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Discover the top 10 things you must know before playing the new Bethesda release Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle marks another chapter in the iconic adventurer’s journey, blending historical intrigue with the familiar thrill of ancient mysteries. This new installment is an action-adventure game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks, with gameplay based around combat, stealth, and puzzle solving.This article explores 10 key things you need to know about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. From its storyline, characters, and combat to the significant elements that tie it to the broader Indiana Jones mythos. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the franchise or simply curious about the latest addition, these insights will provide a deeper understanding of what makes The Great Circle a noteworthy entry in the series.
10 Things You MUST Know About Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
In Indiana Jones and the Great Circle you’ll be taking on the role of the character, as Jones attempts to stop various groups who are seeking to harness a power connected to the mythological Great Circle.
In the following article, we’ll discuss the top 10 things you should know before playing Indiana Jones and The Great Circle. This game looks to have a lot of highs, but also some lows. We’ll break down everything from Combat, Stealth, New Mechanics, Interesting Puzzles, story, and exploration to everything in between. By the finish, hopefully you will learn what to expect when you first play the game and whether it is for you.
- Who Will Love It
- Tools and Weapons
- Progression
- Combat
- Stealth
- Puzzles
- Quests
- Characters
- Story and Setting
- Overview
10. Overview
Developed by MachineGames and Published by Bethesda, The Great Circle captures the essence of Indiana Jones with gameplay that combines exploration, combat, stealth, and puzzle-solving. You will put on the shoes of the brilliant archaeologist and travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to the mystery of the Great Circle.
The game will first release on December 9, 2024 for Windows PCs and Xbox Series X/S. Moreover, it will also be available on Day One with Game Pass. There are plans to release the game on Playstation 5, but currently there is no announced date and only a rumor of sometime in Q1 of next year.
Additionally, you can currently pre-order the game in one of two editions. The standard edition costs $69.99 dollars, and the premium edition costs $99.99 dollars.
Furthermore, if you preorder the standard edition, you will receive The Last Crusade Pack, which includes the Traveling Suit Outfit and Lion Tamer Whip, as seen in The Last Crusade. The premium edition includes up to three days of Advanced Access, The Order of Giants Story DLC, A Digital Artbook, and the Temple of Doom Outfit.
9. Story and Setting
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, and pits the archeologist against familiar foes of Nazi Germany and other Axis Powers.
The story begins with Professor Indiana Jones being awakened by a break-in, which results in the theft of a priceless relic. This sets off a thrilling chase to recover the artifact and unravel the mystery surrounding its theft.
The story of the Great Circle starts with a very grounded tone. Consequently, you will not be instantly thrust into a significant action set piece from the get-go. The game will start in the setting of Marshal College, where Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr. is a professor.
Furthermore, Marshall College also serves as a tutorial introducing Indy’s toolkit. Before going on your adventure, you will need to pick up the artifacts scattered around by finding historical cues like hieroglyphics. This tutorial section will lay the foundation for environmental riddles to come as you progress more.
The game’s narrative strives to capture the spirit of Indiana Jones, blending historical intrigue, mythical elements, and cinematic action. Players will travel to iconic locations like the Vatican, where Indy sneaks through twisting corridors, and the bustling streets of Giza, teeming with life and mystery. Your main mission is to stop Emer Vos, Indy’s rival archaeologist. If he gets his hands on the relics, they will be used for nefarious purposes.
8. Characters
You will not be alone in your journey in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The story begins with the theft of an artifact by a mountain of a man named Locus. Determined to get the artifact back, Indy quickly takes up the chase and pursues the criminal to get that piece of history back.
In the process he turns up more of the mystery, and learns of Emer Vos, the primary antagonist. He plunders archaeological sites worldwide in his relentless pursuit of mysterious stone relics. Vos’ quest is part of a larger conspiracy that threatens the globe at a dark time in history. Consequently, as Indy digs deeper into the mystery and pushes back against Vos, it becomes evident that the relic’s theft is just the tip of the iceberg.
Joining Indy on his adventure will be Gina Lombardi, an Italian journalist driven by her personal quest to find her missing sister. Moreover, Indy and Gina are not alone in their fight. They are supported by a global network of allies who provide critical assistance throughout their journey, with some familiar faces to see along the way.
7. Quests
Questing in Great Circle has a very immersive feel to it, and encourages exploration and creativity. Consequently, the game abandons traditional HUD elements like a static map screen, opting for a hands-on approach where Indy physically holds and references his maps. These maps are collectibles, and finding one becomes a small puzzle of its own, further immersing you in the role of an adventurous archaeologist
As you observe and walk around inspecting Indy’s notebook, it is apparent from the get-go that the setting is designed for you to stop and take in its environments rather than run through them.
Moreover, while the main storyline is always available, the game rewards players who stray off the beaten path. In Giza, for instance, exploring side areas reveals hidden tombs, secret passages, and incidental treasures that often tie back into main missions. A hidden artifact might unlock a later skill while solving a side puzzle, which could provide lore-rich context for the main story.
Furthermore, the level design is soul-like, inviting players to revisit areas with new tools or knowledge, uncovering deeper layers of the world. Many of the items you stumble upon while exploring tie back to missions given by characters like Nawal, creating a sense of interconnectedness in the world
6. Puzzles
No Indiana Jones game would be complete without puzzles, and The Great Circle has plenty. Expect classic tropes like light beam puzzles, twisting statues to match drawings, and navigating dark passages with torches. While these puzzles faithfully follow the Indiana Jones aesthetic, some may feel repetitive. This particularly can feel true with the light beam mechanics, which appear multiple times in quick succession.
However, traps like spike pits, sand traps, and clever environmental riddles still capture that sense of ancient mystery.
One standout feature is how the game ties puzzles to the world. Using Indy’s camera, you can photograph clues to get hints, extra lore, or even Adventure Points. This mechanic adds an investigative layer, making you feel like a true archaeologist.
5. Stealth
Stealth plays a pivotal role in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, allowing players to embody Indy’s cunning and resourcefulness. While Indy can hold his own in combat, the game encourages players to avoid direct confrontations. This focus on stealth aligns with the tone of the Indiana Jones films, where wit and strategy often triumph over brute force.
The design philosophy behind stealth in The Great Circle prioritizes creative problem-solving over straightforward elimination of threats. Gunfights can be punishing, making stealth the safer and often more rewarding approach. Therefore, many areas present multiple pathways, allowing players to choose routes that emphasize stealth. For example, players can use Indy’s whip at the Vatican level to climb to a high ledge and bypass guards entirely.
Indy can find and don disguises on some levels, blending in with enemies to explore restricted areas without drawing attention. While in disguise, players need to avoid suspicious behavior, as guards can detect Indy if he strays too close or performs out-of-character actions.
Furthermore, you can use objects in the environment, such as bottles or crates, to create noise and lure guards away from critical pathways. Other options allow for sneaking past guards using elevated routes or solving small puzzles to unlock alternative doors.
Guards follow a standard pattern of awareness, from patrolling to investigating noises or disturbances. However, some guards are more perceptive than others, making it essential to avoid close proximity even when disguised. If they spot Indy, they’ll sound an alarm, escalating the encounter.
Once alerted, enemies may call for reinforcements, forcing players to rely on stealth to escape rather than engage in open combat. In some scenarios, the whip can be used to silently disable enemies or disarm them without drawing attention.
4. Combat
The combat in The Great Circle is designed to feel grounded and improvisational, with Indiana Jones sticking more to his melee style of fighting with fists and whip. Punches land with exaggerated, meaty sound effects that harken back to the iconic brawls from the films enhancing the pulp-adventure tone.
Moreover, Indy’s ability to take damage is kept more grounded. He won’t be a bullet sponge and you’ll have to make strategic decisions about how and where to fight. Reckless aggression, especially in the fact of multiple enemies, won’t get you very far.
Additionally, different foes react to Indy’s punches in unique ways. For instance, larger enemies might shrug off lighter hits or require creative tactics to take them down. Therefore, you’ll have to invoke Indy’s emphasis on fighting smarter, not harder. Use your situational awareness to find objects in your surroundings that can become improvised weapons.
However, melee combat isn’t the only way to fight in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Guns can be used for range combat, but ammunition will be scarce. Consequently, you’ll have to be strategic about using Indy’s pistol, rather than charge in guns blazing.
3. Progression
The core of your progression in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the Adventure Points (AP) system, a mechanic that rewards players for exploring, solving puzzles, and interacting with the world. Completing various environmental puzzles and tomb-raiding challenges will reward players with AP. Then, you can use AP to unlock new skills and abilities.
Available skills range from combat improvements (such as gaining a quicker recovery after taking damage) to more subtle ones (like enhancing his ability to sneak past enemies undetected). Furthermore, many of Indy’s abilities can be upgraded through a tiered system.
Depending on how you want to approach the game, you can choose to focus on combat or stealth-based abilities. Consequently, these upgrades tailor Indy’s playstyle and cater to both aggressive and tactical players, offering flexibility in combat.
With better combat skills you can specialize in hand-to-hand combat, disarm enemies, or use the whip to traverse and control combat scenarios. On the other hand, stealth becomes more viable as you unlock skills that improve Indy’s ability to hide, blend in, and avoid enemy detection.
2. Tools and Weapons
A key part of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is how Indy interacts with the world around him. He uses an arsenal of iconic tools and weapons to solve problems, explore, and handle enemies. Jones has three primary tools and weapons that he carries with him throughout the journey.
First is his whip, which is perhaps the character’s most signature item. Moreover, the whip servers as both a weapon and a tool and thus can enhance both your combat and exploration. The whip can be used to strike firearms out of enemy hands, to turn off threatening alarms, to swing across a gap, or to pull down a ladder. The versititlity of the whip is unmatched, helping you defeat targets and solve puzzles as you progress forward.
Indiana Jones also carries a pistol at his side, although game mechanics will likely keep you from using it recklessly. Ammo will be in short supply, and you’ll want to save your bullets for taking down the most heavily armored Nazis. Attacks from range will likely be your greatest threat and you’ll need a way to take them down quickly.
Finally, your camera will be your primary exploration and puzzle-solving tool, helping you advance the story and solve the mystery of the Great Circle.
As you move through the world, photographing specific objects in the environment can provide hints for solving puzzles. Moreover, certain items or moments in the game award Adventure Points when photographed, adding an extra incentive to document your journey. For example, players can earn points by snapping a picture of a monkey in the Giza marketplace.
1. Who Will Love It
If you love the original movie trilogy, the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be a must-have game for you to have this holiday season. Furthermore, if you who enjoy uncovering secrets, exploring diverse maps, and solving puzzles, then you will likely find this game deeply satisfying.
With stealth mechanics reminiscent of Hitman and puzzles that evoke classic adventure games, this is a perfect fit for players who appreciate methodical, brain-teasing gameplay. The game rewards exploration and slow, deliberate progress.
However, if you’re looking for fast-paced, combat-heavy gameplay, this game may not satisfy you. The combat leans more toward improvisation and environmental interaction than intense gunfights or flashy combos.
Furthermore, elements like stamina management and conserving resources can add a layer of strategy that might not appeal to players who dislike juggling these mechanics. Finally, the game is primarily played from a first-person perspective, which could also put off some potential players.
FAQs 10 Things About Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Q1: What platforms is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle releasing on?
Answer: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle releases on Windows PC and Xbox Series X/S on December 9, 2024. Additionally, if you have a Game Pass subscription, the game will be available on day one. The developers have said the game will come to Playstation 5, however this won’t be until sometime in the first half of 2025.
Q2: When is the release date for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle?
Answer: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will release on December 9, 2024 on Windows PC and Xbox Series X/S. The game will likely be come available on Playstation 5 sometime in 2025.
Q3: How much space will you need to download Indiana Jones and the Great Circle?
Answer: The rumored installation size for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is 131 GB.
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