Summary
- Location variety in “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle” diversifies gameplay and keeps players engaged.
- Gizeh challenges players to adapt their playstyle, offering a refreshing change from the Vatican.
- The openness of Gizeh makes secrets harder to find, requiring players to adjust their approach.
There are several different intricately designed locales to discover in MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, from the Vatican to the Himalayas. However, the order in which these locales are introduced is important to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s gameplay and how it diversifies the gaming experience throughout its story. Gizeh is a great example of how Indiana Jones and the Great Circle shakes things up for players, and it just a sign of MachineGames’ apparent desire to discourage boredom as players progress through the game’s narrative.
Depending on how long players spend at the Vatican in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, they might become accustomed to a certain style of gameplay. Perhaps there, they learn how to “cheat the system,” so to speak, because they’ve become familiar with enemies, enemy paths, traversal, etc. However, once they enter Gizeh, most of that might be thrown out the window, challenging them to change their approach to gameplay entirely. In this way, rather than keeping the gameplay feel consistent throughout the game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle pulls a fast one on players once they get to Gizeh, and it’s a refreshing change of pace.
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Readies Its Aim in the Best Way
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle opens up in the best way possible, especially given its aim to be as accurate as possible to the films.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Gizeh Is the Perfect Way to Keep Players on Their Toes
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Gizeh Challenges Players to Think Differently
With the Vatican in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle being so close quarters and fairly linear in its design, it’s easy for players to get a quick handle on its layout, as well as enemy positions. It can still be somewhat of a maze with its emphasis on verticality in comparison to other locales in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, but the Vatican is still on a much different level than Gizeh. Once players enter Gizeh, things quite literally open up as the new location shifts from the linear, close-quarters design of the Vatican to a larger open-world area reminiscent of a smaller portion of something one might find in a modern Assassin’s Creed game.
Ultimately, this alone challenges players to think differently than they did in the Vatican and to adjust their approach to gameplay to accommodate the changes. MachineGames could have easily laid out each locale in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle with a similar design, but it chose instead to throw players for a loop and keep them on their toes. While they are exploring the wide-open area of Gizeh, players may find it much harder to avoid detection from guards, even with a disguise on. This is largely due to the fact that there are fewer opportunities to quickly find cover than there were in the Vatican, in addition to the increased number of enemies actively patrolling certain areas.
MachineGames could have easily laid out each locale in
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
with a similar design, but it chose instead to throw players for a loop and keep them on their toes.
Because it’s much easier to avoid detection in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s Gizeh, that means it’s also very easy for players to get in over their heads if they aren’t careful. Whereas they could simply run and hide in a different room if they were detected in the Vatican, there is often simply nowhere to run in Gizeh, so if players are detected and threatened by an overwhelming number of enemies, they either need to have enough stamina to get as far away as possible or simply attempt to subdue the guards before they are subdued themselves.
The Openness of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Gizeh Makes Secrets Harder to Find
Another rather obvious adjustment players need to make upon their arrival in Gizeh in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is their approach to finding the area’s secrets. Completionists may find Gizeh to be a bit frustrating due to its collectibles essentially being miniature needles in a massive haystack, but there are fortunately guides they can purchase to pinpoint the locations of many of those collectibles. At the same time, anything lore-based or clues to puzzles will need to be sought out independently, and Gizeh’s wide openness can make that a bit difficult at times.
In Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, MachineGames effectively balances variety and challenge to keep players entertained throughout their adventure. The contrast between the Vatican’s close-quarters, linear design and Gizeh’s sprawling open-world exploration is a great example of how the game keeps players on their toes and encourages them to change their playstyle every now and then. By continually “forcing” players to adjust their approach to the game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle captures the unpredictable and improvisational thrill of an authentic Indiana Jones adventure, ensuring that no two moments feel the same.
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