Review of the game Indiana Jones and the Big Circle. Microsoft has given a masterpiece, fans will be delighted

When the familiar melody of John Williams sounds, and the familiar silhouette of Indiana Jones in a hat and with a whip in his hands appears on the screen, it is immediately clear that a great adventure awaits us ahead.

Studio MachineGames (authors Wolfenstein) and Bethesda (owned by Microsoft) The enemies of the franchise were promised not only the return of their favorite character played by Harrison Ford, but also new dangers, mysteries and epic locations. In this game, India must fight the Nazis, unravel ancient mysteries, and travel the world in search of artifacts that could change the course of history.

But what actually came of it? Let’s take it in order.

Ancient secrets and the fight against the Nazis

So, the plot of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle centers on the Great Circle, a mysterious artifact that can change time and space. The game takes place in 1937, when Indy receives a letter indicating the location of this mystical place. However, the Nazis stand in his way and intend to use the document for natural purposes. The entire plot of the game revolves around the search for the Great Circle, with many twists and intrigue, accompanied by travel to exotic places around the world.

One of the intriguing moments is the mission to the Vatican at the very beginning of the game. Here, Indians encounter dangerous secrets hidden in ancient manuscripts and lost archives. The place is filled with religious symbolism and mysteries, creating an exceptional atmosphere. Solving this mystery reveals new details about the past of the Great Circle and introduces important details into the main storyline.

And in general, it’s interesting to study similar locations. In the same Vatican there is a whole large area for research, there are side-quests and interesting micro-plots, a kind of help to an archaeologist under the guise of a priest. I won’t go into details to avoid any spoilers. This is really important here, since this is a story-driven game.

Your location is literally well designed. You are delighted with the scale and level of elaboration of everything: from the Great Pyramid to a battleship towering in the Himalayas. And everyone decided to use only first-person gameplay.

Stellas and puzzles are the basis of the game

The main difference between Indiana Jones and the Big Circle and previous Indiana Jones games is the emphasis on stealth. Here you need not only to solve puzzles and communicate with enemies, but also to respect them. There are many stealth sections in the game, all locations are designed for this. And they bring additional stress. In some missions, India will hide in the shadows, emit enemy sounds, or use surrounding objects to avoid direct confrontations.

Fight these consequences exclusively with improvised objects. How do you feel about beating a Nazi with a crutch or an umbrella? This and the emphasis on stealth adds an element of strategy and forces you to act thoughtfully and carefully.

Battles are presented from a first-person perspective, which creates greater transparency. India uses not only her signature weapon – a whip, but also a pistol, and can also use elements of the surrounding world to fight enemies. For example, in one of the fights, he can destroy the fragile light to destroy its light. Each battle scene is full of dynamics and allows you to feel yourself in the center of the action. Even where, it would seem, you just need to get from point A to point B.

In addition, there is also a third-person game mode. It most often involves jumping with a whip or climbing.

Besides stealth and combat, the game is filled with puzzles. They range from simple tasks to complex mechanical manipulations of ancient mechanisms. By solving them, players can open new paths or reveal hidden locations.

Such moments fit organically into the plot, without straying from the general atmosphere of adventure. That is, these elements were made with the mind, and not just for the sake of having them.

The locations are varied. And they plunge steeply

In Indiana Jones and the Big Circle, India moves through a variety of locations, uniquely and fully revealing the atmosphere of the game.

We meet not only the picturesque Amazon jungle (By the way, this is a direct frame-by-frame copy from the film) using traps, but also sunken ruins that require skill and attention from the player.

Particular attention is worth sharing how the locations are designed. Each time, place full-fledged details that not only decorate the picture, but also play a major role in the gameplay. In hot conditions, for example, the main challenge is sandstorms and the need to come out of shelters. The developers place unique elements in each location.

The music in the game is one of its strongest assets. The composer has masterfully adapted the classic themes of John Williams, adding new motifs that fit perfectly into the atmosphere of each place. In the Vatican, solemn choral compositions are heard, and in Africa – exotic, intense tunes reflecting the spirit of danger. Music not only conveys the emotions of the characters, but also helps adapt to the atmosphere of each location.

And when you listen to that same soundtrack… it’s just unreal emotions.

According to the schedule, everything is fine, optimization is good, but there is a nuance

The graphics are made at a high level. The locations of the details are created, the characters and their animation are made with great attention to detail. It’s like watching a real movie.

However, as in any big game, at the start there were problems with the artificial intelligence of enemies, as well as with turning off controls in some stealth scenes. But these are minor things.

The main problem for many will be that the game requires ray tracing support. For this reason, the minimum you can use is an RTX 2060 SUPER with 8 GB of memory. Alas.

Simply amazing game

Indiana Jones and the Big Circle is a game that successfully combines classic elements of the franchise with new mechanics. The emphasis on stealth and puzzles, epic scenes and incredibly detailed locations creates a unique gaming experience.

Despite minor technical problems at launch, the game leaves a negative impression and is recommended to all Indiana Jones fans and fans of adventure games.

The new product is available for PC and Xbox Series X/S. it will be released on PlayStation 5 later.