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Theres a fantastic action-adventure game in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Its one made of thrilling heroics, daring escapes, loathsome villains, and larger-than-life moments.
Todd Howard’s decade-long dream is coming to fruition.
But then theres this other game in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Its polluted by checklist-style quest logs, over-stuffed map markers, and an emphasis on quantity over quality.
It starts out incredibly strong.
As fun as that sequence is to watch, it’s even better to play.
It immediately sets the tone and pace of the game.
What this opening is communicating cant be misconstrued: youre playing an Indiana Jones movie.
So far, so Indy.
Vatican City is the first open-world zone, and my first indication that something was amiss.
But at least that made sense for Spideys personality.
Here, Indys preoccupation with collecting comic books and taking Polaroids certainly doesnt.
I can practically see the studios whiteboard with the words player retention circled in big bold letters.
It may pad your play time, but it certainly doesnt make it a more authentic Indiana Jones experience.
I was still sort of on board with the open world of it all throughout the Vatican City sequence.
Its got everything you want: globetrotting, Nazi-punching, creepy crawlies.
Tombs, traps, ancient artifacts.
MachineGames is creating a first-person action adventure with a whole lot of potential.
It didnt need to be so complicated.
The linear sequences have all the ingredients necessary.
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events ofRaiders of the Lost ArkandThe Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power known as the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them - Indiana Jones. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.
You travel around the world in search of MacGuffins hidden away in ancient tombs.
Along the way you solve some puzzles, avoid some traps, and swing on your whip.
The more side quests I completed, the more unimpressed I became with the storytelling.
The more Nazis I fought, the more I realized how lousy the combat is.
The more puzzles I solved, the more it seemed like MachineGames isnt particularly good at designing puzzles.
If you focus solely on the main story I think youll get a lot out of the experience.
Its a fun story with some decent gameplay variety thats authentically Indy.
Its a shame the rest of it falls so flat.
