Oh boy, where do I even begin? The fun and emotions this game delivers are beyond words. Back in 2021, when Bethesda announced they were working on a new licensed video game, I distinctly remember feeling surprisingly indifferent despite being a fan of the franchise. Perhaps it was the reputation Bethesda had earned: overpromising in trailers and marketing, only for the final product to fall short and deliver just a fraction of the hype. Even with my skepticism, everyone around me was buzzing with excitement. After all, it had been ages since we’d seen an Indiana Jones game. The last ones I recall were the LEGO adaptations. Fun and charming but hardly groundbreaking or buzzworthy. Fast forward three years, and my feelings about this game have done a complete 180. Early gameplay footage and detailed visuals completely won me over, and the cherry on top? Learning that none other than MachineGames, the team behind the Wolfenstein series, was leading development. Add to that the use of the renowned “DOOM” engine, and it’s safe to say my skepticism turned into full-blown anticipation.

I’m confident that most people are familiar with Indiana Jones, whether through the movies or pop culture. Whether it’s the iconic fedora, whip, or the unforgettable theme music, Indiana Jones represents the epitome of action-packed, globe-trotting adventures. The Great Circle captures that essence and translates it beautifully into a gaming experience with action-packed journey, fighting enemies, solving puzzles, stealing artifacts, exploring far-off places, learning about new cultures, and, of course, plenty of punching and shooting. From the moment you start playing, it feels like you’ve stepped into one of the films. The game also draws heavy inspiration from other popular titles on the market, blending those influences seamlessly into what I can only describe as an immersive sim done right.

Each world in the game is open for exploration after the initial story introduction, though certain areas remain locked until specific story points. While the main story is linear, the secondary objectives add fun and curiosity, with thoughtfully crafted mini-narratives that enrich the franchise’s lore. The main and side areas are impressively dense, offering multiple pathways to achieve your goals. Whether you’re sneaking through hidden routes or outsmarting enemies creatively, the game encourages experimentation. While it doesn’t match the complexity of recent Hitman games, it still provides a refreshing sense of freedom and encourages more thoughtful decision-making than the entire runtime of a typical modern shooter campaign. For instance, you might find yourself wondering what would have happened if you’d gone full stealth or embraced a Rambo-style approach.

https://eo.steamhost.cc/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3396539923
In true MachineGames fashion, even the simplest puzzles can occasionally become intricate enough to make you stop and think. For a more immersive and engaging experience, I highly recommend turning off the option to highlight interactable objects. It’s far more satisfying to explore and figure things out on your own rather than relying on a white outline to indicate where to interact. However, one area where the game falls slightly short is in creating a sense of risk or danger with its puzzles. For example, you rarely encounter situations where you need to trigger a trap or risk pulling the wrong lever to proceed.

Combat offers plenty of options, but the first thing to know is that Indy isn’t Lara Croft or Nathan Drake, he’s more of a punch-and-run kind of guy than a gunslinger. If you try to go in guns blazing, be ready to die quickly, as enemies can take you down in just 4-5 shots. In 1v1 encounters, fights can be over in seconds if you use the environment to your advantage, like knocking enemies out with objects. You can also rely on punching, defending, or dodging heavy attacks from tougher foes. The whip adds versatility, letting you pull enemies closer for easier hits or even steal their weapons. While enemies can sometimes outsmart you, stealth is always an option where sneaking up for a one-shot takedown can be just as satisfying.

One aspect I really enjoyed was the traversal and how the game handles navigation. Using your book to guide you, flipping through its pages to track previous/next missions, view collections from each adventure, and organize captured photos with detailed descriptions... it feels far more engaging than the typical approach of opening an inventory in a separate menu that pauses the game.

Overall, the gameplay experience is amazing, first-person perspective in my opinion was far better decision than the usual over the should adventure, but there is one noticeable issue with the game's structure. The map zones are too similar to each other, often following the same pattern: a primary check-in point for the main quest, followed by collecting optional items for upgrades, helping a doctor, and finding a disguise that can become overpowered and not fun depending on the mission. Even the boxing club features the same three fights. While each map offers unique enemy encounters and puzzles, the RPG system repeat the same structure across different zones.

https://eo.steamhost.cc/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3405349895
I’ll keep this short and spoiler-free. The game does an excellent job of capturing the best parts of the first three Indiana Jones movies. It takes about 2 to 3 hours for the plot to really ramp up, but once it does, the story becomes much more intense. The new characters are incredibly well-written, and the setting, which takes place between the first and third movies in 1937, adds a lot of depth to the experience. Playing through it was a real thrill, but I do feel the last third part of the game lacked more story and some of the adventurous spirit like it finished to fast. Despite that, it’s still a fantastic journey overall.

The visuals are stunning, consistently delivering that "wow" factor whenever you start exploring. The voice acting and motion capture in the cutscenes are top-notch, and the music shifts in intensity just like in the movies. While I’m a huge fan of John Williams' iconic scores, I was disappointed with the music in this game. It does a good job capturing the Indiana Jones vibe, but I can’t recall any memorable, game-specific themes. This stands in contrast to Jedi Survivor, which excelled in this area.

Huge letdown. Yes, it is IDTech engine. Runs great on machine and has 100 fps, but it has lot of problems that needs to be fixed. PS3 quality of some lighting, objects glitching, sometimes shadows flickering, LOD being catastrophic, cutscenes sometimes drop below 30 fps, characters in distance also drop below 30 fps, problem with Texture pool size where framerate tanked dramatically when launching game. Poor DLSS implementation, better use DLAA. Heavy on VRAM but not justified, poor AI sometimes etc.

https://eo.steamhost.cc/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3405350202
Huge congrats on developer. They managed to revive the franchise in best way possible. The content and gameplay overall are arguably the best piece. Both for completionists and players who only follow stories and some side parts, this game loop was perfectly designed. Big applause for the performance of the main and side cast.

9 / 10

If you're a fan of this franchise, but also other adventure games like Uncharted, Lara Croft. You just need to wait for the technical aspect to be ironed out a bit more. As always, it's not worth €70, as well as don’t waste on Premium edition.