The Unwritten Rules of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Explained

As an action-adventure game adapted from the Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle thrives on intuition, discovery, and adapting to the unpredictable. As such, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle doesn’t always tell players everything outright, as it prefers for them to discover all of that for themselves. However, that doesn’t change the fact that there are several unwritten rules players might still wish to know before setting off on one of the most authentic Indiana Jones gaming experiences ever made.

When it comes to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s unwritten rules, there are several that apply to its exploration and combat. Exploration plays a major role in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, so there are plenty of things worth knowing before aimlessly heading out. Additionally, while combat isn’t really the focus of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, it’s fairly easy for players to get in over their head in the game if they aren’t fully prepared ahead of time.

The Unwritten Rules of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Exploration

Explore Everything, Collect Everything

If there’s one thing true about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, it’s that there is plenty to explore and countless collectibles to find. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s world is far from empty, and there is almost always something worthy of note around the corner. Whether it’s coins, keys, notes, books, or relics, most of what is collected in Indiana Jones will either merit players Adventure Points (which are the game’s version of experience/skill points) or help them out in some other major way. On top of that, exploring is worthwhile in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for the sights and history alone.

Hearing Often Means More Than Seeing

Despite its gorgeous locales and incredibly detailed environments, audio is everything in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. In fact, the game seems to rely so heavily on its audio that it faithfully honors the legacy of Skywalker Sound, who did the audio for the original Indiana Jones trilogy. Specifically, when the music gets low and mysterious, it means enemies are nearby, and a stealth section has probably started. When there is a quick trill in the music, it means an enemy has detected Indy and players need to quickly find cover.

Don’t Forget to Look Up

While exploring in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, players may come across areas that don’t seem passable at first. However, it’s often the case that if they simply look up, they can use Indy’s whip in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to either swing across a gap or pull themselves onto a nearby ledge or out of a pit. It’s important to remember that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s level design also emphasizes verticality more than most action-adventure games have been known to do, so looking up is almost always helpful, regardless of whether there is a place for Indy’s whip to attach to.

Watch for the Camera Icon to Appear

One final unwritten rule about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle involves the use of Indy’s camera. Once players obtain the camera, an icon will occasionally appear in the top left corner of the screen, indicating that something nearby can be photographed. Once the icon appears, players are encouraged to equip the camera and photograph the indicated object or person to obtain some Adventure Points. While doing so only rewards a small handful of Adventure Points, there are enough things to take pictures of in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle that it eventually adds up.

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The Unwritten Rules of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Combat

Don’t Always Engage Enemies

One of the most important things to remember about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is that enemies don’t always need to be engaged. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is indeed a stealth-heavy game (although players can run in guns blazing if they choose to), and the gameplay mechanics are designed to reflect that. While players might feel inclined to knock out every enemy they see, sometimes, the best course of action is to leave them be. This is especially important to remember during Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s disguise-based stealth sections.

Spend Adventure Points on Combat-Based Adventure Books First

While it’s not always best to engage enemies in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, players will also often not be given the choice. As such, they’ll need to ensure they’re adequately equipped to handle whatever opposition comes their way. The best way to do this is to prioritize spending Adventure Points on combat-based Adventure Books first, those that increase melee damage, weapon durability, and the likes. If players explore enough of each locale in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, collect the Adventure Books they find, and spend Adventure Points on the combat-based Adventure Books they acquire, they should find it fairly easy to effortlessly punch their way through mobs of enemies throughout the game.

Avoid Using Guns if Possible

Finally, when it comes to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s combat, it’s important to avoid using guns if possible. Once players arrive at the game’s Gizeh area, they will be given an opportunity to use a gun. However, doing so will attract every enemy in the area to the player’s location, and since Indy can be killed in two or three well-placed shots, it almost never ends well. Instead of using a gun to subdue enemies in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, sometimes the best option is to use a frying pan instead.

Released

December 9, 2024

Engine

id Tech 7

ESRB

N/A

Steam Deck Compatibility

Unknown

X|S Optimized

Yes

Number of Players

1

OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

PC Release Date

December 9, 2024

PS5 Release Date

Spring 2025

Xbox Series X|S Release Date

December 9, 2024

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