The legacy of Indiana Jones has been on rather shaky ground lately.
Better yet, it’s so much more than just another reheated attempt at a new kind ofTomb RaiderorUnchartedyarn.
I was as sceptical as anyone when The Great Circle was first announced.
I mean, TheGreat Circle?Is that eyeroll of a subtitle really the best we can do here?
It doesn’t exactly get the blood pumping, does it?
The locations themselves are marvellous spaces to explore, too.
Crucially, though, it sidesteps that dreaded Bethesda-style bloat by sensibly prioritising what’s actually important.
The Great Circle’s biggest and most substantial sidequests are designated as ‘Field Work’ tasks, for example.
Smaller, one-off puzzles, on the other hand, are known as ‘Mysteries’.
Everything else, though, doesn’t even get a mention.
They’re not catalogued anywhere, nor are they especially important.
You’re rarely short of points to spend, and the result is absolutely blissful.
And critically, it’s the kind of genius we all know Indiana Jones possesses in abundance.
That emphasis on successfully reading your environment extends to Indy’s more general traversal techniques as well.
Not because the guns don’t feel good to fire - they absolutely do.
Personally, my eyes would always light up whenever I clocked a spatula, dustpan or egg-encrusted grill pan.
Yes, almost everything will break in The Great Circle.
It’s really your choice.
Yes, Iwilltake that grimy salad spoon to knock out that soldier.
Because why the heck not?
Indy doesn’t have the tech for that kind of nonsense.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle accessibility options
Multiple difficulty levels for action and puzzle intensity.
UI font size and colour preset options.
Field of view controls.
On/off toggles for motion blur, camera stabilization, screen shake.
Subtitles, closed captions and subtitle font size options.
Colourblind filter modes and sliders to adjust filter brightness, contrast, intensity and strength.
High contrast mode available, and tweaks to adjust effect strength and colours.
Rebindable key and controller prefs.
Look and aim sensitivity and assistance options.
Numerous dedicated volume sliders.
Taken altogether, Indiana Jones really feels like he comes full circle (sorry) in this latest adventure.
Go and have some fun for the next 25 hours'.
But one thing is certain.
A copy of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was provided for review by publisher Bethesda Softworks.