Indiana Jones and the Great Circle used to be a lot Arriving late in 2024 of gaming But when we see the quality that is packed We allocate time for it. And we’re glad we did because it’s a stealth action adventure that captures the heart and soul of what it should feel like to be the legendary Indiana Jones. But it’s also another solid MachineGames game that continues to build on the studio’s specialty of juxtaposing fascism with satisfying violence.
There’s a lot we can talk about when talking about Indiana Jones, but perhaps the most important starting point is the impeccable delivery of the character. Troy Baker delivers an incredibly relevant indie performance. It wasn’t just a grunt or a low growl. But also the high notes when the action is tense. He also captures the moments and charm of Indie with some great quotes. That doesn’t take away from the other incredible performances too: Tony Todd gave us an incredibly moving character in Locus before he passed away, Alessandra Mastronardi gave us a talented heroine. in Gina Lombardi and Marios Gavrilis, a truly cowardly villain in Emmerich Voss, and many more.
You still have a lot of Indy left that you can do in this game. The combat isn’t as big as in other MachineGames games, but the attention to detail in almost everything is flawless. You play Raiders of the Lost Ark at the beginning as a tutorial. And it’s great for showing you all the punches, slashes, puzzle-solving, and platforming you’ll need to do to make sure Indy survives his ordeal. And boy, are you okay. Melee combat feels good. Sneaking up on enemies with improvised melee weapons in games is always a good time. Or you can start by smacking them in the face.
The locations are also grand and breathtaking, taking Indiana Jones to places like the Vatican in Rome and the pyramids in Giza. Along the way there are also catacombs and crypts to explore and many Nazis. (For your punching and bludgeoning fun.) MachineGames set out to create an amazing Indiana Jones experience, and the team has completely nailed it, giving Xbox a much-needed boost in 2024.
Be sure to read about the rest of the Shacknews Awards in our Year of Games: 2024 feature.
