To this day, I still connect my affection for hats with Indy. I’ve been hooked on Indiana Jones since I was a kid—still, even with that obvious admiration, after getting a hands-off preview of MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I’m finding it hard to feel genuinely fired up about the upcoming release right now.
Even though I’m looking forward to stepping into yet another story-rich adventure game—one that clearly carries the wonderfully familiar “afternoon popcorn flick” vibe Great Circle promises—I came away from this early, long demo with a worry that it could be more limited than it appears. The experience seems to lean too hard on fan nostalgia and a tried-and-true structure, leaving less room for the kind of originality that would make it stand out. (And since the game launches later this year, I honestly expected to see more actual gameplay than what I did.)
The demo, also featured at this year’s Gamescom, opens with Indy stepping into a wide chamber inside the Sunsparker Temple, an underground location packed with “several well protected secrets and concealed ruins” for players to discover. With the camera in first-person, our archaeologist—still clearly voiced by Troy Baker—takes in the ancient room, then the moment shifts into a cutscene. Indy moves toward a statue on a pedestal at the back of the chamber, and the image lands instantly like Raiders of the Lost Ark—especially because Great Circle is set between the events of that movie and The Last Crusade.
At the very least, the franchise vibe is unmistakable, and MachineGames has done a solid job recreating that classic Indiana Jones feel. The whip—delivering its endlessly satisfying crack—looks set to be a key part of the archaeologist’s kit, letting Indy use it to move through the space as well as in fights. He’ll also throw punches, fire his guns, and, when the moment calls for it, make use of whatever’s lying around, like a rolling pin, though MachineGames is still not offering specifics on how combat and Indy’s stamina are meant to work together.
I respect that the studio kept the elements we associate with the archaeologist, and it’s clear this is a project built with real consideration from series fans. That said, I don’t feel like MachineGames has introduced much that’s genuinely new, and during the preview I found myself thinking about other games—especially Uncharted.
We’ve basically come full circle (pun unintended) with Great Circle. Uncharted took cues from the Indiana Jones films, and now it seems Great Circle has drawn from Uncharted as well—at least in part. The callback that stood out most was Indy’s journal. Much like Nathan Drake’s habit of sketching key artifacts and clues in the Uncharted series, Indy can snap photos with a camera and save them to his own journal. As audio director Pete Ward explained in voiceover, it becomes “a detailed archive of your journey with maps, photos, and letters,” and it will also offer guidance on where to go next.
I know Indy’s used journals and scribbled notes before, but as this Indy flips through the pages, I caught myself half-expecting to see Sully staring back at me, with a snappy line written in Nate’s handwriting next to the images—just based on how the journal is laid out and functions. That does raise a bigger question, though: how can any new Indiana Jones outing truly feel fresh? After all, Uncharted is Indiana Jones in everything but name and location, and it never tried to hide that, so it makes you wonder what room is left for Indy to explore beyond that familiar ground.
When the demo moved forward again, it showed a sample situation in Great Circle where players will need to wear a disguise to get into areas that would otherwise be off-limits.
The segment showed Indy receiving a clerical outfit from his acquaintance Father Antonio, letting him pass as a man of the cloth (and honestly, that’s a more believable choice for the moment—an outfit with a whip and weapon holster doesn’t exactly match Vatican-style clothing). Once dressed, Indy gained access to a door that would only open for people in that specific attire. Still, a new outfit won’t fool everyone, since some may realize Indy isn’t who he’s claiming to be.
Disguises are “very much driven by the narrative of the game,” director Jerk Gustafsson explained during a post-presentation Q&A, adding: “But we also have a system that enables you to switch your outfit based on the situation you find yourself in.”
As someone who enjoys social stealth titles like Hitman, I’m eager to learn how Indy will acquire different outfits—then use them to slip into places and situations we all know he shouldn’t end up in. It adds a playful, mischievous tone to whatever scenario you’re facing. However, MachineGames still didn’t show enough actual gameplay to make the experience of that plan feel clear in Great Circle, and I never got so much as a peek at the outfit-switching system mentioned earlier. Also—slightly aside here—because the game is mainly shown in first-person, the full visual effect of those outfit changes will mostly stay out of sight, aside from the cuffs on Indy’s sleeves.
Later in the presentation, we spent more time with Indy’s Great Circle companion, investigative journalist Gina. The pair worked through a puzzle using a familiar approach: reviewing a document that lays out an item and where it’s located, then retrieving that item (shown as a montage). From there, Indy and Gina pushed ahead through a previously locked door beneath the Great Sphinx of Giza.
It’s important to stress that this is still only a first look, presented in carefully controlled sections—but honestly, this entire stretch felt pretty “safe” to me, with that quick pit encounter aside. For one thing, Gina ended up pulling Indy out of the pit anyway, seemingly without the player needing to do anything at all. And beyond that, to get a golden mask out of its concrete casing, Indy and Gina had to solve the classic video game
…and a mirror puzzle, in which directing beams of light through the room in a particular way freed the golden mask from its stone pedestal.
It’s
It’s tough to pull much fresh energy from what initially felt like a fairly familiar stretch. Axel Torvenius, the creative director at The Great Circle, said the game would include a variety of “fulfilling, demanding and clever” puzzles, and the quick glimpses of play shown earlier in the presentation suggested there would be more. Still, I only wish I’d been able to see one of those puzzles in greater detail, because even the gameplay presented in Giza came across as rather limited.
Gustafsson also noted that while the Great Circle includes “narrative-driven linear levels,” there are bigger areas too, designed to “encourage exploration and the thrill of discovery,” along with a number of side activities—though, unfortunately, we weren’t shown much of that.
Alongside the gameplay snippets, there was also a look at a few other systems. In the Great Circle, every mission Indy takes on will reward him with “Adventure Points.” The name is pretty straightforward, but earning these points helps Indy strengthen his abilities, and they’re gained by finishing tasks and exploring. After that, the points are used to unlock new skills hidden across the game via Adventure Books.
One Adventure Book we saw was called True Grit, letting Indy get back from a fatal blow by recovering his hat after being knocked down. I liked seeing Indy stand up in a cinematic way, slipping his fedora back onto his head as triumphant music swelled; that said, once again, there wasn’t much actual gameplay displayed.
Of course, there are plenty of parts of the Great Circle I’m still keen to dig into. There’s no question it looked like a breathtaking setting, packed with detail—from the dry sands of Giza to the cold peaks of the Himalayas. MachineGames has promised “ancient tombs, lost civilizations, and much more” that will be revealed when Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches, and that idea really appeals to me. It’ll be a joy to move from one country to the next, without passports, jet lag, or sunscreen.
MachineGames is clearly taking a careful approach to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, with Gustafsson saying it will be a more “accessible” and “laid-back” experience than the studio’s previous work on Wolfenstein. So, if you enjoyed games in the same spirit as its closely related Uncharted—as I did—I’m confident the Great Circle will scratch that itch. I just hope MachineGames doesn’t swing too far in the name of reaching a wider audience.
As a longtime Indy fan and adventure enthusiast, I genuinely want Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to be outstanding, but for now I’m keeping my expectations in check. Based on my admittedly brief time with the Great Circle, it’s clear it’s been built with plenty of nostalgia and respect for long-running fans of the franchise. My first impression is that it’s shaping up to be a visually striking game, though its brand of escapism may feel a bit predictable. Even so, I’d be thrilled to discover it’s a true adventure in the end.