It goes without saying that Indiana Jones movies are a staple of American cinema. So, when Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny came out, I was stoked to see it…. And then the trailer dropped, and I sighed inwardly. It wasn’t what I wanted; it didn’t live up to the previous films. And yes, as bad as Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was, CGI monkeys and all, was better than this. So, when I heard they were making an Indiana Jones game, from of all people, Bugthesda… Excuse me, Bethesda, I raised an eyebrow. However, after playing it for a better part of the week now, practically non-stop might I add. I can say that THIS is an Indiana Jones film.
I’m all about the story. It’s the main point of contention when I see modern flicks, and people complain about superhero fatigue. No, it’s none of that. It’s BAD storytelling. Luckily, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has that classic, Indiana Jones storytelling. You’re dropped into the most iconic of Indiana Jones intros, that first few minutes from Lost Ark, lovingly re-created digitally, for the PC. And yes, I’m playing on PC. You’re taught how to play during that scene, and it works beautifully. I was hooked from the minute the music played.
After that you’re sent to the museum with Marcus, and then on to Italy and Gizah. Every punch has that iconic Ben Burt sound, that makes every punch feel impactful and satisfying. Punching fascists never felt as good as it does here.
When the game trailer first dropped, I again raised a brow at how Bethesda would pull off some of the gameplay mechanics, most notably, the whip. Indiana’s iconic whip actually works and sounds amazing. I say this with surprise in my voice because, yes, Bethesda is notorious for having bugs in their games.
Which brings me to the downsides of the game. The sound design and story are top-notch. Heck, even the voice actor for Indiana needs special praise here, his voice acting catches Indiana’s inflictions perfectly. Even some of the ticks and animations Indiana is known for making an appearance. Credit, where credit is due. But yes, there are bugs. The whip, while it sounds amazing, does feel limp and magical sometimes. There are times when physics, both as a game mechanic and as reality-defining, goes right out the window. And, though there are bugs, nothing has been game-breaking. Yet.
Honestly, this game is a home run and the team behind it deserves all the praise. Well done all around. I highly recommend the game to any fan of Indiana Jones. It’s not as polished or as in-depth as Laura or Nathan’s games (Tomb Raider and Uncharted), but considering Jones is the grandfather of both these characters, he deserves a tip of the fedora.