The Best References And Easter Eggs In Indiana Jones And The Great Circle

Aside from providing a satisfying journey through its main narrative that takes its iconic protagonist all across the globe, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle also has a plethora of Easter eggs that long-term fans of the series will appreciate. While some of these references serve as excellent callbacks to the original film trilogy, others hint at things that you might not have expected to show up in the MachineGames title, adding even more life to an already well-crafted world.

Considering that there are tons of references sprinkled in throughout the action-adventure game’s runtime, some of these naturally stand out as the most memorable.

8

The “Love You” Student

Shirley’s Letter

Throwing it back all the way to the film that started it all, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle features many Easter eggs that pay homage to Raiders of the Lost Ark. One of Indy’s many admirers has a name now, along with more insight into her character. While teaching at Marshall College in the 1981 movie, a student has the words “Love You” written on her eyelids, so Jones keeps receiving a declaration of her admiration for him every time she blinks.

In the MachineGames title, while exploring Indy’s classroom at Marshall College, head over to the first desk on the right to find a letter penned by the same student, expressing her loneliness and love while asking her professor for private tuition. While the student does not have a name in Raiders of the Lost Ark, it is revealed that she is actually called Shirley.

7

The Apple

From Another Caring Student

People can have different ways of expressing their admiration for their idols, so while some would write things on their body parts to deliver a message, others might come up with the most unexpected gifts. Similar was the case with yet another unnamed student in Raiders of the Lost Ark, where as soon as the bell rings and the students proceed to exit the classroom, he leaves an apple on the corner of Indiana Jones’ desk on his way out.

In Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, an apple can be found at the exact same spot in the Marshall College classroom, and if you interact with it and pick it up, the protagonist will reference the kid’s obsession with leaving apples on his professor’s desk.

6

The Waterfall

Indy’s Fear Of Snakes

It is no secret that although Indiana Jones has no problem facing life-threatening scenarios quite regularly, his irrational fear of snakes is something that he has always had a hard time getting over. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle does not forget that phobia either, referencing it multiple times throughout the game’s narrative, but the very first instance of this comes in the most unexpected of places.

While making your way through the Peruvian jungle in the prologue, you will come across a lake with a waterfall that looks like it would have a very important collectible located behind it. But MachineGames pulls a slight prank and ensures that your curiosity gets the best of you, as the moment you walk into the waterfall, you find absolutely nothing there except for a snake, which naturally startles Indy.

5

Steamboat Willie

Viktor Gantz’s Unforgettable Monologue

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has no shortage of memorable quotes that make it such an unforgettable experience, but a major highlight comes in the form of Viktor Gantz’s hilarious monologue at the top of the Himalayas. Confronting Indy about the main differences between the patriotism of Americans and Germans, Gantz says that all America is good for is its “stupid cartoons,” saying “choo choo” to reinforce his point.

That is a reference to Steamboat Willie, the short film from the 1920s that brought Mickey and Minnie Mouse to the forefront of animation, and considering that Disney owns both the rights to those characters and Indiana Jones, it is a fun moment of self-reflective banter.

4

Monkey Island

Fine Leather Jackets

Gizeh, Egypt, is one of the best locations that you will visit in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, not just because of its narrative importance but also due to how lively the village and its various shops feel. While exploring the location, you will come across a merchant saying, “I’m selling these fine leather jackets,” which you will instantly recognize as a Lucasfilm Games staple.

The quote is a reference to Monkey Island, a series of adventure games that the then-called LucasArts kicked off in 1990. The protagonist of the series, Guybrush Threepwood, says the exact same leather jacket quote in games like The Curse of Monkey Island, and to take things even deeper, the gag actually started all the way back in 1989 with the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade tie-in video game.

3

Temple Of The Forbidden Eye

A Disneyland Attraction

The classroom is not the only place at Marshall College that contains Easter eggs. If you head over to Indiana Jones’ office, you will find a map whose description may feel a bit too familiar if you have visited Disneyland in California. The map is for the Temple of the Forbidden Eye, which is the name of the Indiana Jones Adventure ride at Disneyland, California, and the lore matches the story told at the attraction.

Built in honor of Mara, the temple instructs all who want to enter and acquire their greatest desires not to look into the deity’s eyes, but, of course, danger lurks around every corner, even if you do manage to get admission into the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

2

Father And Son

Henry Walton Jones Sr. Comes Into The Fold

The first time you canonically meet Indy’s father is in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, but since the Great Circle takes place a year before the events of the movie, MachineGames decided to include a reference to Henry Walton Jones Sr. as well. During the “Nun in Trouble” quest in the Vatican, you will activate a side quest called Father and Son, which tasks you with cracking a code and opening a safe inside a room.

Once you successfully decipher the code using the available Poem and Polybius Square Diagram, you will find two documents inside the safe, one of which focuses on how Indiana Jones has been getting spied on for quite some time. However, the Henry reference comes in when you read the second document, which reveals that Indy’s father and his quest for the Holy Grail are being spied on, too, acting as an interesting connecting tissue between the events of the Great Circle and the Last Crusade.

1

Club Obi Wan

There Goes Lao Che’s Headquarters

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom may not be the greatest film in the series, but the MachineGames title even pays homage to the 1984 movie by including the Chinese crime boss Lao Che’s headquarters in its most action-packed sequence. While escaping from the Japanese fighter planes in Shanghai, you will see a sign that says Obi Wan Bar falling to its demise, which is a reference to Club Obi Wan, a restaurant and nightclub owned by Lao Che.

As Indy witnesses its destruction in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, he quickly recalls his unfortunate time with the Chinese crime boss, saying that Lao Che is going to be pretty angry when he sees what has happened to his headquarters. It is an Easter egg that goes by in an instant, but it shows how much detail MachineGames actually managed to put into its title, making it one of the most memorable references in the entire game.