1 player
Available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5 and soon on Nintendo Switch 2.
If adventure had a name, it would be “Indiana Jones ”. It is rare enough to be worth pointing out, but here we have a good adaptation of a film series into a game. It was in the company of Dr Jones that I spent part of my Christmas holidays, which made me want to tell you about it. As well as discussing the game’s qualities, it is a chance to make a small criticism of the PEGI rating system.
An instantly recognisable silhouette
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle follows an original story set in 1939, so between the films Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. It is played in the first person, so you embody the famous archaeologist in the hat and see through his eyes. The closeness to the films is pushed far, since the face of the actor Harrison Ford was modelled for the cutscenes and, in the French version, the legendary voice of Richard Darbois is joyfully heard in the dubbing.
Mysterious temples and deadly traps on the programme
It’s all there: the whip, the (idiotic) Nazis, the puzzles, the deadly traps at the bottom of a tomb, the fabulous landscapes in every corner of the world and a mythical treasure to be discovered before the bad guys seize it. Indiana Jones is not a superhero. He can certainly fight (and even the punches make the same sound as in the films), but it is never the best option. One on one, it is still doable, but as soon as numbers create a disadvantage, you are better off running. It is therefore always preferable to try to sneak up behind the guards rather than play Rambo (wrong film!).
The adventure begins in the Vatican of the mid-1930s
Indiana Jones rather makes his brain work, and this is at the heart of the game, with a multitude of puzzles to solve. Without being particularly hard, some will require a little brain-racking. This is where I place my criticism of the PEGI system, because for once I find it rather severe. The violence shown on screen seems to me far less visual than what can be found in the films. Yet those are rated 12. This difference in criteria between cinema and video games is sometimes hard for parents to grasp. That is why we regularly remind people that only your own judgement can tell you whether a game is suitable for your child or not.
Stealth beats confrontation (and the enemies are really idiots)
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a very good adventure game, whose story is enjoyable to follow with several people, even if only one person holds the controller. It is about a hypothetical circle linking all the great monumental sites around the planet. Myth or reality? What great power is hidden there? Accompanied by the intrepid journalist Gina, it is up to you to find out! And why not follow up with the films as a family afterwards? Or spark a vocation for archaeology? Imagination is born with stories and has no limit.
Listening to the locals’ conversations sometimes lets you discover little hidden quests
