notes from the couch

When you hear Indiana Jones, you probably picture old, dusty maps, whip cracks, and narrow escapes from crumbling underground ruins. But can that picture survive the transition to a modern action-adventure video game? Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the newest title from MachineGames, is putting that question to the test. And spoiler, it has 100% nailed it! 

Release date for Xbox Series X/S and PC: December 9th, 2024

Release date for PS5: April 17th, 2025

---

A Return to Form — and First Person?
In a bold move, Great Circle puts players in a first-person perspective — something everyone complained about at first, and quite different from the cinematic third-person style of other adventure games like Uncharted or Tomb Raider. At first glance, that might seem like a strange fit. Especially for such an iconic character like Indiana Jones, you would think that the creators would want everyone to be in third person and be like, “yeah, I’m playing as Indiana Jones”, but I guess not. Honestly, it didn’t take out much from the experience, even though I do think it would have probably been better in third-person. But it doesn’t change much for gameplay, and there are plenty of cut scenes and parts in third-person to make everyone happy. I had no problems with the first-person.

Puzzles, Whips, and Nazis — Oh My
The game features everything everyone loves about Indiana Jones: ancient puzzles, secret societies, and, of course, Nazis to punch. I loved going around beating up Nazis and Fascists! What a rush! However, what stands out is how the game seems to blend slow-paced exploration with fast combat and clever traversal — using the whip to swing or disarm enemies adds a layer of play that’s both thematic and tactical. And the adventure books that you get throughout rather than a traditional leveling system was a super cool addition.

Harrison Ford… Without Harrison Ford?
While Ford isn’t lending his voice, the devs have gone out of their way to stay faithful to the character’s design and spirit. The voice actor captures Indy’s dry wit well, and the writing honors the character without falling into parody. Anytime you are alone underground, Indiana is always talking to himself just like he does in the movie and you can hear the gears in his head turning as you go through puzzles and ruins which is super cool.

Conclusion:
It’s always risky to bring a classic film icon into a new medium, especially one with as much legacy as Indiana Jones. But The Great Circle understands the assignment: mix history, action, and just enough heart to make us feel like we’re along for the ride. Whether you’re a diehard Indy fan or just love a good story-driven adventure, this is one game worth playing. The only caveat for some players may be the amount of cut scenes there are (there’s a lot, it really was like watching a movie), but it was super cinematic and an all around great experience. Also for busier people with full time jobs trying to enjoy a solo game, it only took me around 13 hours to finish, so it’s definitely more manageable than a lot of other single player games out there.

My couch rating: 9/10