CheckMag | Indiana Jones and the Great Circle looks like it could be the future of the franchise

As someone who grew up with the Indiana Jones franchise in the 80s and loved the first 3 films, the last two outings (as they were for many Indy fans), were a major disappointment that soured the franchise. The less said about The Crystal Skull the better (Shia LeBeouf anyone?), but regardless of casting choices that film left the feeling I had just watched someone's grandad take beating after beating. 

Admittedly the character was treated somewhat more respectfully in the Dial of Destiny, but there’s no denying that Harrison Ford is too old for the role. While attempts to de-age Indy for the first 20 minutes of the film were commendable, (not to mention expensive) the CGI is far too noticeable and takes more away from the film than it adds. Box office returns for one of the most expensive films of all time would seem to support this.

Enter Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The first proper Indy game since 2009’s Emperor's Tomb. As a game, there’s no need to attempt to pass off computer generated images as real life, already negating the main flaws of the last film. Indy can be young forever and isn’t reliant on an 80 year old man to bring the character to life.

The trailer itself showcases impressive environments, a convincing voice actor playing the titular character, the Candyman as the bad guy, puzzle solving, bullwhips and all the classic Indy action you remember. A sequence where the player flies across a war torn city, while blasting Japanese planes with chain guns looks particularly entertaining. 

Bethesda and Machine games rebooted the Wolfenstein series in 2014 where the combat received particular praise. Introducing stealth elements allowing you to take down Nazi officers without setting off alarms. Machine games adept handling of Nazis seems like a natural fit for an Indy game. If they can do with Indy what they did with B.J. Blazkowicz, we could be in for a treat.

Only time will tell how Indy’s latest game fares when it comes out later this year, but for the first time since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, I’m excited for an Indy property, instead of apprehensive about how the memory of the beloved character is likely to be shattered further.

If you want to relive some Indy nostalgia while you wait for the game, you can get the first 4 films from Amazon* with a 23% discount. Probably a good thing considering disk 4 is best used as a coaster.