Indiana Jones and the Enigmatic Circle: A New Adventure Awaits

The legacy of Indiana Jones has been somewhat unstable not too long ago. His last two films failed to quite hit the mark, and it has been even longer since a video game has managed to do him justice. This sentiment seems to resonate with developer MachineGames, especially during the opening moments of Indiana Jones and the Broad Circle. If there was ever a need to showcase that the studio truly grasps what makes Indy great, then allowing us to engage in a scene-for-scene, almost shot-for-shot recreation of the legendary prologue from Raiders of the Lost Ark is certainly not a poor strategy.

With a touch of cynicism, one could argue that this painstaking homage might cast an initial veil of skepticism over the entire endeavor—that the upcoming escapades across equatorial locales featuring the titular circle will lean toward being somewhat formulaic, an obvious and blatant pull on the outdated nostalgia strings. However, those skeptics would also be completely mistaken, as once those Raider training wheels are removed, it becomes abundantly clear that this is not merely a rehash of an aged museum exhibit. The Broad Circle is entirely its unique Indiana Jones adventure—a thrilling, globe-trotting masterpiece that combines the light-heartedness, humor, and slapstick of The Last Crusade with clever, player-led investigations that genuinely place you, as Indy, in control of this worldwide enigma. Even better, it surpasses just being another reheated attempt at a fresh iteration of Tomb Raider or Uncharted. At every red dot on Indy’s journey, The Broad Circle is never quite what you expect, making every moment all the more exhilarating.

Hold your horses. I was just as doubtful as anyone when The Broad Circle was initially revealed. I mean, The Broad Circle? Is that an eye-roll of a title truly the best we could come up with? It doesn’t exactly set the pulse racing, does it? Look beyond the words on the surface, though, and it climbs right up there among the best that Indiana Jones has experienced across both the small and silver screens. Set between Raiders and The Last Crusade, the Nazis are at it again, pursuing occult items to gain an advantage in World War II, yet the purpose and allure of the treasures they seek are kept tantalizingly out of reach as Indy chases after them. It’s a journey that’s perfectly paced to keep you on edge throughout, with its narrative missions and grand ‘Field Work’ side quests cleverly intertwining to fill in the gaps as you travel from the Vatican all the way across Asia and back again.

The nuanced elements of the storyline are primarily discovered on your own, but the essential takeaway is that MachineGames truly delivers with this one, presenting an engaging and compelling global conspiracy set against a backdrop of a remarkable supporting cast. This studio has always known how to create eminently punchable villains, and Marios Gavrilis’ portrayal of Nazi investigator Emmerich Voss is no different. He’s a formidable presence—his thickset neck, clenched jaws, and menacing frown making him a significant threat from the very beginning. He alone does a commendable job of guiding you through the opening act, yet it’s Indy’s allies where MachineGames elevates the experience further.

Alessandra Mastronardi’s role as Indy’s cunning reporter partner Gina, for instance, is an immediate favorite, and a far superior companion compared to the wave of indistinguishable side characters BJ Blazkowicz had to deal with in the various Wolfenstein games. But even the minor characters add unforgettable charm to Indy’s eclectic ensemble, with Enrico Colantoni’s vinyl-loving Vatican priest, Necar Zadegan’s affluent benefactress, and the late Tony Todd’s imposing gentle giant being particularly memorable. I also appreciate the multitude of languages we get to hear throughout this game, from Indy himself as a proficient polyglot to the broader cast. It’s a remarkable achievement in localization all around, enriching every scene with texture and cultural depth.

The locations themselves are stunning places to explore, too. The grand, towering structures of the Vatican, the scorching dunes of Giza, and the lush waterways of Sukhothai form the initial trinity of investigation hotspots, yet they’re also complemented by a selection of smaller, more linear set-piece environments that are just as beautiful and wonderfully whimsical in their…
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conviction and implementation as their more esteemed equivalents. These three predominant elements will occupy most of your time, as these distinct yet intricate environments possess a remarkable level of richness. They don’t seem to be mere cookie-cutter, copy-paste sections filled with familiar level designs; while there is some minimal connection among them, they remain a significant departure from the broader Ubisoft model often found in expansive, open-world games.

The Vatican stands out as perhaps the most impressive area, with its intricate maze of corridors, scaffolded plazas, and hidden pathways above and below ground making it inherently more appealing to explore than the more barren expanses of sand and swamp found elsewhere. To MachineGames’ credit, there is still much to discover in those seemingly desolate regions, whether it’s a small combination lock puzzle derived from just a few notes in an abandoned tent, snapping a photo of a napping cat with Indy’s camera, or simply lending a hand to a stranger trapped in a barn. Crucially, the game avoids the dreaded Bethesda-style bloat by wisely focusing on what truly matters.

The major side quests in The Broad Circle are labeled as ‘Field Work’ tasks, for instance. These are essentially small narrative missions that take you to remote areas of the map but feel just as tailored as the main story missions. Collectible-oriented objectives, meanwhile, such as searching for rare medicine bottles for the local doctors to trade for collectible skill books (many more of which can also be found in camps and various points of interest in the world), are referred to as ‘Discoveries.’ Smaller, standalone puzzles are known as ‘Mysteries.’

Everything else, however, doesn’t even receive a mention. Unlike Skyrim and Starfield, where simply strolling down a street will inevitably load you with ten additional side quests to tackle, simple tasks like assisting that guy in the barn are not necessarily your explicit responsibility in The Broad Circle. They aren’t documented anywhere nor do they hold significant importance. Your reward for everything in this game is merely an expanding pool of Adventure Points, which are primarily used to unlock new abilities derived from the comic books you discover and collect. You won’t find yourself lacking for activities, and the end result is thoroughly satisfying. The world may feel vibrant and rich with people’s dilemmas, yet you, as the player, need not concern yourself with rectifying them. Instead, these moments of exploration and discovery are allowed to exist as nothing more than opportunities for fun, and I can’t tell you how refreshing that feels in such a grand, lavish blockbuster.

The Broad Circle’s approach to puzzle-solving is equally thrilling, both in terms of its raw, adventurous appeal, and the way you engage with them. Its hands-off location design truly relies on the player to figure things out intuitively based on the clues before them, having clearly learned from the overly talkative companions featured in God of War and Uncharted. It’s empowering to be provided with little more than a room full of objects and, through intuition and observation, determine how they should be manipulated and arranged to unlock their secrets. Sometimes, you may come across a stray line of an ancient language etched into crumbling stone that provides a slight nudge, while other times, you might find a cover within a seemingly unreachable chamber and simply be left to your own devices to figure out how to gain entry. The challenges are rarely very difficult, but the game’s decision to avoid heavy-handed prompts, which have become so commonplace in the AAA space today (at least on its ‘Practical’ puzzle difficulty), leaves you feeling like a true genius when you finally solve it. And importantly, that’s the type of brilliance everyone knows Indiana Jones possesses in abundance.

This focus on astutely examining your surroundings extends to Indy’s more regular traversal methods as well. The platforming in The Broad Circle is surprisingly robust, with stomach-churning jumps coupled with effortlessly executed grapple swings using Indy’s whip – often seamlessly intertwined. Indy’s whip can also be employed to rappel down steep cliff sides and ease him into ominous chasms, though only at specific points. It might not rival Stray’s levels of subtlety, but I’d choose its sparse use of lightly sun-bleached walls over glaring strips of yellow paint any day.

It’s essential that these pathways don’t seem to…

To be too apparent ultimately, as part of the joy of The Broad Circle is uncovering the vast array of possibilities that can be realistically brought together in a single location. Once again, it may not be Deus Ex, but it surely possesses the essence of design that can make enthusiasts of immersive sims raise their fists in a mixture of joy and nostalgia. And if you manage to find a new mechanism, there’s a similarly exquisite tactile quality to the way handles, locks, and chests must be pushed, turned, and rotated with purposeful nudges of your analog stick. You can tell Indy is the type of guy who appreciates a well-crafted device, and it’s wonderful to see this reflected in the details that you can genuinely enjoy.

This represents quite the shift in approach for MachineGames, a studio that, let’s not forget, has previously built its reputation on the more intense escapades of its Quake and Wolfenstein shooters. However, it’s abundantly clear that this studio has so much more to offer—experiencing it shift to a completely different style of combat so adeptly feels revolutionary. Truly, reaching for any kind of firearm in The Broad Circle consistently feels like it should be an absolute last resort. Not that the weapons aren’t satisfying to fire—they definitely are. And it’s not solely because they’re so incredibly loud that they would immediately alert whole camps of fascists and Nazi soldiers to your location—though that is undeniably a factor. It’s more about why would you want to shoot your way through these rich and sprawling environments when there are so many diverse and superior options available almost everywhere you look?

I’m thinking of the discarded guitars, violins, and metal bells you so often find strewn around its security outposts, which twang, clang, and wail with delightful dissonance as you bash foes over the head with them. Or the rakes, shovels, and lead pipes that Indy can slide between unsuspecting legs from behind and either whack them in the groin or knock them out with yet another comical, violent takedown. Personally, my eyes would always light up whenever I spotted a spatula, dustpan, or egg-encrusted frying pan. Sure, they do much less damage than the heavier, sturdier pickaxes and hammers lying around, but the comedic value of using such ridiculous weapons to take down increasingly observant guard patrols is hard to surpass.

There is, dare I say it, a slight Breath of the Wild-ness to all of this—though if you’re bristling at the thought of slow degradation management, you may find comfort. Yes, almost everything will break in The Broad Circle. Even the firearms, which, when out of ammo, can be turned upside down and used as makeshift baseball bats. Or beforehand. It’s truly your choice. The point is that there are so many improvised weapons to choose from at any moment that you’re hardly ever without something to wield, whether you’re sneaking through the halls of the Vatican or uncovering secrets in a forgotten temple in a Nazi excavation site in Giza. It’s generous in that way, and it genuinely conveys the idea of Indy using his cleverness to turn whatever is in front of him to his advantage. Moreover, when you see his actual hands reaching cautiously toward any interactable object within easy reach, you can’t help but feel the gears of mischief beginning to turn in your mind. Of course, I will take that grimy salad fork to take out that soldier. Why not?