with such aplomb and such devious confidence, that you don't even need to think twice before . where that object will end up in the next five seconds. It's going to smash and splinter the nearest Nazi guard's temple, bend his knees, and knock him unconscious. Such is the fate of every object that passes through Indy's fingers, because it's too delicious not to (well, aside from the copious biscotti, banana, and prickly pear loaves you'll also find around, those go straight into Indy's mouth. to give your health and stamina bars a second wind of stamina).
But even though the outcome of all these countless goals might be set in stone, The Great Circle still vibrates with the unexpected. Your plan of attack might be thwarted by a hidden guard you didn't see upon approach, for example, your silent takedown suddenly erupting into a frantic chase of thrown bottles, grabbed paddles, and chaotic, panicked strikes. Or you may come across a small puzzle that wakes up your brain and acts as a pleasant diversion for a few minutes, encouraging you to take five to solve a riddle proposed in a board game, or open a locked safe where books are hidden. of skills, cash and other delights. within. Or maybe you just want to take a break to spend a little more time with its magnificent cast of characters, from your energetic companion Gina to the village chief of Sukhothai and his cat Fried Egg.
Or perhaps you'll stumble down an entirely different rabbit hole on your way through its densely plotted locations that form one of The Great Circle's many standout side quests, many of which are so substantial, not to mention almost integral, for what is happening in the world. story, you'll want to look for them anyway. Often isolated from the rest of The Great Circle's story missions, they take you to all sorts of different places on their various maps that you wouldn't have otherwise explored, their custom plots and environments bringing a unique flavor to each and every one. of them. . Some take advantage of stealth rescue missions, while others lean on Indy's penchant for tomb raiding. There is even one that seems like a tribute to PT: a truly spectacular sequence that I will not reveal more, but that is there, out of the ordinary, ready to delight those who come across it.
Yo No I found it at the beginning; It was only after returning to clean up the stuff I inevitably had to leave behind to finish our review on time that I finally discovered this little side story. And it really feels even more special to have lost it the first time. A tougher blockbuster would have gone to great lengths to make sure I saw and experienced every last bit of hyper-realism in a single-player game like this (looking at you, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and your terrific ode to maximalist excess), and With the threat of rising development costs and the pressure to ensure players get their pound of flesh for their 70 British pounds, it's understandable why games leave so few stones unturned these days.
But how much more exciting it is to discover these gems for ourselves, to unravel new wrinkles in Indy's history without having them handed to us on a plate and without all the virtual fingers pointing: “Go here!” Please! I promise it will be good!' How much more exciting it is to be able to have that secret handshake with the developer, in a moment that feels truly yours. This is what the best games of recent years have always done for us: Outer Wilds, Elden Rings, Unpackings, Cocoons. They all put the player at their heart, presenting us with rich, vibrant worlds to simply go away and play at our own pace, peeling back their layers and fully immersing ourselves in everything these games have to offer us. They let us play, uninhibited, in their respective sandboxes, and remind us of what is possible in games and how, even after all these years of playing, they still have the ability to surprise and delight us, whether we are stepping on skin of a well-known movie star or a shiny little blank canvas robot.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle does all of this and more with such confidence that it's the best full stop to the year we could ask for, really. And with any luck, it'll also be a bright new beginning for its developer MachineGames, a studio that has taken such a confident turn with this new mix of genres that I can't wait to see how it builds on these experiences in the future. future. Indy is back and has never been better.