{"id":68799,"date":"2024-10-28T12:20:36","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T12:20:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ginx.tv\/the-great-circle-hands-on-preview"},"modified":"2024-10-29T14:14:03","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T14:14:03","slug":"the-great-circle-hands-on-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ginx.tv\/en\/indiana-jones\/the-great-circle-hands-on-preview","title":{"rendered":"3 Hours of hands-on with ‘Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’ Shows It’s Dishonored Wrapped in Pure Spielberg Vibes"},"content":{"rendered":"
After nearly three hours with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle<\/em>, I can say with absolute certainty that this is now one of my most anticipated releases in the coming months. Where I was once on the fence about MachineGames’ take on this iconic silver-screen hero, I’m now eagerly awaiting the full experience when it drops on Xbox Game Pass this December.<\/p>\n While the Swedish studio is best known for reinvigorating the Wolfenstein<\/em> series with action-heavy shooters, The Great Circle<\/em> proves they can craft something truly special without resorting to shock and awe tactics. It’s more subtle but promises to still keep fans holding onto their (fedora) hats for an unforgettable adventure.<\/p>\n My hands-on demo begins with Indy exploring Marshall College late at night, drawn by strange noises and a series of crashes. Naturally, Marcus Brody is fast asleep in Indy’s office, presumably having indulged in one too many glasses of scotch during their research the night before.<\/p>\n After a quick walk around the university, Indy confronts an imposing figure (played by Tony Todd) who’s been ransacking exhibits in search of something. This encounter gives players their first taste of combat, but it’s brief—Indy is quickly overpowered and knocked out by the towering brute.<\/p>\n From here, the game truly begins to unfold. The next morning, you’re back in the college, piecing together clues and solving puzzles to determine your next steps. While only a short intro, this gameplay loop will become a key part of the game, feeling more like Uncharted’s puzzle sequences than the all-out action MachineGames is known for.<\/p>\n Before long, Indy is packing his briefcase for another adventure. The tell-tale music swells, Marcus Brody is in a flap over who’ll cover his classes. Whip, check. Hat, check. Diary for scribbling notes, check. Soon we’re watching a plane fly across the Atlantic, with a red line tracking the journey on a globe, while Indy uses Morse code to message a friend in advance.<\/p>\n It feels like watching a deleted scene from a Spielberg film, and as far as cold opens go, the introduction to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle<\/em> is a strong one that’s already sold me on the promise of MachineGames’ original story.<\/p>\n My first proper taste of gameplay comes in the next section which takes place at The Vatican and it’s here where we get to see a few more of the underlying fundamentals in action. Principally this is a stealth section, with Indy required to use everything at his disposal to find a way around the Nazi patrols, who are making the rounds on every street and corner.<\/p>\n You’ll find yourself using Indy’s whip to scale walls, climbing obstacles to open up new paths, throwing objects to create distractions, and even luring unsuspecting soldiers into the shadows to knock them out with a candlestick. There are also hidden keys to discover, unlocking new sections and pathways to explore.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to fully explore this level before the developers moved us to the next stage of the preview build (more on that in a bit). However, I can confidently say that during my 45 minutes with this portion of the game, I never felt shortchanged by not having Indiana Jones beautiful face constantly front and center on screen during gameplay.<\/p>\n The decision to opt for first-person over third-person had been something of a controversial design choice when it was first announced, but having played the game, I can safely say I’m glad that MachineGames opted for the first-person camera.<\/p>\nPack It up, Pack It in, Let Me Begin<\/h2>\n
Nazis. I hate these guys.<\/h2>\n
A Familiar Face<\/h2>\n