5/5 ★ – Smabbott's review of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Pitch perfect execution Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is such a disappointment that it came out when it did. If it came out a couple of months earlier it could have easily been a contender for Game of the Year. But then maybe it wouldn’t have been as polished as it was. If like me you like Indiana Jones but don’t love it, you’ll be shocked for me to tell you that this game made me love the original three films more than previously thought. Setting the game between Raiders and Crusade was a stroke of genius. Not just due to Indy being young and driven, but also you don’t have Indy’s apprehension which shows his growth from Crusade. He’s still reckless but not blinded by the journey like in Raiders. His mindset is at war with wanting to protect the one’s he cares about and uncovering this great conspiracy. It’s immaculately executed and works as a beautiful companion piece to Crusade and later entries in the franchise. The gameplay is not what I expected at all. I was worried when the first trailer came out for the game. MachineGames had made a first person Indiana Jones game. This was concerning because yes they make great fps games such as Wolfenstein, but that’s not Indiana Jones, and MachineGames understood this completely. The gameplay is a mix of stealth combat, melee brawling, immersive sandbox weapon usage. There are so many options to deal with the Nazis and other factions that I never once shot a bullet. I used guns as clubs, used Indy’s whip and his bare fists from the first frame to the last. The level design was so fresh for this type of game. The split between set piece linear locations which still have multiple routes for the player to decide their approach. Contrast this to open-hub areas as it were which add side quests woven so seamlessly in the main narrative that they barely felt disconnected. Multiple hub areas were beautifully realised through gorgeous graphical fidelity from the ID engine. It’s incredible. The interconnected environmental design within the same area was shocking. For example you will go from a rampart, to a dig sight, to a dilapidated church, to Vatican rooftops, to the sistine Chapel and finally an open courtyard. This is all the in the space of 5 minutes. Curated by the player for the player. This is just one hub-area. It’s stunning. The tombs and puzzles were not head scratchers really, but there was never a point where the game was talking down to the player. The environments were so well realised through the gorgeous exaggerated lighting. I was glued to this game in the fact that I beat it in a day. The narrative stands on its own two feet with the very best of Indiana Jones. Perfectly balancing the tone in which the classic films captured so well. Laugh out loud moments where Nazis will literally make monkey noises and be so flamboyant and silly that it works. Because moments later they return to the ruthless, horrific evil they were and none are better than Emmirich Voss. Oh my god, how did they nail the villain so well? Voss is calculated, scary, silly, flamboyant and full of charisma. His respect and hatred of Indy makes him a formidable force for the player to battle against. Every time he was on screen he radiated that brilliant 80’s villain energy. His demeanour was so layered and visceral which is so refreshing in this day and age. Indy’s partner for the game Gina is written so well, with the can do attitude in which Marion captured in her outings in the franchise. She’s resourceful, sensitive, driven, strong and incredibly likeable, which makes her’s and Indy’s relationship believable. Troy Baker would’ve won best performance this year if the game was eligible for the award. He nails Harrison Ford’s mannerisms in every line he performs. His movements are pitch perfect as well as radiating that smarmy attitude Indy has where he’ll smile through words. You are completely absorbed in the performance where you can barely tell the difference. The AI is definitely the weakest part of the game. But it didn’t ruin it enough to knock a point off the score. The game has moments where melee fights will just be stagnant, the enemy will take forever to hit you sometimes, taking you out of the experience. But overall nothing too bad to complain about. The Great Circle serves up a true cinematic experience which harkens back to the glory days of this franchise in such a unique, terrific way. The music elevating every scene it’s played homaging John Williams’ iconic flare and grace. The narrative is pitch perfect for an Indiana Jones story full of laughs, suspense and one liners. The level design is absolutely immaculate in terms of approach, shortcuts and variety. The environmental design is beautifully curated with so much attention to detail. The whole package is an all time great and I think as time goes on we will be talking about this game as a real jolt of life in this industry. The Great Circle is a monumental achievement on basically every level.