Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Treasures the Past, But Will It Chart Its Own Path?

What is it that defines the Indiana Jones series? Is it Harrison Ford’s charisma and screen presence? Is it Spielberg’s command of popcorn sensibilities and ability to channel the spirit of old-school adventure flicks? Is it John Williams’ sweeping score? Is it the whip, is it the hat? Is it the fact our protagonist can’t stop plundering priceless national heirlooms?

In the years since the original movies, there have been plenty of not-so-successful attempts to answer what makes these films (particularly the first one) so iconic. There have been sequels on the big screen, TV shows, and, of course, videogames. Like the majority of multimedia blitzes, most of these don’t quite get there, although there are some standouts, such as the 1992 adventure game Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis.

The latest stab at replicating this movie magic is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle from MachineGames, the studio behind the last two delightfully unhinged Wolfenstein entries. We got a roughly 30-minute hands-off preview of the game that gave an extended look at its cutscenes, fisticuffs, and temple spelunking, and the good news is that it certainly looks and sounds the part, at least at a distance, with dialogue and backdrops that feel in line with Indy’s adventures. Still, nothing I saw dispelled a central concern. How can this game, which takes place directly after Raiders of the Lost Ark, follow up one of the greatest blockbuster movies of all time?

The story picks up right after Raiders in 1937 as our hero sets off on a journey to discover something called the “Great Circle,” an adventure that will apparently take him to Egypt, the Vatican, the Himalayas, and many more locales. He partners up with an Italian journalist named Gina, and like the films, he punches plenty of Nazis along the way.

At least from what we’ve seen, the game mostly seems to be capturing the series’ trademark tone. The dialogue has a snappy cadence, leaning into the movie’s witty exchanges as Indy trades jabs with Gina, and whether it’s how the score kicks in during a brawl on top of a propeller plane or a globe-spanning montage that evokes adventure, much of what they’ve shown is hitting the pulpy genre beats you’d want. On top of this, while I’m sure there will be some diverging opinions about voice actor Troy Baker’s take on Indiana Jones, this Harrison Ford impression largely gets the job done.

The relative accuracy of these details is a big deal because the game seems to be putting a great deal of emphasis on just how close it can get to the original movies; there are a lot of cutscenes from what we’ve seen. Although it’s possible this vertical slice disproportionately featured those segments, during a Q&A section with game director Jerk Gustafsson and creative director Axel Torvenius, they confirmed these sequences would be a significant part of the experience, as you would probably expect.

While the dialogue and performances are capably riffing on the movies, the problem with trying to ape these pictures is pretty simple: this videogame is probably not going to out-direct Steven Spielberg. For all the medium’s increasing emphasis on “cinematic” games, few of these put a lot of emphasis on their cinematography, with most relying on relatively plain framing and straightforward shot-reverse shots as characters chatter. From what we’ve seen of The Great Circle, it doesn’t seem to be breaking this trend, and while its other visual touches, like its music and dialogue, help somewhat, the camera work shown so far looks somewhat static in this same way. Normally, it wouldn’t be worth calling attention to a Spielberg movie feeling better directed than a videogame’s cutscenes, but given how much this one invites comparisons by wearing its inspiration on its sleeve, this contrast stands out more.

As for what it’s like outside of these sequences, for better and worse, The Great Circle is very much working in the modern cinematic blockbuster game style, which is an obvious fit given the source material. Perhaps the biggest differentiating factor here is that, like the other things MachineGames has worked on, it’s mostly first-person, and we’re put in Indy’s shoes as he sneaks through rooms, clobbers fascists, and investigates archeological sites. Of these elements, the part that excited me most (besides giving Nazis a ham sandwich) and worked as the best justification for the first-person camera was the exploration.

We saw all manner of impressive backdrops, from an underground temple where an artifact was rigged with a booby trap to a Vatican tomb filled with biblical-themed puzzles. Part of an adventure story’s appeal is seeing all manner of jaw-dropping locales, and the game seems to be leaning into this by transporting us across continents, each rendered with an impressive amount of detail. The first-person perspective makes it easier to appreciate these intricately designed areas, something that’s gamified by a system where you can take pictures with a camera to log these views in your journal. Taking enough pictures will help you unlock new skill upgrades, like “True Grit,” where after getting knocked out, you get an extra try—after collapsing, Indy crawls to pick up his trusty fedora before getting up and clocking the guy who knocked him flat. Even these little gameplay details convey the sense of personality they’re going for.

And as you would expect, our hero has to solve all matter of arcane puzzles to unlock these places’ secrets. Although the specific trials shown were relatively straightforward—in this case, a puzzle where you find a sink, pour blood down it to reveal the number three (which Indy says out loud in case you missed it), break through a wall, and then pull a lever with that same number on it—it appears that tracking down these areas in the first place will be part of the challenge. An intriguing element here is that the game will seemingly emphasize its adventure elements, with optional areas that branch out from the main story as you explore and find hidden archeological sites.

While these expeditions are poised to deliver exactly what I’d want from this experience, I’m slightly less sold on what I’ve seen of the combat. It’s wisely keeping in the spirit of the series by deemphasizing gunplay–you mostly use your fists and Indy’s trusty whip—but I’m not sure how much variety there is here. We saw one cool sequence where our hero punched out a bad guy, used his whip to knock an SMG out of another’s hand, and then picked up the weapon to mow down a third, but the close-quarters combat itself looks relatively simple, even if they teased a parry mechanic. Still, I’ll reserve meaningful judgment here until I get some hands-on time.

Beyond this, we saw some stealth segments that seemed like standard videogame stuff: throw a thing to distract a guy or sneak up behind and bash them on the head before you’re seen. Other AAA hallmarks were present as well, including achingly slow climbing segments that I’m not looking forward to. In general, this one appears decidedly “un-gamey” in many ways, probably because it wants to feel tonally in line with the live-action movies it’s trying to follow up, and although there is a logic to this, it doesn’t exactly make me excited to play parts of it. Things have come full circle: Indiana Jones inspired Uncharted, and Uncharted helped usher in an era of “cinematic” games, seemingly including this one. Unfortunately, at this point, I’m a little fatigued at how limiting this template can often make playing these games feel—I love movies with every fiber of my being, but I don’t necessarily want to play one, and I definitely don’t love how platforming in these games usually boils down to holding a joystick in a direction as you scale walls.

Another factor that ties in with trends in modern games is that The Great Circle will apparently be relatively long. In the Q&A section, Gustafsson and Torvenius promised it was by far the biggest thing MachineGames has worked on, and in addition to its mainline path taking more time to complete than their Wolfenstein titles, there would also be many optional side adventures. Considering that much of the gameplay appears to be on the thinner side, I find that a tad concerning, but as long as these areas maintain a spirit of discovery, perhaps it won’t wear out its welcome.

However, Indiana Jones: The Great Circle’s biggest challenge is something that plagues just about every sequel to a beloved tale; it’s difficult to appease diehard fans while also telling a fresh story. By modeling itself after the original movies, the game invites tough comparisons to live up to, and this more grounded style seems like it could limit its mechanics. Still, whatever reservations I have, I was impressed by how it brought to life these locales and channeled the series’ tone. And perhaps the biggest thing going for it is MachineGames’ track record, whose banger Wolfenstein titles have earned a great deal of goodwill. While it’s clear that The Great Circle isn’t a cheaply produced tie-in game of yesteryear, only time will tell if it charts its own exciting path or is thwarted by the same pitfalls that have trapped countless franchise sequels.

Elijah Gonzalez is an assistant Games and TV Editor for Paste Magazine. In addition to playing and watching the latest on the small screen, he also loves film, creating large lists of media he’ll probably never actually get to, and dreaming of the day he finally gets through all the Like a Dragon games. You can follow him on Twitter @eli_gonzalez11.