With Naughty Dog putting Uncharted on the back burner in recent years, fans have had to get their adventure game fix elsewhere. So, it comes as no surprise that 2024’s big year-end game fulfills much of what Uncharted fans have been missing for close to a decade now. That isn’t to say that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is trying to be fill the void that Uncharted left, quite the contrary. MachineGames’ new magnum opus perhaps shares more in common with the studio’s older Chronicles of Riddick titles than Uncharted. Still, the sense of adventure between Uncharted and Indy has undeniable qualities that appeal to fans of each respective series. With that, here’s why Uncharted fans should definitely play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Perhaps the biggest thread connecting Uncharted and the new Indy game is the setting and tone they both share. That strong sense of romanticized adventure and pulp action is alive and well throughout Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. If there’s one sign of confidence that early coverage of the game has given us, it’s the authenticity to the Indiana Jones world that MachineGames has managed to capture so convincingly. Yes, Indy himself isn’t voiced by Harrison Ford, but Troy Baker pulls off a good enough impression to keep the character authentic and believable. Indy sounds a bit more flat than his usual quippy self, but Baker’s cadence and delivery are about the best one can ask for. And then there’s the enigmatic Nazi mastermind who serves as the game’s villain, Emmerich Voss. The performance of this character is top-notch, striking a balance between that of a mad genius and a psychological lunatic, traits common among Indy vFruit Slot Gamesillains.
It’s not a stretch to assume that players who enjoyed the character portrayals in the Uncharted games are going to appreciate The Great Circle’s cast as well. Nathan Drake is an everyman modelled after Indy himself after all, so both games share that pulp adventure character DNA to a tee. But MachineGames also seems to understand what makes a genuine Indiana Jones plot too. An artifact gets stolen at Marshal College, propelling Dr. Jones to investigate its whereabouts. Indy’s investigation leads him on a global journey to another mystery called the Great Circle—a line connecting significant spiritual and historical sites around the world. It’s instantly apparent just how story-heavy this game is Like Uncharted, The Great Circle promises to deliver Hollywood caliber cinematics and plenty of dialogue to accompany the gameplay.
One concrete indication for the game’s story length is MachineGames’ confirmation that the total cutscenes span three hours. Part of what adds to the story’s runtime is the sheer number of locations in the game. With richly presented locales such as the Pyramids of Giza, the Himalayan mountains, and even the castle walls of the Vatican, players are not wanting for fresh scenery. One location that just oozes with classic authenticity is the recreation of Marshal College. The team really went into the weeds to capture every detail of the famous Indy locale, going so far as to use actual Lucasfilm archives to achieve an almost 1-for-1 replica of the locale. This painstaking attention to detail extends to other environments as well, and the game seems to do a great job rewarding players for examining each nook and cranny up close.
Of course, MachineGames won’t just leave players merely looking at such rich locales, the detailed environments can be interacted with in a number of interesting ways. Indy explores these sites using his everything from his iconic whip to a camera and his trusty journal. Reminiscent to Drake’s journal from the Uncharted series, Indy’s journal is used to document all manner of clues for solving puzzles as well as information on the lore and environments visited. Complimenting Indy’s notetaking is the camera which is used to take pictures of various objects and landmarks to aid in his sleuthing. Interestingly, the way in which interact with these mechanics marks the defining difference between this game and Uncharted: the perspective.
A majority of your combat encounters and exploration are done in first-person, with the camera only zooming out to third-person for context-specific moments like climbing and swinging from Indy’s whip. Uncharted fans will appreciate the various means of traversal in The Great Circle, but may find the pacing to be slower than expected. The Great Circle plays much more methodically, as seen from the patient pace with which Indy uses to climb and shimmy. Similarly, there are plenty of slow-paced sections just letting the player waft in the ambiance of the environment without any set-pieces or action to punctuate the flow. The Great Circle seems to emphasize the adventure aspect of its action-adventure style the most, marking it from Uncharted in a distinct way.
That said, Uncharted 4 fans in particular will appreciate the open-ended zones within Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Exploring the highly detailed town surrounding the great Giza Pyramids is a treat thanks to the bevy of activities at your disposal. Open zones such as Giza contain side quests, enemy camps, fight clubs, and little secrets and puzzles to collect and gather, all at the pace you dictate. Some immersive sim elements even present themselves. Wearing disguises to sneak through enemy encampments is just one of the ways players are reminded of other games like Hitman.
And then there’s the combat which focuses less on gunplay and more on Indy’s fists and wits. A large aspect of combat involves using environmental objects from brooms to pans as your temporary weapon against enemies. Hand-to-hand contains a level of depth, especially considering the fight clubs exclusively involving fisticuffs. MachineGames are experienced with shooting mechanics, considering their Wolfenstein games, so it’s unsurprising how solid the gunplay is for the infrequent moments it’ll be needed.
One thing’s for sure, Indy is far from the cover-based shooting of the first Uncharted. What’s not far from Uncharted are the adventure points gained from winning brawls and solving puzzles. As expected, adventure points unlock new abilities for Indy such as Lucky Hat, which allows Indy recovery from fatal blows should he reach his trusty hat.
Indy has a large repertoire of weaponry at his disposal, but his most deadly instrument is stealth. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle places stealth at the forefront of its encounters, with silent takedowns and distractions serving as possible methods past Nazi patrols. Stealth is no stranger to the Uncharted series either. This is another area that Uncharted 4 excelled at bringing to that series and another aspect that fans can expect to enjoy. This cross-pollination of stealth between the two games should make fans feel right at home as if they’re playing a new Uncharted game.
Despite its Uncharted-like adventure, its focus on stealth, exploration, and slow-paced combat offers a fresh take, appealing to fans who appreciate these different gameplay elements. The game director for The Great Circle, Torvenius, alludes to the inevitable comparisons when saying of Uncharted, “Those are fantastically good games, I love them, but when it comes to our position – we set out to create something very different to those games.” And different they are, yet not without some shared DNA. There’s another licensed adventure game that The Great Circle bears a striking resemblance to: Peter Jackson’s King Kong. The minimal HUD and immersive first-person perspective really feel like an evolution of the 2008 game.
This is because The Great Circle leans more into the adventure angle than action due to the puzzles, clues, stealth, exploration, and punishment for reckless shooting. MachineGames have crafted a wonderful adventure amalgamation combining the very best of the genre. Between the Riddick series, King Kong, and of course Uncharted, there’s going to be something to love for fans of adventure games. Considering Uncharted‘s own legacy and influences, fans of the Naughty Dog series owe it to themselves to experience the creative blending of adventure game history that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle provides.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
