Games based on movies are often considered superficial, but "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" stands out with its AAA budget, open-world setting, and combination of stealth, combat, and puzzles .
Creating a new story that pays homage to the original material without recycling the past is a particularly demanding challenge. At the same time, it must maintain its uniqueness against legendary games like Tomb Raider and Uncharted. While some mechanics may seem predictable, the excellent presentation, masterful world building, and compelling plot make it an unforgettable experience
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A fun-filled adventure
It's 1937, and Indiana Jones embarks on a new adventure, before the "Last Crusade." After an introductory scene reminiscent of the "Scene of the Golden Statue," Jones is confronted with the theft of a mummified cat, which leads him on a global journey to archaeologically significant sites. The Nazis, as expected, are also trying to obtain the ancient artifacts, entangling Indy in a race against time.
The story, full of action and references to old Indy films, offers humor, puzzles and battles. Troy Baker's voice acting as Indy is excellent, while the music, with its dynamic brass and strings, perfectly accompanies the action. Emmerich Voss, the Nazi archaeologist antagonist, stands out with his theatricality.
This is an adventure full of magic, action and fun, that doesn't take itself too seriously.
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At a glance
The game combines Indiana Jones-esque scenes with interactive gameplay. It features three main maps (urban, desert, and swampland) and missions that involve exploration and collecting items. While the exploration creates a sense of archaeological research, it is sometimes time-consuming and frustrating. The maps are large-scale, with multi-layered environments and secret passages. There are also side missions, although they are less interesting than the main plot. Photo opportunities are also incorporated that reveal elements of the story and highlight the game's architecture, offering a touristy touch.
Quick, hide!
In The Great Circle, exploration is often limited by groups of Nazi or fascist soldiers. You can use disguises, but some enemies can spot you. When stealth fails, the game involves hide-and-seek, with enemies easily losing track of you, reducing the intensity. Thehand-to-hand combat is reminiscent of Punch-Out!!, with blocks, dodges, and counterattacks, but it becomes repetitive. Weapons like the whip and improvised equipment offer variety, but the use of firearms draws unwanted attention. The game includes scary moments with more dangerous enemies, especially for those afraid of water, the dark, or confined spaces.
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Not so enigmatic
In “The Great Circle,” the most enjoyable moments of gameplay are exploring large underground ruins, far from combat or stealth, with interesting movement challenges. The exploration sections are interrupted by Indiana Jones-style puzzles, with stone mechanisms and lighting. While the puzzles and battles may not always be exciting, the promise of impressive scenes and enjoyable dialogue keeps the interest alive, reminiscent of the cinematic action of the best Indiana Jones films.
A note about performance
The game “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” has been criticized for its high system requirements, such as the need for GPUs capable of real-time ray-tracing. It was tested on a system with an Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti, Intel i7-8700K, and 32 GB of RAM, which falls between the “minimum” and “recommended” specifications.
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However, it ran at 1440p resolution and “High” graphics settings at a steady 60 fps. There were a few moments of frame drops while loading scenes and background pop-in, but overall performance was satisfactory.
Source: arstechnica
