MachineGames Strikes Gold with Indiana Jones, Crafting a Pulp Masterpiece Worthy of the Fedora
Imagine this: It’s 1937. Indiana Jones, whip in hand and fedora square on his brow, crashes through a classroom at Marshall College.
This isn’t a movie sequel. This is you, now playing as Indy. Happily, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda, captures the essence of what makes Indy, Indy. The game is full of charm, wit, and a handsome dose of slapstick—while expanding into a fully realized first‑person/immersive‑sim adventure suitable for modern audiences.
🎬 Story & Performance: A Pulp‑Perfect Script
Set in the chronological gap between Raiders of the Lost Ark (1936) and The Last Crusade (1938), the story starts simply but quickly spirals into a globe‑trotting thrill ride.
When an imposing figure known as “Locus” (voiced by Tony Todd) steals a mystical cat mummy from Marshall, Indy and player sleuth through Vatican archives, scour Giza, scale the Himalayas, prowl Shanghai, and track down missing fragments of what could be biblical-level wizardry.
Troy Baker infuses our hero with Harrison Ford's gravelly charisma—so convincingly that you'll check the credits to verify it’s not actually Ford. Alessandra Mastronardi’s Gina Lombardi matches him note‑for‑note: part steely reporter, part emotional anchor.
And Emmerich Voss? He’s a brutally brilliant, scenery‑devouring Nazi foe—MachineGames might’ve just delivered the most memorable Indy villain yet.
The dialogue sparkles with one-liners you’ll chuckle at. The cutscenes deliver all the cinematic vibes you could ask for, and the pacing never drags. The game has nearly 26 hours of content but feels breezy.
👁️ First‑Person Immersion: Your New Brawling Buddy?
Say goodbye to traditional third‑person adventure play. MachineGames took the bold move to present The Great Circle largely in first‑person—toggling to third‑person only for whipping, swinging, or cinematic moments.
It’s a gamble that lands on its feet. There’s something uncanny about punching Nazis, peeking through dusty tombs, or cracking Indy's signature whip — all while being Indy. Critics say it’s a stronger connection to the character than most cutscenes offer.
The first‑person view also amps up suspense in tight corridors or shadowy crypts. Puzzle‑solving becomes tactile—literally reaching out with your avatar's hand to pull levers, twist knobs, and nudge relics.
It grows even more effective when paired with secrets hidden off the beaten path.
🧩 Puzzles & Fieldwork: Indiana’s Inner Archaeologist
This isn’t a shooter with relic tourism. It’s a game that rewards brainpower. Spread throughout richly crafted environments are optional side‑quests or “fieldwork” missions—investigate local legends, snap photos of elephant statues, recover stolen relics—and yes, they contribute meaningfully to the main story.
Mechanics such as “camera hints” encourage thoughtful exploration, not aimless wandering. You can earn Adventure Points by uncovering curios, snapping photos of cultural artifacts, and opening vaults. Spend them on perks like “Lucky Hat”—Indy’s revive courtesy of a fedora retrieval when it gets knocked off —or boosts to stamina and melee prowess.
These aren’t just quaint add-ons; reviewers from PCGamesN and Hardcore Gamer lauded them for depth, saying the hint system “doesn’t shout the answer” but gives just enough nudging, and that fieldwork “feels just as meaningful as the main quests.”
🕵️♂️ Stealth, Combat & Melee: Fighting Like Indy
If Indy could choose, he’d stealth before throwing lead. The Great Circle embraces that philosophy. Stealth is richly layered—you crouch, hide in shadows, disguise yourself as Blackshirts in Italy, or distract enemies with tossed wrenches. You can also dispose of foes quietly and even hide bodies.
Combat, when inevitable, is visceral and smartly tuned. Melee carries weight—knocks, parries, shove‑backs feel satisfying, even with empty-handed punch‑ups. Use the whip to disarm, the whip to open doors, or even to swing across a chasm mid‑battle.
Gunplay is scarce and discouraged. Alerting Nazis can turn a stealth mission real ugly, fast.
Critics such as TheSixthAxis occasionally found stealth “clumsy,” and boss fights felt bland in repetition. But the melee remains reliable, weighty, and rarely unfun. No dull hacks—every scrap reminds you “you’re not invincible, but you’re resourceful.”
🌍 Environments & Setpieces: A Pulp‑Packed Travelogue
Forget cookie‑cutter “open worlds.” The Great Circle presents sand‑box hubs -- big enough to explore with freedom, but compact enough to keep momentum. Vatican courtyards, the Giza plateau, Sukhothai’s temple grounds, Himalayan caves—all delivered in lovingly researched detail.
Verticality reigns: scale church spires, descend crypt shafts, whip‑swing across scaffolding, puzzle through hidden temple chambers. It feels Indiana Jones. And the transitions to cinematic moments? Seamless.
The PS5 version (April 17, 2025) ups the ante with native 4K at 60fps, improved ray‑tracing, and DualSense feedback—no gameplay add‑ons, just performance polish.
Developed in their own in-house built id Tech Motor engine, art director Mattias Astenvald and team deliver visual panache. Light filters gorgeous Venice scenes, shadows accentuate crypts, and pulley‑triggered collapses are oh-so cinematic. You almost expect the John Williams theme to burst in any second. (Spoiler: the score by Gordy Haab, recorded at Abbey Road, does a lovely thematic nod to Williams.)
⚖️ Criticisms: Hair‑Trigger Bosses and Story Clichés
It's nearly a flawless treasure trove—yet it’s not perfect:
- Tutorial reverence: The opening mimics Raiders almost shot-for-shot. Some found it overzealous or linear—though once you're outside of it, the game “jumps to what it’s made of,” according to Wired.
- Stealth clumsiness: Occasional AI jitter or awkward hiding spots made critics at SixthAxis frown.
- Boss barrages: A few battles devolve into punch-dribble-repeat fights—less artful, more brawl.
- Cinematic bias: Wired noted some scenes didn’t let you play, just watch. Too many crowd-pleasing setpieces opt for cutscene flair over interactive nuance.
- Simplified puzzles: The challenges lean approachable rather than maddeningly clever. Brain-benders? Sure—just don’t expect Portal-level sleight.
These criticisms aren’t deal-breakers. Indeed, the game’s relaxed pace lets more casual puzzle-solving shine, and most present-day gamers won’t balk at cinematic indulgences—especially when they’re that good.
🏆 Awards & Sales: A Global Hit
Commercially, The Great Circle was unstoppable. It was the second best-selling game in the US launch week, 14th best in December 2024. There were over 4 million players by January 2025. The PS5 version alone sold ~117K copies in its first 6 days—faster than Steam’s 91K in early December.
Critically, it was showered with accolades at multiple awards shows:
- 28th D.I.C.E. Awards (Feb 13, 2025): Six nominations, including Game of the Year, Adventure Game of the Year (WIN), Character (Indy WIN), Story (WIN).
- Multiple performance, score, world design, and writing nods—from BAFTA to NY Game Awards.
- Eurogamer named it Game of the Year for 2024; The Guardian, AP, and others placed it top‑10.
🔧 Replayability & DLC Tease: The Order of Giants
Yes friend: The Order of Giants DLC arrives September 4, 2025, a full story expansion set in the wake of the main game. Expect new puzzles, menacing enemies, and exotic locales—though MachineGames is tight-lipped beyond that.
There’s also tangential replayability: multiple fieldwork paths, collectibles unlocking an Easter‑egg “secret ending” involving Noah’s Ark pointing to the South Pole (if you grab all relics!) —suffice to say, there’s more story on the horizon if you’re hungry.
🎮 Final Verdict: A Golden Idol of Adventure Gaming
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle isn't just a return to form—it feels like a rebirth. It hits the sweet spot for fans, adventurers, and newbies alike. It’s not punishing, but it's smart; not mired in old templates, but reverent in all the right places; not short, but never overstaying its welcome.
- Narrative & acting: Top-tier. Baker and Mastronardi deliver, and the dramatic/occasional comedic turns keep the spirit alive.
- Gameplay: Sneaky, punchy, puzzle‑y—flexible and rewarding, not demanding.
- Environments: Wondrous—Vatican vaults to Himalayan heights, ready for photo‑ops and fisticuffs.
- First-Person Choice: Risky, but it pays off—serving immersion and thrill above all else.
- Minor flaws: Occasional dents in stealth, simplistic boss battles, too-cinematic overtures—but never enough to break the whip.
Rating: 9.2/10—a visceral, heartfelt, grin‑inducing ride.
If you grew up on Raiders, felt the sandbox nostalgia of Fate of Atlantis, or found Uncharted was just cutting a check from Jones’ bank, this is your game.
🧐 Takeaways
- Who should play: Fans of cinematic adventure, puzzle-solvers, stealth-lovers, and pop-culture nostalgia nuts.
- Who might skip: Those seeking hardcore stealth mastery, punishing combat, or hyper‑challenging puzzles.
- Best bang for buck: PlayStation 5 version—native 4K/60, ray tracing, adaptive triggers. PC/Xbox still excellent if you have high-end hardware.
- Next steps: Replay with all Adventure Books and relics to unlock that secret ending; dive into The Order of Giants release and keep your whip dry until September 2025.
TL;DR: Indiana Jones Lives, and How!
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle knocks it out of the park. It revives filmic magic with new gameplay wrinkles, immersive first‑person thrills, and satisfying exploration. There are moments that bow to cinematic spectacle more than gameplay, and stealth sometimes feels like Indiana in shackles. But they’re minor, and often outweighed by the Chaplinesque wink in his voice and the weight of a punch that feels like you’re landing it—not a cutscene landing it for you.
⭐️ Final Verdict: An unmissable, whip‑cracking, globe‑trotting triumph—one of the top adventure games in years, and both a love‑letter to indie lore and a pulse on modern design. Don’t just play it—believe you are Indiana Jones.
That’s a wrap—grab your bullwhip, dust off your fedora, and prepare for fortune and glory.
