Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review – A Whip-Cracking Wonder

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review

I love these movies. Not exactly a hot take, but it’s true. Watching Indy stomp around dusty ruins and punch Nazis in the head is an amazing time. And you know what? The Great Circle captures some of that timeless energy. Some of the pacing feels a little awkward, but it’s almost unavoidable. I got so drawn into the plot I was expecting the crackling pace of a childhood favorite. But once I accepted that I was, in fact, playing a game, I started having a lot of fun. It turns out that stepping into Indy’s shoes for a while is a blast.

Oh and, since The Great Circle is pretty plot-focused, spoilers are inbound! I won’t break down the whole story, but I will dig into it a little bit. Seriously, this is your last warning! Okay, just had to make sure.

We start with a flashback to the opening scene of the first film. That is to say, it’s recreated beat for beat. And it totally works! You get a tutorial and a comprehensive character introduction at the same time. From there we cut directly to the inciting incident of the ummm, the plot. For obvious reasons I keep wanting to say film. People talk about games getting more cinematic, but The Great Circle takes this farther than most. It seems like a giant weirdo (he’s both large and unusual) has stolen an artifact from Dr. Jones’ college. So obviously Jones has to drop everything and fly to Vatican city to find this dude. From there we’re off on a globetrotting adventure, punching fascists and solving ancient mysteries.

Excellent Voice Work

The voice acting is gonna attract a lot of scrutiny. And I get it. Harrison Ford brought an iconic character to life in a way that can’t be ignored. But Troy Baker nails this role. I don’t know how much he sounds like Harrison Ford. But he captures Indiana Jones with practiced ease. For me, his was the voice of Indy almost immediately. Truly, this is a man who’s spent decades digging up and studying ancient relics. This is also someone accustomed to getting in/out of serious trouble with fast fists and faster wits. The rest of the cast is excellent as well. I loved Antonio, and Herr Voss is fantastic. A big part of this is the acting. But the animation is also pretty noteworthy.

Facial animation in The Great Circle isn’t perfect. Certain emotions are simply beyond the abilities of this engine. But even so, there were so many little moments that were elevated by the animation. Nothing crazy, to be clear. Just little touches. Things like relief, shock, wonder, and sorrow. There’s a scene where Father Antonio kind of shakily exhales after a tense conversation with another priest. His expression, his body language, and the vocal delivery all felt lifelike and genuine. The devs clearly know the limits of this system and how best to work within them. Camera tricks and musical stings also enhance certain scenes’ emotional impact. All these techniques went a long way towards keeping me engaged.

Sucked Me Right In

Since I played this game on my laptop, a Stealth 16 Studio A13V, I might not have gotten the complete picture, graphics-wise. Certain settings defaulted to medium or even low in a couple of cases. But even with these concessions applied, the Great Circle looks awesome. The characters are expressive and detailed, with slept-in suits and bandaged noses looking properly crisp. Every new environment is rendered from top to bottom. Nothing has been neglected, not even the endless parade of collectible documents. Lighting effects are immersive and well-crafted. I saw jagged edges on one batch of falling debris in the opening sequence – everything else has looked terrific. Random NPCs aren’t rendered with quite the same exhaustive detail as the mind characters, but they still look pretty decent. If you’ve got the hardware to run it right, this game looks pretty excellent.

I mentioned pacing earlier. Part of this is very much a reviewer-specific issue. I had to blaze through the game at warp speed to meet my deadlines. So I might have had some unrealistic expectations about the rhythm of the plot. But under different circumstances, I wouldn’t mind this pace at all. In fact, my second crack at this game will likely take a lot longer. Every section is full of side missions and collectibles that reward a careful and complete consumption of the whole area. Plus, those side missions are often tied directly to the main plot. If you’re sent on a fetch quest to gather photographic evidence? It’s all about that main relic you’re tracking down. All of it’s fully voiced and beautifully shot, as well. You might find yourself taking your time with this one.

ABW (Always Be Whipping)

You’ll be happy to know that The Great Circle is very whip-forward. Dr. Jones is climbing walls, opening doors, crossing gaps, and smacking guns with his trusty whip. Doing so feels nice and fluid as well. At least it does during combat, which is what really counts. Whipping up walls is a somewhat ponderous task, but I think it’s supposed to be. Can’t be easy climbing that way, right? Also the sound is pretty satisfying every time.

Punches sound amazing as well. Not realistic, but like they would in an Indiana Jones movie. Combat, at least on Moderate difficulty, is mostly a breezy good time. You sneak up on fascists and knock them out, or run screaming at them to do the same thing. There’s always a wine bottle, billy club, or frying pan around for some extra oomph, which is great. I often had access to firearms as well, but I almost never used them. Melee combat felt more fun, or just more appropriate to the character. The only fights I really hated were with the giants. Those I did on easy mode, and once you encounter enough of them, you’ll understand why.

The bottom line? The Great Circle is an excellent time. The voice acting is great, the action is breezy and fast, and the whole game is quite beautiful. Plus the story has some serious hooks. Indiana Jones is all about globetrotting adventures, punching nazis, and solving gigantic mysteries. This game captures that vibe with ease. I had conflicting thoughts about the pacing at times, but maybe non-reviewers won’t feel that so intensely. Everyone might hate the giant fights, however. I also had some issues with backtracking during side quests, but they weren’t dealbreakers. Whether you’re a diehard Indy devotee or a sucker for grand adventures, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an excellent choice.

***A Steam key was provided by the publisher***