The Order of the Giants, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s first expansion, is now out in the wild.
It builds on Indy’s brilliant globe-trotting journey, offering more of what made the base game excellent, as well as throwing in some new puzzles, challenges, and a hearty dose of compelling lore and story content.
Two of us from the TechRadar Gaming team have been playing through the DLC recently, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and have been singing its praises in team meetings and to anyone who’ll listen.
As a result of that, we’ve put together a few big reasons why we think you should jump right into it without waiting a second longer – whether you’ve finished the main story or not.
Rob Dwiar, Managing Editor
1. You can dip in at any time
One of the most innovative features of this expansion is the ability to give it a go whenever you want.
You can drop into the expansion at practically any time by simply selecting a specific quest in one of its massive open-world levels. It doesn’t matter if you’ve only just reached the Vatican section, are already through the bulk of the story, or even coming back after you’ve already rolled the credits.
Better still, The Order of the Giants benefits from a dynamically adjusting difficulty level, which ensures you’re going to have a balanced experience no matter how far you are through the game. There’s no need to worry about being overwhelmed by overpowered enemies or lacking any of the tools that you need to succeed when you decide to start.
It’s an extremely elegant solution that avoids the need for a clunky menu and makes the DLC feel less like an add-on, helping it blend in seamlessly with the rest of the game.
Dashiell Wood, Hardware Writer
2. It’s another reason to pore over the Vatican
In my Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review, I called the Vatican level “one of the greatest environments I have ever explored in a video game,” and so I’ve been itching for a reason to wander its many courtyards once again after hoovering up practically every collectible and completing most quests on offer the first time.
The Order of the Giants is that reason, as it expands that already fantastic section. Starting the expansion requires talking to a specific non-player character (NPC) on the map, and I’d recommend not just looking up their location online. If you’re a returning player, take your time exploring, and you’ll not only inevitably run into them but also likely find a few things that you missed the first time around.
In my search, I personally found a handful of notes and letters that I hadn’t managed to spot before, satisfyingly fleshing out Indy’s virtual notebook with some new additions.
Who knows what you might uncover…
DW
3. It offers a compelling side story
On top of giving you a good reason to revisit the excellent Vatican level, The Order of the Giants is a wonderful, compact, and standalone story that’s a fine distillation of all that makes an Indy adventure great.
Concentrating on developing and exploring the myth of the Nephilim giants from the base game, the DLC dives deeper into the mystery and beds it in even more delicious historical fiction that the Indiana Jones universe is brilliant for.
From connections to the Crusades, the plots of Emperor Nero and his gladiatorial spectacles, and even bumping into a cult along the way, Indy’s adventures in this expansion not only offer something deeply intriguing as you unravel a dark mystery, but also wonderfully complements the base game’s story too.
RD
4. The puzzles are a big focus
If you were hoping for more puzzles in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, then The Order of the Giants delivers the goods. The whole experience only takes a couple of hours to complete, but it’s crammed with puzzles from start to finish.
Without spoiling too much, it’s all classic Indy mystery goodness that sees you thinking your way through a steady stream of ancient tombs and hidden areas. An early example is the water serpent fountain, which has you redirecting streams to unlock a massive mechanical door. It’s an easy concept to grasp, but a few complications, like the need to parkour your way upwards to unstick the ancient mechanism, partway through, keep things interesting. Later puzzles are equally, if not more, excellent too.
As in the base game, the robust hint system also does a great job at keeping you from getting stuck. Just snap a pic of whatever you’re confused by with the in-game camera, and you’ll get a handy bit of dialogue suggesting what to try next.
DW
One of the best things about the action in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the way it brilliantly channels Indy’s haphazard melee combat.
Utilising almost anything you can get your hands on to bash fascists over the head and in the face never got old in the base game, and I’m delighted to have sunk a few more hours into it again with the DLC.
Here you confront a cult on top of the usual enemies, who are primed and ready for some face-bashing with broomsticks and hammers. Every time I managed to sneak up with a rudimentary tool, or go head-on with a mallet to a baddie, the joy of Indy’s melee combat returned to the fore.
RD
6. There’s an achievement for petting the cat
Need I say more?
There’s one joyous little moment in the DLC where you can explore some of Rome’s apartments on the way to an objective, and as you do so, there’s an opportunity to pet a cat.
As soon as the scratches finish (well, the first if, like me, you go for multiple) you get get a dedicated achievement for petting the cool, cuddly cat.
Surely that’s a reason to play right there?
RD
