There is no game that surprised me more in 2024 thanIndiana Jones and the Great Circle.

How did it pull this off?

What work went on under Indiana Jones hat to get to make this game feel so good?

Troy Baker next to Indiana Jones in The Great Circle.

Some things are self-explanatory, while others are more complicated.

Creative Combat

Creating animmersive simmight be more difficult than any other genre of game.

As well as ensuring youve got all the fundamentals locked down the story, the art style, etc.

Indiana Jones from Great Circle with Gizeh and Vatican City in the background.

The Great Circle is noPrey.

You cant transform into the Sphinx and roam around Egypt.

But its an immersive sim-lite.

TG Oblivion Save Scumming reload screen during mystic dawn gathering

you’re able to pick up any feasible object and use it as a weapon.

But this is an illusion of freedom, albeit a clever one.

You cantactuallyutilise any and every prop in the game to fight with.

Indy and Gina in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

The books in the library cant be used, and neither can stone tablets.

You quickly learn that large, heavy items can be used as weapons.

A broom in a dorm.

Indy fighting a Nazi captain in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Mining hammers next to an archeological dig.

The other stuff, the set dressing, doesnt even register.

After all, if you didnt post about your trip, did it really happen?

Indy blocking a punch from a soldier in the first-person, fist ready to punch back, and more enemies coming his way.

I mostly used the camera for lining up retro screenshots through its lofi lens.

Until it became something more.

Indys camera is used as a hint system in The Great Circle.

a handheld camera on a desk with a handwritten note pricing it at 379 lire in Indiana Jones And The Great Circle.

Stuck on a puzzle?

Take a photo of it.

Struggling with what to do in a dungeon?

the solution to the cogwheel puzzle behind wat si sawai in indiana jones and the great circle.

Whip your camera out.

This is a brilliant way to integrate the hint system with the wider world.

It reinforces that feeling of immersion.

Close-up of the Egypt setting in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, with guards surrounding the Sphinx and Pyramids.

Youre not delving into a menu, staring at the UI, or glancing at a guide.

The important thing is, its all resolved in-universe.

This is a big reason why Indiana Jones feels so good to play.

Triple-A Games

The photography feels great for grabbing screenshots, but it doubles as having a gameplay purpose, too.

Every gameplay decision has a narrative hook, and thats what stops the game from feeling bloated or overstuffed.

Everything is here for a reason.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

The Devils In The Details

Theres far more going on than meets the eye in this game.

Why does the stealth feel so good?

Why does the game run so well?

Its barely noticeable when youre happily playing, but helps the world to feel alive without sacrificing performance.

The clever level design that creates weaving webs of real places that truly feel alive.

Troy Bakers excellent Harrison Ford impression sells the realism.

The cutscenes mirror the movies to nail that Indy vibe.

Does nobody get to be Indiana Jones but Harrison Ford?