1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark was a standalone story from George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, designed to be a modern version of the classic 1930s action movies they grew up watching. But Raiders of the Lost Ark came out just four years after Star Wars changed the game for blockbuster cinema, and just one year after Empire Strikes Back. It was the dawn of the blockbuster franchise, and Indiana Jones quickly seized its opportunity.
Raiders soon received a second installment, and even got a few video game adaptations. It wasn't long before Indiana Jones had become a fully-fledged entertainment franchise, with multiple movies, TV shows, novels, comics, and video games under its belt. But it's been a long time since the series' golden era, and newcomers might not know exactly how Indiana Jones and the Great Circle fits into the wider franchise timeline, or what key events in Indy's life play a role in the new adventure game.
The Gaming Industry Can Learn From Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Approach to Animals
Players see plenty of animals Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and the gaming industry could learn from one animal's portrayal in particular.
Where Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Fits in The Series Timeline
1912 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade's Flashback Sequence
The third movie released chronologically, 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade features an opening prologue that takes fans all the way back to 1912. This flashback sees a 13-year-old Indiana Jones (played by River Phoenix) getting into his first confrontation with a gang of grave robbers. This flashback shows the origin of the hero's penchant for whips, his fear of snakes, and even offers an in-universe explanation for Harrison Ford's real-life chin scar.
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles TV show from the early 1990s then details the young hero's adventures from 1912-1920, but it's unclear if this show is still considered canon.
1935 - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Released second in real-world chronology, 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is actually a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark, taking place roughly a year before it. Temple of Doom sees a 36-year-old Indy head to India with reluctant companion Willie Scott and trusty sidekick Short Round. The trio stumble upon a nefarious scheme to use the mysterious Sankara Stones for evil, and they put a stop to it.
1936 - Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
The movie that started it all, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark released in 1981, and it sees a 37-year-old Indy on the hunt for the eponymous artifact. Along the way, Indy teams up with Marion Ravenwood, the daughter of Abner Ravenwood, Indy's old mentor. When Marion was around 16 and Indy was about 27, the two had a brief romance. Indy left the Ravenwoods suddenly and dropped all contact with them.
After a heated reunion where Marion finally gets to express her anger towards Indy for leaving, the two head off in search of the Ark of the Covenant, and eventually end up rekindling their relationship. At the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy and Marion walk off into the sunset, presumably to continue their life together.
1937 - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Set around a year after the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle begins with an immersive recap of that first movie, letting players take control of Indy during the iconic Temple of the Golden Idol opening sequence. As players run away from the infamous boulder, they hear voices ripped right out of Raiders of the Lost Ark, including Marion's.
Indy then wakes up in his office at Marshall College. It's quickly revealed that Indy is no longer with Marion, having abandoned her just a week before their wedding to seek out an ancient cat mummy in Siwa. When Indy returned from Siwa, Marion was gone.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle also takes place just one year before the bulk of The Last Crusade's story, where Indy and his estranged father reconnect on their way to find the Holy Grail. This means The Great Circle's story takes place 20 years before Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and 32 years before Dial of Destiny.
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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
- Engine
- id Tech 7
- Franchise
- Indiana Jones
- Number of Players
- 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them - Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.
YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.
WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.
THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps,and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- December 9, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- December 9, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- April 17, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
