With Indiana Jones and the Great Circle almost upon us, the iconic, fedora-wearing archeologist is about to set off on another dangerous adventure. To get you up to speed (and more importantly) excited, here are the five biggest reasons you have to check out Indy’s latest escapade when it’s released on December 9.
It’s hard to believe 43 years have passed since the great Indiana Jones first hit the big screen. Harrison Ford’s charming demeanor and dry humor made the character an instant hit, and this icon of the silver screen has only become more legendary in the decades since.
Surprisingly, considering Indy’s popularity, it’s been 15 years since Indy last ventured into the gaming realm with Staff of Kings. Thankfully, MachineGames is here to change the course of history with a full-fledged, big-budget outing taking players around the globe in the most ambitious Indiana Jones game to date.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is whipping its way onto Xbox and PC (through a day one release on PC Game Pass) on December 9, and here are the most important reasons you should be jumping in right away.
A new Indiana Jones adventure
For any lifelong Indiana Jones fans out there, you know there’s far more to the hero than just what’s shown on the big screen. Be it the Young Indy spinoff series or the few dozen books from over the years, the character rarely stays put. Figuring out exactly what he was up to at various stages in his life is in itself, a delightful mystery, and now, the Great Circle illuminates another stretch of time.
Set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1936) and the Last Crusade (1938); the Great Circle gives us a fresh look at what the character was up to in his prime adventuring days. From life on the Marshall College campus to dangerous expeditions through Egypt, we’re presented with an entirely new slice of Indy’s life.
How it fits into the bigger picture is exactly what we get to figure out by playing through ourselves. Not only is it an exciting new Indy tale, but one that takes every measure to honor the legacy of the series.
The Great Circle has many secrets to uncover
Exploration is at the heart of the Great Circle, as it is any great adventure. While you can certainly focus the bulk of your efforts on the main mystery at hand, we all know Indy loves to explore from time to time. What good is visiting Vatican City if you can’t take some time to sightsee and perhaps help yourself to a few shiny goods for the museum back home?
Wandering off the main path is not only possible here, but actively encouraged. MachineGames has designed the new Indy title in such a way as to let players stumble upon all manner of intriguing sights and sounds.
One particular alleyway might open up a new side-story while taking a picture of an ancient structure which may provide key details to help unlock an elaborate door. The more you put in, the more you get out, and of course, Indy’s next reward is always just around the corner.
For every task you pursue, you’re rewarded in kind. If you’ve ever wanted to step in the shoes of Indy, properly exploring cobweb-ridden caves, unearthing dazzling treasures, and of course, having plenty of fun along the way, the Great Circle is no doubt the best way to do just that.
You will actually get to fight like Indy
What would all the exploring be good for if Indy didn’t run into a little trouble along the way? It’s only right the great adventurer finds himself in hot water every now and then, but it’s always a blast seeing how he gets out of deadly situations. Once again, the control is now in your hands to guide Indy to safety.
Indy isn’t the bloodthirsty type; you’ll never see him ruthlessly gunning down rows of Nazis like other action heroes of his time. Rather, his method of taking out hostiles is a little more creative and that sense of ingenuity has been captured in the Great Circle.
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The most important tool of all, Indy’s whip, is at your disposal. Not only can you use it in combat, stripping guns from enemies or yanking their feet out from under them, but it’s also extremely helpful in getting around the environment too. Much like Harrison Ford has done for decades, you can embody Indiana Jones and whip your way over otherwise perilous chasms.
Years of work from hundreds of developers have ensured no stone was left unturned in making the whip as authentic as possible. Every crack and every snap can be felt just as you’d expect, and given it’s the studio’s biggest game yet, you’ll be getting plenty of use out of Indy’s trademark weapon.
There are some great locations to explore around the world
As with every Indy adventure, the Great Circle spans multiple countries as you travel from one stunning locale to the next in order to make sense of the next clue. While plenty is undoubtedly being kept under wraps, we already know the new game will take us to the shadowy Vatican City, sunswept Giza, and the verdant Southeast Asian town of Sukhothai.
It’s another truly global romp, but most importantly, it’s one you can navigate how you please. Thanks to a litany of difficulty options, you can fine-tune the experience to your liking. Say you’re an expert at hand-to-hand combat but not so great when it comes to solving puzzles. Well, you can pick and choose settings to make combat harder while easing up the challenge of exploration.
If you’d rather take your time exploring every nook and cranny while not having to worry too much about combat, that option is at your fingertips as well. So while it’s Indy’s adventure at the end of the day, you can still make it wholly your own with these handy options.
You’ll meet intriguing new enemies and allies
You can’t have an Indiana Jones story without an all star cast, While we don’t know if any of Indy’s old friends will make an appearance (I’m holding out hope for a Marcus cameo) the Great Circle is going to introduce some new allies and enemies to the franchise.
The acclaimed Troy Baker is near-unrecognizable in the lead role, expertly replicating Harrison Ford’s effortless charm in what strives to be the most authentic performance possible.
Everyone’s favorite archaeologist will be begrudgingly working with Gina Lombardi, a reporter whose sister went missing while following the trail of the Great Circle. Hot on the tail though will be the obsessive Nazi archaeologist Emmerich Voss who wants to uncover what secret power lies behind the Great Circle.
Perhaps, though, the most intriguing character is the enigmatic Locus. Rather poignantly Locus is played by the late, great Tony Todd (who readers will remember from the Candyman movies, and more recently voicing Venom in Spider-Man 2) in what’s thought to be his final video game performance. Beyond that though we don’t know much about him. We know he’s a thief but who is he working for?
To find out and to learn what supposed ancient power the Great Circle holds you’ll have to wait for December 9 when the game launches, then it’ll up to you to make sure it falls into the right hands.
If you want to know how we’re celebrating the rest of PC Gaming week, be sure to check out the full schedule here.
