Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is an underrated 2024 action-adventure game that has quietly become one of the best movie tie-in titles in years. Despite its release just after the 2024 Game Awards cut-off and being overshadowed by major 2026 launches like Silksong and Hades 2, this game deserves more recognition for capturing the spirit of the beloved franchise while delivering solid gameplay, puzzles, and immersion.
While recent film spin-offs have struggled-like the underwhelming Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora-Indiana Jones and the Great Circle bucks the trend by feeling less like a cash grab and more like a genuine extension of the original movies’ charm. The game weaves classic Indy elements, from whip-wielding exploration to puzzle-solving in exotic locales, into a fresh storyline that takes players across the globe-from the Vatican and Egypt to wartime Shanghai-each environment richly detailed and alive.
Most of the gameplay revolves around clever puzzles that feel emblematic of the Indiana Jones legacy, challenging players to decode ancient tablets or solve mechanical contraptions. Expect to spend time on intricate sequences like the Three-Eyed Door in Giza or manipulating water flows within mystical fountains. Combat and stealth play a supporting role, but it’s really the intellectual challenges combined with the thrill of exploration that shine.
Beyond gameplay, the game smartly incorporates a sense of mysticism reminiscent of the series’ best moments, involving scattered artifacts with incredible powers. Without spoiling the ending, it builds toward a finale that elevates the narrative to something memorable. The mix of realistic settings and supernatural elements maintains the franchise’s blend of history and legend.
One of the standout aspects is the performance by Troy Baker as Indiana Jones. His portrayal captures the hero’s witty charm and adventurous spirit as well as-or arguably better than-Harrison Ford, bringing a fresh yet authentic voice to the iconic character. Such strong voice work adds layers that deepen the experience beyond standard action fare.
In a gaming landscape increasingly dominated by big-budget cinematic blockbusters and sprawling multiplayer epics, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle offers a tight, story-driven adventure with puzzles, exploration, and atmosphere that harkens back to the roots of the franchise. It didn’t benefit from optimal timing or hype, but for fans of the franchise and adventure games alike, it’s a hidden gem more than worthy of attention.
With new DLC expanding the story through the Order of Giants, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle continues to prove that well-executed movie spin-offs still have life in them-perhaps even enough to become game-of-the-year contenders, if only they hadn’t launched at such an unfortunate time.