This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's Order of Giants DLC.
Modern licensed games don't usually shake up their franchise's status quo all that much. Respawn's Star Wars Jedi series, for instance, introduces a few new Jedi who survived Order 66, and while they encounter popular franchise characters, their story doesn't really impact the events of the mainline Star Wars movies. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle doesn't really follow this trend.
The Indiana Jones franchise tends to follow a mostly standalone structure, with each movie, novel, comic, and video game focusing on a new adventure with a new cast of characters, and usually, a new mythological artifact at the heart of it all. Picking up a year after Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is another mostly standalone adventure that introduces new characters and focuses on a new aspect of a mythology the series has explored in the past. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's DLC, however, taps into a mythology the series has only dipped its toes into once before.
Indiana Jones: The Order of Giants Dives Into A (Mostly) New Mythology For The Franchise
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's The Order of Giants DLC revolves around the eponymous adventurer investigating a series of tombs underneath the Vatican and Rome. These tombs seemingly belong to the Nephilim Order, a secret organization of "giants" tasked with protecting keys to an artifact that's revealed towards the end of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's main story.
Early on in the DLC, Indy discovers evidence of three Giants of the Nephilim Order being buried underneath his feet: Junia, Gibborim, and Abgal. Not much is known about Junia, but Gibborim was sent to Europe as part of the Crusades, where he was given the nickname 'The Nameless Crusader.' Uncovering the secrets behind Gibborim's life sees Indy diving back into Christian lore and mythology, which will feel all too familiar of fans of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade.
Abgal, however, offers long-time Indiana Jones fans something new. Around halfway through Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's DLC, players will pick up some documents dating back to the reign of Ancient Roman Emperor Nero. These notes talk about a new gladiator who's come from Greece. This "giant" is known only as 'The Monster of Crete,' and it's heavily implied that his large stature, heavy metal armor, and bull's head helmet gave birth to the Greek myth of the Minotaur.
Generally speaking, the Indiana Jones franchise doesn't often explore Greek mythology, which makes the Order of Giants DLC a must-play for die-hard Indy fans. That said, there is one much earlier entry in the franchise that dipped into Greek mythology.
Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis Beat The Order of Giants to The Punch 30 Years Ago
Released in 1992, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is a cult favorite Indy game, with it coming during the height of LucasArts' point-and-click supremacy. A sort of successor to the developer's acclaimed Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade tie-in, Fate of Atlantis sees the titular hero and his new companion, Sophia Hapgood, attempting to track down the lost city of Atlantis, all while they're being hunted by Nazis, of course.
Over the course of the 10 or so hour campaign, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis takes players to Algiers, Monte Carlo, Crete, and finally the lost city itself. In the sunken city, Indy's new companion is possessed by the Atlantean king Nur-Ab-Sal, and Indy's almost forced to undergo a transformation that will allegedly turn him into a god.
Along with an exploration of the labyrinth of Crete (where the Minotaur is said to have been held), Fate of Atlantis fully leans into Greek mythology with its final setting, with Plato originating the fallen city in two of his dialogues.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny's story revolves around Archimedes, an Ancient Greek mathematician and philosopher. But given that Archimedes was a real person, it probably can't be considered a full exploration of Greek mythology.
Is Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis Canon?
Unlike when Disney acquired Star Wars, the Indiana Jones expanded universe wasn't immediately made non-canon upon purchase. Instead, Indiana Jones is in a similar position to the current DCU. If a new piece of canon Indy media references something from the expanded universe, it's likely canon. Until then, nothing is set in stone.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is officially canon (at least for now), and though it references a plethora of expanded universe novels and comics, it doesn't directly reference Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, meaning the LucasArts adventure is not officially canon right now.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- December 9, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- MachineGames
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
