**Listen to my additional thoughts on YouTube***
GC: It's a well-known challenge to adapt a movie franchise into a compelling game, making Machine Games and Bethesda's adoption of mini-open world, playground-style environments somewhat logical. This design choice, intended to provide player agency and foster unique adventures, ultimately leads to a tangled storyline. Despite a promising start, the gameplay soon devolves into a waypoint-chasing exercise. The primary antagonist provides a solid adversarial presence, but beyond Indy and Gina, the game struggles to deliver memorable, well-developed characters. This lack of compelling personalities feels particularly noticeable in a game spanning 20-30 hours. Introducing Annika Lund, Indy's former student with a grudge stemming from his past indifference, only late in the game diminishes the potential impact her earlier inclusion could have had. Another character of note, Nawal Shafiq-Barclay, I'll get to in my "final thoughts" section.
GC: While the game has its moments, it doesn't soar often enough. The early Christian artwork, the China setting, and the cutscenes stand out as genuinely good. The open world environments, however, are merely okay. On the negative side, the character clothing, particularly Indy and Gina's pants, is a significant letdown. Despite its occasional beauty, it falls short when compared to the visual fidelity of a game like Uncharted 4.
GC: It throws a bit of everything at you, but ends up being a jack of all trades, master of none. Figuring out how to actually play takes ages, and my attempts at Splinter Cell tactics didn't help. The puzzles are a strong point, but the gunplay feels deliberately weak. While I get not wanting an Indy game to be a shooter like Uncharted, the clunkiness is annoying. Even the unarmed guards just wanting to throw down feels weird and points to some unresolved design issues.
Most modern games are lacking in this category. DT did an amazing job here. The splash page on my Series X is a treat. "Old Disney" stuff. GC tries to capture the old Indy magic via illustrated image but it's too busy and brown.
Why review these two together? Purely by chance, they both came my way around the same time. As a collector, these kinds of coincidences happen now and then, and playing them in the same window makes for a fun comparison.
What's interesting is that these two actually have a lot in common, and not just in game form. George Lucas once mentioned Scrooge's comic book adventures as an inspiration for Indiana Jones. And if you grew up watching the DuckTales cartoon in the late 80s, you could definitely see that Indy influence coming right back around.
Alas, on to the review(s):
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My review method is simple. Ten categories guide my thoughts. Each category is on a 1 to 10 scale. Add them up for the final score. The intention is not for this to be an essay, just breezy thoughts and the game's strengths and weaknesses.
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The Great Circle (GC) score will be on the left : Ducktales (DT) on the right.
STORY (Writing)... 4 : 8
DT: The format of DT surprisingly mirrors that of the GC, with distinct areas to explore and treasures to find. However, DT tells a clearer story, likely due to its younger target audience. This shouldn't prevent games for adults from providing a clear narrative. I knew what I was doing and why, and that's not too much to expect from modern games.
OBJECTIVES... 3 : 10
GC: Often, the objective isn't clear. While multiple playthroughs could resolve this, the desire to replay isn't always there. Some elements hint at potential "comfort food" appeal, but only time will confirm this.
DT: Simple, perfect. The game knows what it is and delivers on that.
IN-GAME ART & DESIGN... 7 : 10
DT: The character design embodies the timeless "Disney Magic," and the environments are so well-realized they practically leap off the screen. This shows a clear understanding of the source material, something I feel Bethesda lacked with Indy, resulting in a game that felt like it was trying to please everyone and ultimately satisfying no one.
AUDIO & SOUND... 10 : 8
GC: They deliver here. The music is spot on and never gets repetitive or overpowers the action. It sounds wonderful in my game room. On the sound effect side, the clunks, clanks, and punches are satisfying.
DT: Vintage game music and really fun.
GAMEPLAY... 5 : 8
DT: It's surprisingly simple but so much fun. Scrooge's limited abilities are all it needs. And hey, no guns! Obviously Indy couldn't go that route, but they really needed a better way to handle them. You can't just step to the side of the capability of guns in the game world.
EMOTIONAL IMPACT... 7 : 8
GC: The nostalgia of seeing Indy in action is immediately engaging. The game has its high points, starting strong with a recreation of the iconic boulder scene. However, it falters with a bafflingly incorrect hat/whip moment during the closing door – perhaps a metaphor for the game's inconsistent execution.
DT: As a beloved childhood cartoon, it earns an easy 8.
LONGEVITY... 5 : 5
GC: Despite some of my criticisms, I can't deny that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle delivers a significant amount of game for its price tag. Even paying full price, I didn't feel shortchanged in terms of the sheer quantity of content. While it didn't completely captivate me, there's an underlying feeling that I haven't fully explored everything it has to offer. The world and the various gameplay elements hint at a potential for deeper engagement on a second attempt. It's one of those games that, while not an immediate favorite, holds enough intrigue to warrant a future replay.
DT: You can get a physical copy of this game for around $20 and it is worth every penny. It's also currently available for download on Xbox for $15. Easily worth the price.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE... 7 : 5
GC: This feels less like a one-off and more like the beginning of a dedicated Indiana Jones game series, especially given the current absence of new films. It's a solid base to expand upon, and the developers thankfully avoided the pitfalls that plagued Ubisoft's Star Wars venture.
DT: The game itself is a blast, but its age makes it feel like a forgotten gem. Interestingly, the DuckTales cartoon experienced a revival with three new seasons in 2017, suggesting that the underlying IP still has some relevance, which could potentially benefit the game's legacy.
X-FACTOR... 7 : 8
GC: Yes, fun but it is some distance away from as fun as an (again, the obvious comparison) Uncharted game.
DT: Very fun.
PROMOTIONAL ART & DESIGN... 7 : 10
FINAL THOUGHTS
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle exhibits several areas that suggest a need for tighter development and, possibly, a more streamlined creative process. One of the most perplexing issues is the scarcity of compelling supporting characters. Whether this absence stems from late-stage cuts or a simple oversight, it stands in stark contrast to the Indy films. Those movies masterfully introduce memorable characters, both villainous and comedic, who contribute significantly within their limited screen time. The Great Circle, unfortunately, suffers from this omission, resulting in a less dynamic narrative.
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My motivation for this stems purely from my enjoyment of games and the process of analyzing them. I also value independent, ad-free perspectives, especially as major gaming sites become increasingly consolidated.