NAZI PUNCHER 3000
HIGH “I know kara-te!”
LOW The first act.
WTF Just how many animations for knocking out a Nazi did they program?
After cutting their teeth on famed Nazi killer BJ Blaskowicz in Wolfenstein, Machine Games have now set their sights on one of the all-time great fascist foilers — Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. While Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is far from perfect, its understanding of the physicality and improvisational spirit of its titular protagonist, coupled with the unfortunate timeliness of its subject matter results in a special (if flawed) experience.
Hot on the heels of a mysterious giant who stole an artifact from Marshall College (Indy’s employer), Dr. Jones finds himself smack in the middle of the winding streets and vertical architecture of fascist-occupied Vatican City, which comprises the first big chunk of this first-person, immersive simulation-style adventure.
Unfortunately, this opening third is easily the weakest part of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. My instinct to explore (egged on by an open-world nonlinear structure and a map full of objectives and collectibles) was summarily punished as I ran headlong into locked door after locked door. I was taunted by map markers that were seemingly just out of reach, only to discover hours later that I’d been stymied by narrative stage-gates I had not yet reached.
Thankfully, these misgivings were all but assuaged in the subsequent acts, beginning with the introduction of Emmerich Voss — a sneering Nazi archaeologist, and foil for Indy.
While Voss’ aims of strengthening the Nazi war machine with ancient relics aren’t exactly fresh territory, his staccato speech, racist diatribes and apparent aptitude for martial arts make him seem simultaneously dangerous and pathetic. Riding a fine line between pulp and plausibility, Voss injects much needed vitality into the rest of the proceedings.
The second act brings the open desert of Gizeh, pockmarked with possibility as I dove into tomb after tomb to uncover the mysteries of the past. After that, I trolled the winding jungle rivers of Sukhothai by boat in search of underwater treasures and forgotten temples — an invigorating contrast to the claustrophobic cobbled paths of the Vatican.
With the literal broadening of my horizons, the flexibility of play came into focus. For example, if I spot a dig site in the distance, I’m welcome to investigate, no longer burdened by barred gates and locked doors. As I delve into any of the Great Circle‘s many nooks and crannies, I’m likely to find further mysteries to investigate and artifacts to add to my collection.
While played from the first-person perspective, to call Indiana Jones and the Great Circle a first-person shooter would be a misnomer. There are guns (loud, chunky ones at that) but they’re far from the centerpiece. In fact, players are explicitly encouraged to avoid firearms, as they are likely to draw attention, and Dr. Jones, a humble professor from Connecticut, can quickly become overwhelmed. Instead, much of my time was spent in the shadows, slowly picking off my fascist foes in increasingly brutal fashion with many improvised, disposable weapons.
Every enemy outpost has multiple approaches — from a simple hole in the fence, to underwater passages and ziplines. There are also disguises that Indy can use to infiltrate enemy ranks, gaining free access to restricted areas. The stealth mechanics aren’t particularly fancy, but they are effective. Sneaking through a desert camp, I’d often spot an enemy ahead with his back turned. The prospect of slowly dismantling
enemy camps never got old, due primarily to the physicality of the stealth takedowns.
The world is littered with armaments, from clubs and shovels to the more unlikely dustpans and guitars. Each takedown features a contextual animation and, for a relatively bloodless affair, I found it hard not to cringe as I heaved a sledgehammer into the back of a Nazi’s skull.
When stealth ultimately fails, the combat proves no less satisfying. Hearing an alarm raised, I would often turn to see half a dozen angry Wermacht soldiers running towards me. Frequently outnumbered, Indy has never been shy about employing less than honorable tactics. That sledgehammer can be thrown to knock enemies off balance, a crack from Jones’ whip can disarm another, even guns — depleted of ammunition — can be flipped around and used as bludgeons. With weapons breaking after a handful of strikes, Jones is often left with nothing more than his clenched fists — not to imply this is any less effective.
With deceptively simple mechanics, I was immediately hooked on the sweet science — carefully timed blocks allow for quick counter-jabs, and stronger punches can be charged for breaking through someone’s guard. Each blow is rewarded by an increasingly-bruised Nazi mug, and machine games have cut no corners on the animations, to the point where I was still knocking out Nazis in new ways through my final hours of play.
While Dr. Jones’ combat prowess is noteworthy, that PhD isn’t just for show. When beating down fascists loses its luster (it doesn’t) there are tombs, crypts and caves aplenty to explore full of puzzles and traps. These range from dead-simple (finding a note that reveals the code to a safe) to the more elaborate, such as using a cryptography machine and code chart to uncover a hidden combination. Disappointingly, most of the puzzles are single-solution and don’t offer the open-ended, creative delights of the combat. As such, they feel lesser by contrast — in many ways, it was more of a puzzle to make my way through a populous military base than matching symbols on an ancient pillar was.
Ultimately, it feels as though Indy is having something of an identity crisis. On the one hand, the freedom and agency offered in the latter two-thirds of the world design and free-flowing combat embraces the character in a way that previous digital incarnations haven’t. On the other, stilted puzzle design and a stubborn resistance to its own structure, particularly in the early stages, holds Indiana Jones and the Great Circle back from true greatness.
Be that as it may, with the state of the world in 2024, few things have brought me such catharsis as beating a Nazi senseless with my bare hands. That, if nothing else, justifies the existence of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Rating: 7 out of 10
— Ryan Nalley
Disclosures: This game is developed by Machine Games and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is currently available on XBX/S and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via paid download and reviewed on the XBX. Approximately 30 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. There are no multiplayer modes.
Parents: According to the ESRB, this game is rated T and contains Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Mild Language, and Violence. The official description reads as follows: This is an action-adventure game in which players assume the role of Indiana Jones on an adventure to uncover a mystery while defeating villains. From a first-person perspective, players explore various locations (e.g., catacombs, tombs, ruins) while solving puzzles and engaging in hand-to hand combat against enemy soldiers. Players can perform stealth attacks and whip attacks to take out enemies discreetly. Players can occasionally use rifles, machine guns, and objects (e.g., shovels, brooms) kill enemies. Combat is accompanied by impact sounds, realistic gunfire, and small blood-splatter effects. One sequence depicts a severed arm on the ground; another sequence depicts a corpse impaled on a spike trap, with small blood stains. The text in the game briefly references drugs (e.g., “I tried morphine; but the drug has given only transient surcease”; “Do not think from my slavery to morphine that I am a weakling…”). The words “a*s,” “bastard,” and “p*ss” are heard in the game.
Colorblind Modes: Colorblind modes are present. Three filters are offered — Protanopia, Deuteranopia, and Trinaopia with options to adjust the brightness, contrast, intensity and strength of each.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: This game offers subtitles. The subtitles can be altered and resized. In addition to the baseline subtitles, closed captions for important sound effects are also offered. All sound cues have an accompanying visual component, this game is fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: Yes, this game offers fully remappable controls.
Following this introduction, Ryan dove headlong into the 16 and 64-bit eras, culminating in the year 2000 with a fateful visit to the local game shop.On the recommendation of a saintly store clerk, Ryan picked up a copy of Deus Ex and, shortly thereafter, embarked on the vain quest to find a game that tops it.
This journey has led Ryan to GameCritics where he attempts to articulate why he still finds this medium so compelling.When not playing or writing about games, Ryan can be found watching competition reality television with his wife, their dog, and three cats.
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Had this game been a PS exclusive it’d be 10/10 across the board.
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