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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle gets New Game Plus and new ending in update celebrating MachineGames anniversary

by admin October 10, 2025

MachineGames is celebrating its 15th anniversary by updating last year’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, following its DLC last month.

The biggest addition is New Game+, which allows players to carry over Adventure Books and unspent Adventure Points, currency, and Medicine Bottles from a previous playthrough. What’s more, completing the game again in this mode will unlock a brand new ending after the credits.

Secondly, the Cairo outfit has been added, inspired by Indy’s jacket-free look in Raiders of the Lost Ark (see header image).

MachineGames Anniversary Update Trailer – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle™Watch on YouTube

Thirdly, new language options will allow players to mix and match voice languages and subtitles.

The update will be available across Xbox Series X/S, PC, and PS5 from 10th October.

It also brings a number of other fixes and tweaks you can see listed below.

General Fixes

Fixed an issue where enemies might linger in their “stumble” animation if you punched them while they’re breaking out of your grab.
Fixed an issue where pushing a grabbed enemy into a tight space could leave the enemy detached from Indy but still in the “grabbed” animation state.
Fixed an issue with a specific “finisher” animation where the camera would clip through Indy’s arms.
Fixed an issue where you could enter wall squeezes while downed and using the “Lucky Hat” ability that resulted in you standing up and unable to progress properly.
Fixed an issue that could cause a control-lock if restarting a checkpoint during the middle of a save.
Fixed an issue where using the “push” button to open “disguise doors” could prevent you from being able to walk through the door.
Fixed an issue where, if you left a level while holding an inventory item, it would be stuck to your hands when revisiting the level

Missions & Quests

DLC

Fixed another issue that might cause pipes to be placed incorrectly during the Gladiator puzzle.
Fixed the animation of the blackshirt being dropped from the bridge near the entrance to the Gladiator puzzle.
Fixed many minor graphical glitches through the whole story.

Peru

Fixed an issue where audio was missing in the Main Menu if you quit the game during the opening cutscene.

Gizeh

Fixed an issue where the clothes of certain villager NPCs would not animate when the character moved.

Sukhothai

Fixed an issue that might cause the boat engine sounds to never stop when you arrive at the rebel village at night.

Iraq

Fixed an issue where skipping the cinematic where Indy frees Gina might result in the Siren sounds to never stop.

The price of guides and books now show correctly when inspecting them from one of the vendors.

PC Specific Fixes

Fixed an issue where binding the interact/use key to be the same as the “buy” button from vendors, it could prevent you from buying items.
Fixed an issue where setting Reflections to the lowest quality made certain objects look completely black.

Localization

In Arabic, fixed the alignment of the quick-inventory warning text about restricted zones.

DLC The Order of Giants was released in September – it extends the story but doesn’t add anything meaningful to the gameplay.

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October 10, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Arthur Jones, who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens, dies at 39

by admin October 4, 2025

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Arthur Jones, a defensive lineman who spent his first four NFL seasons in Baltimore and won a Super Bowl with the Ravens, has died. He was 39.

Syracuse, Jones’ alma mater, said he died Friday morning. The school and the Ravens didn’t give a cause of death in their announcements.

“Arthur’s presence was a gift to everyone he encountered,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said. “His big, bright smile, infectious energy and eternal positivity created a presence that continuously uplifted others.”

Jones was a fifth-round draft pick in 2010 and had 8½ of his 10 career sacks in a two-season stretch in 2012-13. The Ravens beat San Francisco in Super Bowl XLVII to cap the 2012 season.

Jones sacked 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick just before a power outage at the Superdome in New Orleans. He also had a fumble recovery in that Super Bowl.

“My heart is heavy today after the loss of Art Jones,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “Art was a truly remarkable person, a dedicated teammate, a relentless worker, and someone any coach would be proud to lead. His love for life, generous spirit, and radiant smile left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know him.

“He had a genuine gift for connecting with people, bringing joy to the locker room and beyond, and his presence was a source of light within our team and the Baltimore community.”

Jones also spent two years with Indianapolis and a final season in Washington in 2017.

Jones played for Syracuse and was the older brother of former UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and former Syracuse and NFL defensive end Chandler Jones, a four-time Pro Bowler who won a Super Bowl in New England.

Jones had 38½ tackles for loss at Syracuse, a school record for an interior defensive lineman. He was a first-team All-Big East selection each of his final two seasons.

“Arthur Jones was a tremendous player and even better person,” Syracuse athletic director John Wildhack said. “We were fortunate that Arthur continued to support our football program after his playing career. He impacted many of our student-athletes, always with a smile and uplifting message.”

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley contributed to this report.

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October 4, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Niners’ Mac Jones beats odds, lets it fly in OT win over Rams

by admin October 3, 2025

Nick WagonerOct 3, 2025, 02:15 AM ET
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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In the hours before Thursday night’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan approached quarterback Mac Jones and let him know that the short-handed Niners were more than touchdown underdogs against their division rivals.

“I don’t really pay attention to much to it,” Jones said, laughing. “Kyle came up to me, and he was pissed about it. He’s like, ‘Dude, I can’t believe they moved us to underdogs again,’ or like more [extreme underdogs] or whatever. And I’m like, ‘I don’t know what that means really, [but] like, yeah, let’s go kill them.’ He was pissed about it. I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m pissed, too.'”

Jones said he doesn’t pay much attention to social media and has little knowledge on the inner workings of odds making, but Shanahan’s motivational ploy seemed to work as the Niners’ backup quarterback delivered one of his best career performances and the 49ers pulled off a 26-23 victory despite missing many of their biggest stars.

The Niners entered the game as 8.5-point underdogs, according to ESPN BET, and Thursday night’s win was their first outright victory with odds that big since 2011 against the Philadelphia Eagles, when they were 9.5-point underdogs. It was also the largest upset of the 2025 season so far, surpassing the Cleveland Browns’ win against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3 as 7.5-point underdogs.

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San Francisco improved to 4-1 on the season and 3-0 in the NFC West despite missing starting quarterback Brock Purdy, top-three wideouts Brandon Aiyuk (knee), Ricky Pearsall (knee) and Jauan Jennings (ribs/ankle), and star tight end George Kittle. In addition, star defensive end Nick Bosa is out for the season with a torn right ACL.

To open the game, Jones was throwing to a collection of receivers and tight ends that had mustered zero catches for the 49ers in 2024, with Kendrick Bourne and Demarcus Robinson starting at receiver and Luke Farrell getting the nod at tight end.

Jones battled through a sprained left knee and a cramping forearm to finish 33-of-49 for 342 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 100.9.

“He played his ass off,” Shanahan said. “He was unbelievable in the first half. Got banged up a little bit there in the second half, and battled through it, and protected the ball. Going against that defense and throwing the ball that many times and not having a turnover and protecting it like he did, I can’t say enough good things about Mac.”

With a few extra days to rest before a Week 6 trip to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Niners don’t yet know how much longer they’ll need Jones to start. The team ruled Purdy out Wednesday, and though he has indicated his toe is still much better than it was following the initial Week 1 injury, Shanahan said there is no definitive timeline on Purdy’s return.

“Everything we told you guys last week is true,” Shanahan said. “He just reaggravated it, and it’s week-to-week. We don’t know how it’s going to heal, and hopefully it’ll be better tomorrow, and we’ll continue to go throughout the week.”

Niners quarterback Mac Jones went 33-of-49 for 342 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in Thursday night’s overtime win over the Rams. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Jones and the Niners’ cobbled-together group of pass catchers opened the game with a pair of touchdown drives as he hit Tonges and running back Christian McCaffrey to stake San Francisco to a 14-0 lead.

For most of the night, Jones was on point. He had only two off-target throws among his 49 attempts, a 4% mark that is his lowest in a start since Week 12 of 2022 as a member of the New England Patriots. Jones even handled the Rams’ pass rush well, going 6-of-9 for 53 yards and four first downs when pressured.

Many of his throws were to Bourne, whom the team signed before Week 2 against New Orleans. Coming off a game against Jacksonville in which he had three drops, Bourne had another key drop Thursday night and also had some issues lining up correctly, but he atoned for the mistakes by setting career highs with 10 receptions for 142 yards, including eight catches for first downs.

“KB has brought so much energy, so much juice to this team, and we love and appreciate him so much,” fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. “Guys that have played with him before knew that, but I think everyone that hasn’t has seen it right away. He’s definitely helped spark this team.”

As in San Francisco’s three other wins this season, the team also got key contributions from defensive members of its 2025 draft class. Second-round defensive tackle Alfred Collins forced and recovered a fumble at San Francisco’s goal line late in the fourth quarter to prevent a potential game-winning touchdown, and rookie safety Marques Sigle was in on the final tackle of Rams running back Kyren Williams to stop him short on fourth-and-1 at the Niners’ 11.

“[General manager] John Lynch is probably going to celebrate on that plane tonight,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “Our young guys really coming and playing big for us. I mean all these games so far … and they’re just getting started.”

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October 3, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Fantasy football free agent pickups: Daniel Jones among top options to replace injured QBs

by admin September 16, 2025

Eric KarabellSep 15, 2025, 03:18 PM ET
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The second Sunday of the NFL season was kinder to fantasy football managers than the first, with six players surpassing 30 PPR points, led by three of the top wide receivers in the sport.

Well, it was kinder unless you are one who relies on Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow. While seven games featured 50 or more combined points (entering Monday night) and individual scoring was abundant, the long-term absence of last season’s No. 3 fantasy scorer among quarterbacks should have the most lingering effects to fantasy managers.

Unfortunately, the bad quarterback news isn’t limited to Burrow. New York Jets dual threat Justin Fields is in the concussion protocol and could miss Sunday’s road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Washington Commanders star Jayden Daniels is dealing with a knee injury and is uncertain for Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders; and Minnesota Vikings starter J.J. McCarthy is dealing with an ankle injury and not expected to play against the Bengals on Sunday.

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Each Monday, before the current NFL week ends, we will identify players available in at least 50% of ESPN standard leagues worthy of your attention, from standard formats to deeper options. The NFL is a weekly league, and player valuation and roles seldom remain stagnant. It does not matter how you acquire players for your fantasy rosters, just that you get them.

Quarterback

Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals (rostered in 0.0% of ESPN leagues): We start with this career backup, but many fantasy managers can do better in single-QB formats. Browning, 29, made seven starts during the 2023 season, and he played capably, averaging 20 fantasy points per game. Burrow (toe) is expected to miss three months. Browning scored 17.74 points in Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, though that included three interceptions. He gets to throw to excellent WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and RB Chase Brown isn’t so bad, either. Still, he may be more for the superflex/2QB community. The Bengals play challenging opponents in Minnesota and Denver the next two weeks.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (33.5%): If you’re going to lose a fantasy star in a standard league, let it be a quarterback. There is depth here. For example, while Stafford hasn’t registered a top-10 fantasy week yet, scoring 13.6 points against the Houston Texans in Week 1 and 17.32 Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, he is a solid player and far too available. He is playing through a back injury, but he is playing. Let him represent, for this space, numerous veteran passers that deserve streaming attention over Browning. The Rams play a revenge game (from last season’s playoffs) in Philadelphia this week, but Stafford threw for 324 yards and two scores there in January. He shouldn’t be overwhelmed.

Daniel Jones is second to only Lamar Jackson in total fantasy points this season, and he has a friendly matchup with the Titans in Week 3. Christine Tannous-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (21.2%): Fantasy managers may not have bought into his Week 1 performance, when he ran for a pair of touchdowns. They wanted to see more in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos. Jones topped 20 points again, scoring his third rushing touchdown, but he also passed for 316 yards. The Colts play the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, and that is an attractive matchup. Jones may not rise all the way past 50% this week, but he appears worth relying on this week.

Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers (0.6%): Jones filled in capably for starter Brock Purdy (toe), throwing for 279 yards and 3 TDs at New Orleans. Jones is no rookie, and certainly there are talented playmakers (and good coaching) surrounding him. He may be starting in Weeks 3 and 4 at home against the Cardinals and Jaguars. We recommend him over Browning, but then again, Browning should have the starting job for considerably longer, and that is a consideration for desperate fantasy managers, too.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

Running back

Bhayshul Tuten made the most of his 10 touches Sunday vs. Cincinnati, finishing with 15.4 fantasy points. Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire

Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars (40.0%): Starter Travis Etienne Jr. scored 16.9 points on Sunday, handling 16 touches, but the rookie Tuten earned 10, which is quite noteworthy. He turned them into 74 yards and a receiving touchdown, for 15.4 points. Most believe Etienne was the beneficiary of the Tank Bigsby trade to the Philadelphia Eagles, but it is probably the ascending Tuten, who already is quickly approaching flex status.

Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (34.1%): Allgeier is probably overqualified to be a backup, but there is no controversy when it comes to star Bijan Robinson. Still, Allgeier topped 600 rushing yards each of the past two seasons, and he should do so again. The Falcons rushed for more than 200 yards in an impressive Sunday night road win in Minnesota. Robinson, of course, led the way. Allgeier did little in Week 1, so fantasy managers moved on. They may move him back to rosters after he earned 17 touches, a touchdown and 15.0 points.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

Rams backup Blake Corum (5.3%) turned one of his five touches from Sunday into a touchdown, and thus 10.4 points. Ho hum, but there really aren’t enough relevant running backs available in 50% of leagues to feature here. Many fantasy managers likely rely on a wide receiver (or even a tight end) in their flex position. Corum may become a star at some point if Kyren Williams gets hurt, but Williams is not hurt.
Pittsburgh Steelers backup Kenneth Gainwell (10%) gained marginally better than he did in Week 1, but still, 59 yards on 20 touches over two games are not so much. Gainwell was among the most-added running backs entering Week 2, but it is tough to make a case for him, or any other available running backs before the bye weeks.

Wide receiver

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Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (20.3%): Doubs presumably moves up a notch in the hierarchy after starter Jayden Reed fractured his collarbone last Thursday. The problem with the hierarchy is that it is possible no Packers WR breaks out of a solid, deep rotation, especially when RB Josh Jacobs earns massive volume, and TE Tucker Kraft boasts 140 receiving yards in two games. Doubs caught three passes for 28 yards against the Washington Commanders, one for a touchdown. He is readily available. In any given week, it may be Doubs leading the way, or rookie Matthew Golden, or much like last season when nary a Packer reached 60 receptions or 900 receiving yards, nobody will shine. Drop Reed, who may not play again until November, but do not assume any Packers become WR3 options, or even safe WR4s.

Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans (7.7%): The Stanford rookie has caught six of 13 targets through two weeks, but he scored a touchdown Sunday, and there is room to grow with fellow newcomer QB Cam Ward. Star WR Calvin Ridley has been held to single-digit points in each game. Keep Ridley rostered, of course, but Ayomanor deserves some attention as well.

DeAndre Hopkins, Baltimore Ravens (9.7%): Hopkins has secured shiny touchdown catches in each of the first two weeks, which is great, but it probably is not sustainable unless he sees more volume. Hopkins has only four catches on four targets. That’s it. Why is he listed here? Well, people know his name, and it is possible QB Lamar Jackson will look his way more in the coming weeks. Just don’t assume you have to get Hopkins when Zay Flowers is the volume receiving option.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

New York Giants starter Wan’Dale Robinson (29.9%) scored 28.2 points in the loss to the Dallas Cowboys, as Russell Wilson achieved a hearty 450 passing yards. Don’t expect Wilson — and thus Robinson — to repeat the performance in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, if ever again.
Denver Broncos second-year option Troy Franklin (2.0%) caught eight passes and a touchdown Sunday, scoring 24.0 points, and he is clearly pushing Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr. for attention. This is a good thing. Franklin may be Denver’s top WR.
Jaguars WR Dyami Brown scored a touchdown Sunday, and he has 26.4 points after two weeks. Not impressed? It happens to be more points than both established star Brian Thomas Jr. and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Brown probably can’t keep his production going to this level, but Thomas and Hunter investors are probably panicking.

Tight end

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Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (48.2%): A repeat name from last week, Johnson has scored more than 15 points each of the first two weeks, trailing only the aforementioned Kraft for overall tight end scoring. Johnson has outscored RB Alvin Kamara. That shouldn’t continue, but it doesn’t mean Johnson can’t sustain TE1 production for a while, either.

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (50.0%): The wily veteran has touchdown receptions each of the first two weeks, and that is enough to make him popular in fantasy leagues with a Week 3 game against the Las Vegas Raiders looming.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

Carolina Panthers starter Ja’Tavion Sanders (1.0%) was an intriguing, deep-league sleeper this season, but he didn’t do much in Week 1. He did more in Week 2, catching seven of nine targets and scoring 12.4 points. Keep him in mind if your starter gets hurt.

D/ST

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

Green Bay Packers (44.8%): It is surprising that the Packers D/ST unit remains available in more than 50% of ESPN standard leagues. It just scored 17 points in dominant wins over the offensively explosive Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. In Week 3, the Packers face the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are not explosive. The Packers should be among the top-10 rostered D/ST units by then.
Indianapolis Colts (36.6%): Similarly, fantasy managers did not react to the Week 1 results by adding the Colts D/ST in many leagues. This unit scored only 1 point against the Broncos on Sunday, but in Week 3 it faces the Titans. That should be easier.
Kansas City Chiefs (12.4%): The Chiefs held the Eagles to 20 points, albeit with nary a takeaway. There will likely be a turnover or three this Sunday night against the Giants.

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September 16, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants DLC feels like a brief, cut down version of the main game, but an enjoyable story carries you through

by admin September 10, 2025

After about ten minutes of running around the Vatican brandishing a biscotti like it was my own holy grail and ultimately angering a fair few fascists in the process (which in turn lead to me heroically fleeing the scene in order to find some kind of weapon – in this case, a crutch – to fight them off) I finally rediscovered my Indiana Jones and the Great Circle sea legs. Several months after finishing the main game, I was now ready to go back for a second helping thanks to its newly-released Order of Giants DLC.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants

The Order of Giants kicks off when Indy opens the ‘A Mystery Begins’ Fieldwork quest and locates Father Ricci in the Great Circle’s Vatican area. The priest, along with his rather endearing parrot companion Pio, speaks of a “Nameless Crusader” believed to be a “giant” of a man who never removed his helmet. This legendary chap appears to have some connection with a secret chamber beneath the Vatican’s Casina and with Indy never being one to shy away from unravelling a good story rooted in history, he agrees to investigate for the duo (because, yes, the parrot is absolutely a team member, and I will not hear otherwise).

Looking further into this nameless and larger-than-life crusader takes Indy under the streets of Rome, as he uncovers a mystery which expands upon the lore of the Great Circle’s Nephilim order. Along with simply discovering more of the order’s story, though, Indy also takes on a number of puzzles and platforming-based excursions in the process. Oh, and of course there are also some skirmishes with yet more fascists as well as a smattering of red-robed cultists. Ooh.

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Before I go too much further, let me say this right off the mark. Order of Giants doesn’t really add much new beyond story and some extra collectables. It feels more like a condensed, Vatican-flavoured microcosm of the full Great Circle game, but with an infusion of Sukhothai’s boat exploration. This DLC really should be considered a general extension to the Great Circle’s core mechanics, rather than something that will suddenly revolutionise what developer MachineGames has done previously. There are two new adventure books, for example (at least that I found), but rather than adding new skills, these books are more about buffs. Of course these are a nice boon – especially I imagine if you have not yet completed the main game – but as said, they don’t hold anything revolutionary that will mix up your Order of Giants experience.

Image credit: Bethesda

Ok, back to it. Now while I really did enjoy the story being told in Order of Giants, in terms of gameplay progress I found it a tad predictable. The platforming sections only really relied on a few small mechanics such as whipping to ledges and pulling on chains to make your way through a predetermined route. Meanwhile, the puzzles themselves were more straightforward than I would have expected from an expansion released several months after the main game, with the likes of directing water through a specific channel, or pulling levers in the order they appeared on nearby images. They lacked a certain amount of creativity.

Then at one moment, probably about halfway through the DLC, I thought I was going to be presented with a mini boss battle. One bit in particular gave me flashbacks to one of my favourite fights against the Great Circle’s blind giant, which was so tense it had me holding my breath (along with Indy). While I wasn’t expecting a carbon copy of that exact moment, I just did not get that same sense of thrill in Order of Giants. Instead, I was soon interrupted by a cutscene that quite literally cut things short. The rest of the DLC then followed a similar formula until the final confrontation (which I will not spoil here, but in terms of story and cinematics, I will say this final showdown did make me gasp with an ‘oh daaaang!’).

Image credit: Bethesda/Eurogamer

Setting aside that disappointment with the action, the storytelling here is still a treat, and is really Order of Giants’ greatest strength. There were several moments during the DLC where I found myself genuinely laughing at the situation Indy had put himself in, with more than just an appreciative titter. I mean, who else could find themself stuck under a car like that and at that exact moment? As an extra optional chapter to the Great Circle’s main game, it was all certainly an enjoyable narrative experience.

I just wish there had been more gameplay variety, and more to explore above ground in Rome itself. Visually, the majority of the Order of Giants grabbed hold of a 50 shades of grey colour card and ran with it, save for some splashes of the labyrinthine underground’s murky greens and browns. Little beams of sunlight from the city above would periodically penetrate through Indy’s subdued surroundings, but when this happened I found myself looking up with a desire to see the fresh blue sky, rather than looking for clues or similar in the immediate and now more illuminated area. I spent a lot of my time during the Order of Giants feeling rather claustrophobic due to being underground and in relative darkness for such an extended period of time.

Speaking of the largely underground setting limitations, while I had so much fun picking up all sorts of makeshift weapons during my playthrough of the Great Circle, there wasn’t the same variety to be found beneath the streets of Rome. Other than a few scepter-like melee items, I mostly made my way through the DLC’s combat sections using just Indy’s whip and fists. This was fine, and at the end of the day an effective enough method, but it didn’t give me the same giddy, silly joy as whopping a baddy over the head with a fly swat. At one point during the Order of Giants, I actually used my gun. I don’t think I ever did that during my playthrough of the main game, because I was having so much fun launching mandolins and mops at my enemies at every opportunity.

Image credit: Bethesda/Eurogamer

As for how long the Order of Giants took me to complete, I would say I was playing for around four and a bit hours in total. I know I didn’t uncover every new artefact there was to find, but I did uncover the majority. In short, the DLC is short. It is certainly not as long as I was expecting, and felt more like an extended and quite straightforward sidequest rather than a full fat standalone expansion with new mechanics and ideas.

It all boils down to this: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants is more of Indy doing Indy things. For me as a huge Indiana Jones fan – both of the Great Circle and the franchise more generally – I had a perfectly enjoyable time back with Indy, and appreciated where the story took me. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say Order of Giants is unmissable. Alas, it just didn’t really add anything to my overall experience of the main game – and given that the Great Circle was overflowing with creativity, characters, grand set pieces and so much more, that just feels like a little bit of a shame.

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September 10, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Indiana Jones And The Great Circle: The Order Of Giants DLC Review

by admin September 8, 2025

At around four to five hours in length, calling The Order of Giants bite-sized doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Within the context of the rest of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, however, that’s precisely what this DLC feels like.

The base game is at its best when you’re dropped into an extensive playground and left to your own devices, whether it’s a maze of undulating rivers in Sukhothai or a stretch of desert surrounding the pyramids of Giza. Donning Indy’s signature hat and exploring these dense locations is a treat, with each level meticulously detailed and focused on player agency, all while weaving the signature elements of an Indiana Jones adventure into each locale.

Maybe it was naive of me to expect a similar setup in the game’s first expansion, but it’s still a tad disappointing that The Order of Giants presents a more streamlined experience instead. The quality is still there; it’s just missing a few key ingredients.

If you’ve played The Great Circle before, you’ll want to head back to Vatican City to add this new batch of fieldwork to Indy’s journal. From here, you’ll meet Father Ricci, a young priest–with a loquacious pet parrot–who’s desperate to track down a lost Roman artifact once owned by Pope Paul IV. This is more than enough information to pique Indy’s curiosity, propelling you on an adventure just beyond the walls of the Vatican as you head into the ancient city of Rome itself. Or, more specifically, descend beneath the Eternal City’s streets, where you’ll rummage through the cramped confines of dusty Roman tombs, catacombs, and the Cloaca Maxima sewer system, solving various puzzles, uncovering hidden mysteries, sneaking past cultists, and punching Mussolini’s fascist Blackshirts in the face.

As the DLC’s title suggests, The Order of Giants delves deeper into the lore behind the Nephilim Order: a monastic society of giants formed by the descendants of fallen angels. As compelling as this backstory is–and despite the giants’ vital role in the events of The Great Circle–the Nephilim are still shrouded in mystery by the time the base game’s final credits roll. The Order of Giants doesn’t necessarily lift the lid on their past, but it does offer another fascinating peek into their cryptic role in history, dating back to Nero’s reign as emperor of Rome and the 11th-century Crusades.

I enjoyed unravelling the story through notes, puzzles, and Indy’s own observations, particularly the way it’s grounded in real history despite the fantastical nature of the Nephilim. The writing is sharp, and Indy’s quips are on point, with Troy Baker delivering another fantastic performance as the iconic archeologist. I do, however, get the feeling the narrative would’ve fit more snugly if I hadn’t already finished The Great Circle. As an extra addendum, it feels distinctly like a side quest with little to no impact on the main story. This is a tricky conundrum to solve with any story-driven DLC, and I don’t think there’s a perfect way to do it. Just know that those playing The Great Circle for the first time will probably appreciate it more as a natural detour within the greater narrative than those returning after reaching the game’s conclusion.

It also makes sense as an extension of the Vatican map, as you’ll spend most of your time traversing similar underground areas to those found beneath the holy city. The Order of Giants is fairly linear in this regard, yet each location is designed with plenty of hidden pathways and secrets to uncover, ensuring that those willing to explore every nook and cranny will be satisfied. It’s replete with a number of delightful puzzles to solve, too, challenging your thought process while being wonderfully tactile at the same time, from referencing an ancient story to figure out which way to rotate various platforms, to guiding a ball down a track by constantly placing and removing different pieces to alter its direction. These room-scale puzzles are some of the best in the entire game, and the DLC’s pacing guarantees that no one aspect overstays its welcome.

When you’re not solving Roman conundrums, The Order of Giants offers a decent mix of platforming and combat to keep things feeling fresh. Both are relatively unchanged, whether you’re swinging over a chasm with Indy’s signature whip or throwing a thunderous haymaker to put a fascist in the ground. There is one section where you get your hands on some TNT, but you’ll be using your fists and makeshift melee weapons to blunt force most enemy encounters. Clobbering fascists remains particularly entertaining, but the smaller scale of the environments isn’t conducive to the kind of freeform stealth present in the base game, so it loses some of that Indiana Jones-style improvisation. For as atmospheric as each location is, The Order of Giants also lacks the same spectacle as the base game, with the absence of set pieces reinforcing how pared down it is in comparison.

What it may lack in scope, The Order of Giants makes up for with some of the best and most inventive puzzles in the game. It’s disappointing that we didn’t get another expansive environment to explore, but this is still an engaging mini-adventure that’s rich in lore and quintessentially Indy. Those playing The Great Circle for the first time might appreciate the detour a lot more, but putting on that wide-brimmed fedora again still feels great (if only I could get John Williams’ theme music out of my head).

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September 8, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

After Indiana Jones, it sounds like MachineGames is ready to make another Wolfenstein game: ‘We have always seen this as a trilogy’

by admin September 7, 2025

At the end of the second episode of Noclip’s video series on the history of MachineGames, studio head Jerk Gustafsson dropped a bit of a bombshell: The devs at MachineGames would like to make a direct sequel to 2017’s Wolfenstein: The New Colossus.

“We have always seen this as a trilogy,” said Gustafsson. “That journey for BJ, even during those first weeks at id, when we mapped out New Order, we still had the plan for at least [BJ], what would happen in the second one and what would happen in the third one.

“I think that’s important to say, because⁠—at least I hope⁠—we’re not done with Wolfenstein yet. We have a story to tell.”

It isn’t surprising that MachineGames would return to the series eventually: It’s a storied name not only in first person shooters, but also stealth and simulation going back to the Apple 2 original. What I wasn’t sure about was the direct continuation of the story and world begun in 2014’s Wolfenstein: The New Order.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle definitely scratched a similar itch to the story-centric but mechanically rich new Wolfensteins, but their story felt a little stalled-out in the meantime. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus ended on an open, but potentially conclusive note, while the 2019 spinoff Youngblood jumped the story forward 20 years and centered on BJ Blazkowicz’s twin daughters.

A mainline follow-up would need to be an awkward interquel between Colossus and Youngblood, a continuation of the less-played and poorly-received spinoff, or some kind of timeline switchup/retcon⁠—all challenging maneuvers for such a dramatic, narrative-focused series.

But I trust MachineGames has the chops to pull it off. Whatever form this sequel takes, though, expect to wait a good long while for it: MachineGames only just released Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s story DLC, The Order of Giants.

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September 7, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

You’re listening to Vatican radio, or at least you can with freshly DLCed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s latest patch

by admin September 5, 2025

Oh, throw me in an ancient tomb and lob some snakes down there for good measure, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle got some DLC this week. I can’t imagine why that might have flown under the radar a bit. Anyway, the Order of Giants has brought with it a patch that makes a few noteworthy additions to the base game.

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Getting right into it, Indy update five adds a new “Very Light action experience” difficulty option aimed at folks who “prefer to be challenged by the exploration and puzzle solving, and prefer not to find the combat too challenging”. Tell your nan who likes visiting historical sites and doing crosswords, now’s her chance to whip some Nazis in a video game.

That’s one of these few additions, but the main one that’s piqued my attention’s this: “New Radio MCs have been added to the Jazz and Opera radio stations found on radio sets in Marshall College and the Vatican. You can also now tune the Vatican radio sets to hear news broadcasts that cover the events from around the game’s world.”

That’s a cool touch, being able to turn a knob and hear about what that knob Voss is doing from the 1940s Italian equivalent of those dorks on BBC radio four. Beyond that, Machine Games have whipped out some extra-swanky ray tracing for Indy’s hair, via support for RTX Hair on 50-series Nvidia RTX GPUs. “We recommend enabling this feature only on higher-end GPUs with 16GB of VRAM or more,” they wrote. That’s you told, no uber-luscious trim fidelity for those without top hardware.

The final new feature’s a little tweak to the inventory screen that’ll let you know which of your outfits will act as safe disguises for the area in which you’re standing, and which will instantly alert the guards that there’s a Harrison Ford sneaking around. For all the bug fixes and minor tweaks, you can check out update five’s full notes here.

Our Brendy wrote the following in his Indy review:

Machine Games have reproduced the experience of the Lucasfilm movies in a 99% accurate form. And they have done so in a manner only a megafunded Bethesda studio with a lot of Nazi-killing experience could. Yes, the video gamey seams stand out as you scarf down croissants for health and hear another bigot coughing behind a wall. But just as I’m not interested in Baker’s performance reaching some unobtainable ledge of authenticity, I also don’t want my adventure to abandon the language of games where it doesn’t make sense to do so. I’m happy for this to be exactly the kind of expensive, cinematic, blockbuster explorathon it seemed predestined to be. Sneeze away, little Nazi. I know where you are.

Oh wait. If I’ve got Vatican FM, the holy city’s haven for the hottest hymns and coolest choirs, turned up to max, will I still be able to hear the telltale bodily noises of Hitler’s goons?

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September 5, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle update adds new difficulty, improved hair and more

by admin September 5, 2025

While Silksong may be dominating the headlines, yesterday also saw the release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s DLC, known as The Order of Giants. The developer has released an update for the base game across platforms which along with enabling compatibility for the DLC, also adds a new action experience difficulty, among other bits and pieces.

This action experience difficulty is called “very light”, and is designed for “players who prefer to be challenged by the exploration and puzzle solving” rather than combat.

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Another new feature is support for RTX Hair on 50-series Nvidia RTX GPUs, which enables ray-tracing on a characters’ barnet and makes it look more realistic.

Then we have a number of fixes and improvements across the board. For example, the Great Circle team has fixed an issue where Indy’s whip may not animate correctly later in the game if you had died during the Dart Trap in Peru.

You can find full details on the latest Indiana Jones and the Great Circle update below:

New Features

This update enables compatibility with The Order of Giants DLC, available for purchase separately now
We’ve added a new “Very Light” action experience difficulty for players who prefer to be challenged by the exploration and puzzle solving, and prefer not to find the combat too challenging
This update adds support for RTX Hair on 50-series Nvidia RTX GPUs. This is a high-end rendering feature to enable ray-tracing on character’s hair for a more realistic appearance. We recommend enabling this feature only on higher-end GPUs with 16GB of VRAM or more. You can find the option for “Ray Traced Hair” in the “Advanced Video Settings” menu.
New Radio MCs have been added to the Jazz and Opera radio stations found on radio sets in Marshall College and the Vatican. You can also now tune the Vatican radio sets to hear news broadcasts that cover the events from the around the game’s world.
We’ve added information to the Quick Inventory to let you know which of your outfits and disguises are safe or restricted in the current area you find yourself in

Bug Fixes and Game Updates (please note that these can provide minor spoilers for the game)

General

Fixed an issue where fast-travel signposts may become unusable if a player died while the combat timer was cooling down. Restarting a checkpoint will make the signposts usable again now.
Fixed issue where markers for the Open Season and Sleight of Hand adventure books may not appear if the player had already purchased the Vatican Books map before installing Update 4 of the game
Fixed an issue where, if you have the Punch Out 2 ability, the controls could get locked if you died in the middle of doing a stealth takedown on an enemy
Fixed an issue where mantling/vaulting at the same time as you’re placing an object down might cause the object to disappear or cause controls to get stuck
Fixed an issue where Indy’s whip may not animate correctly later in the game if you had died during the Dart Trap in Peru, or during the last stage of the final fight with Voss
Fixed a slight animation snap that occurred if tapping the button to raise your candle
Indy’s hand now animates when collecting coins from a coin purse

Missions & Quests

The Vatican

Fixed an issue where you could block yourself in the Necropolis by throwing the Antique Bust (needed to open a gate) into an unreachable location
Fixed an issue where the “Secret of Giants” inscription number counter may not be correct if revisiting the Vatican using a savegame made using Update 3

Gizeh

Fixed an issue where the player may be blocked from entering Nawal’s tent if they had died while in combat nearby to the tent
Fixed an issue where Gina may not follow you through to the last scorpion room in the Sanctuary of the Guardians mission if you run through the level quickly
Fixed an issue where revisiting Gizeh might result in the player appearing in the “buried in sand” scorpion fight once more, but not able to complete it
Indy will now give a voice clue about needing to burn objects if trying to pass through the first Stelae tomb before having purchased the Lighter
Fixed a crash that might occur in rare circumstances while escaping from the Nazi Compound with Gina
Fixed an issue where you may not be able to talk to Professor Savage at the Gizeh Village market in certain circumstances
Fixed an issue where the game might crash in rare circumstances if revisiting Gizeh with a savegame that was made while playing the Update 3 version of the game

Nepal

Improved Gina’s enter and exit into and from wall-presses, so she doesn’t appear to be making unnatural sidesteps

Sukhothai

Fixed an issue where Indy’s whip might detach itself from a branch in the spiral staircase leading down to the “leech room” in the Blessed Pearl mission
Fixed camera shaking issue if player tried to dive in shallow water during the first visit to the Sukhothai village at night

Iraq

Fixed an issue where the clouds during the end credits appeared in very low detail if you were not using the Higher Resolution Texture Pack (which is not installed on Xbox Series S unless the player chooses to)

Fixed an issue where the “continue” button might appear visually corrupted if pausing during a level load
Fixed the description of the “Performance Metrics” menu option

Accessibility

The in-game Manual text now adjusts to match the player’s choice of enabling/disabling control toggles

Audio

Fixed an issue where the sound of plane propellers might be heard persistently in other levels after revisiting Shanghai
Gina’s voice lines when using the boat radio in Sukhothai are now radio-processed correctly

Fixed an issue where switching between Native TAA and other upscalers (DLSS, XeSS or FSR) might cause a crash on some systems
Fixed an issue where Frame Generation might disable when skipping cutscenes or restarting checkpoints
Fixed an issue where the glass on Clerical Doors appeared incorrectly when using DLSS Ray Reconstruction
Fixed an issue where water caustic reflection effects may not appear on walls when DLSS Ray Reconstruction is used
Fixed an issue where applying some ray tracing options while in the Shanghai level may have caused a crash in certain situations
Fixed an issue where, if you linked your Steam version saves to your Xbox account, you could temporarily corrupt your saves on one of your devices if quitting a play session before any progress was made in that session

Xbox

Fixed an issue where subtitles might briefly flicker between camera cuts in cutscenes

Steam Deck

Fixed issue where there may be a black screen for a long while generating shader pipelines during the first launch

Localisation

Additional one-liners from Indy when finishing combat are now available in non-English languages too
Fixed an issue where controller input was reversed in the Arabic localisation on the “Apply Video Settings” confirmation menu
When playing in the Russian language, based on community feedback, the keyboard bindings now always use Latin alphabet characters rather than Cyrillic

Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to play some of the Order of Giants on my lunch break.

Image credit: Bethesda

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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September 5, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle DLC will adjust difficulty levels depending on your progress in the base game

by admin August 30, 2025

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s DLC The Order of Giants will be arriving next week, and as previously announced, will branch off from the Great Circle’s Rome location, which those who have played the game know is pretty early on in the grand scheme of things.

So, does this mean that those of us who have made it further than Rome, and thus managed to tuck a few more tricks and such up Indy’s sleeve, will have an easy time of it? Well, no, actually. You see, the developers have been rather clever with the DLC’s implementation, and the Order of Giants will scale the difficulty depending on how far through the base game you are.

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“Players who are at the end of the game don’t need to worry about the difficulty [being too easy] as actually we have a new system in place where players are dynamically scaled based on how far they progressed,” creative director Axel Torvenius and lead game designer Zeke Virant explained in an interview with IGN. “We know a lot of players are coming back from the endgame and would like to have a continuation of that difficulty, especially if they have health upgrades and a lot of abilities.”

What will happen, then, is if players have made it to the Vatican and Rome, but haven’t progressed any further into the game, they will enter the DLC on the “first tier of difficulty”. Then, if they have made it as far as Giza, the difficulty level will get bumped up to the second tier, while if they have gotten as far as Sukhothai the difficulty level will notch up to the third tier.

“From there we [can tune] the different amount of combos enemies can use, different amounts of health and also how many will gang up on you at the same time,” the developers explained.

Clever!

Image credit: Bethesda

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Order of Giants DLC will feature “stunning new locations, intricate puzzles, terrifying new foes and more”, with the developer adding Indy will have to do what he can to “outwit a dangerous cult” while uncovering “the dark legacy of the Nephilim giants”.

The Order of Giants is arriving on 4th September, across Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC.

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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August 30, 2025 0 comments