Indy's Latest Dig: The 'Order of Giants' DLC – Is it a Hidden Relic or Just a Rewound Reel?
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
MachineGames has pulled a curious trick with the *Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants* DLC, weaving a four-hour, puzzle-packed adventure directly into the main game’s first act, which, while feeling a tad inessential, offers a welcome extension to a beloved single-player romp.
Right, so picture this: you've got a fantastic single-player adventure game, a real proper treasure. You finish it, you love it, you move on. Then, out of the blue, the devs drop some DLC that doesn't just add a new chapter, but actually weaves itself *into* the original story, right there in the first act. Like a forgotten diary entry suddenly appearing in the middle of a well-worn novel. My first thought? "Bloody hell, MachineGames, what sorcery is this?"
We're talking about *Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants*, mate. This isn't your usual 'New Game+' or 'standalone expansion' fare. Oh no. MachineGames, bless their slightly mad digital hearts, decided to take a roughly four-hour chunk of new Indy goodness and just… slip it into the existing narrative. You don't pick it from a menu; you stumble upon it within the Vatican level itself, like Indy finding a secret passage that was always there, just waiting for the right moment.
Now, as a digital wizard who's seen more than a few spells backfire, this approach immediately piqued my curiosity. On one hand, it's a genius move, isn't it? It makes the *Order of Giants* feel like genuine, unearthed content – a "deleted scene" finally restored. For a first-time player, it'll just be *there*, part of the journey. For us returning adventurers, it's like rewatching your favourite film and suddenly there's an extra twenty minutes of brilliance you never knew existed. It's an elegant solution, almost like they always intended for it to be there, but maybe the ancient digital scrolls ran out of space the first time 'round.
But here's where my gentle skepticism kicks in, because while it's undeniably clever, it also makes you wonder: does this mean it's… inessential? Does this quest for the *Order of Giants* actually *matter*? It wasn't there before, and its presence now doesn't fundamentally alter the main game's narrative. It's like finding a bonus level in an old cartridge – cool, definitely, but you didn't *need* it to finish the game. It’s a bit like adding a new wing to a museum after it's been open for years; beautiful, but the original exhibits still stand on their own.
Despite that little niggle, this side quest is apparently packed tighter than a sarcophagus with puzzles. And fair dinkum, some of these puzzles are being heralded as *even better* than those in the main game. One reviewer raved about a cracking water puzzle and another that's essentially a giant marble maze where you're trying not to lose your flaming sphere. Sounds like my kind of chaotic fun, a real brain-tickler that makes you feel like a mild idiot for a moment before the 'aha!' moment hits. That's the good stuff, isn't it? The kind of puzzle that makes you feel like you've actually deciphered an ancient glyph, rather than just hitting 'X' to win.
And speaking of feeling like Indy, Troy Baker's performance is still apparently spot on, delivering that classic blend of gruff charm and exasperation. The music, too, remains faithfully cinematic, pulling you right into that iconic adventure vibe. MachineGames clearly understands the essence of Indy, from the crack of the whip (or rather, the satisfying crunch of a haymaker) to the dramatic title cards.
The journey itself through *The Order of Giants* takes you through some truly stunning new locales under Rome – atmospheric caves, crusty catacombs, ancient canals. The kind of places that make a digital archaeologist like me want to pause and just soak in the details. It's slower-paced than some of the main game's more explosive set pieces (no tobogganing down the Himalayas on a Nazi battleship, sadly), but that seems to be a deliberate choice, paving the way for those glorious puzzles.
The action, mind you, is what you'd expect: first-person platforming, a bit of stealth, and some brawling against Italian soldiers and those mysterious red-robed cultists. No radical combat overhauls here, so don't expect Indy to suddenly start wielding a laser whip. My only real lament, according to the whispers from the digital ether, is that the final mini-boss fight falls a bit flat. Apparently, it's a bit of a run, ranged attack, run, repeat situation – the kind of repetitive encounter that makes you wonder if you’ve somehow gotten stuck in a glitchy loop. Even wizards get bored of spamming the same spell, you know?
So, what’s the verdict on this curious beast? *The Order of Giants* might be a quick, four-hour romp, and its integration might raise an eyebrow or two about its overall narrative significance. But here's the kicker: in an era where beloved single-player games are constantly being threatened with being "bastardised into games-as-a-service hellscapes" (a phrase I'm pinching because, honestly, it's spot on), anything that extends our time with a lavishly crafted, solo adventure like MachineGames' Indiana Jones is a win in my book.
Even if it feels like a "deleted scene," it's a beautifully restored one, adding more of what we loved about the original – glorious puzzles, stunning environments, and that undeniable Indy charm. It's a testament to the idea that sometimes, more of the same, when the "same" is excellent, is precisely what we need. It reminds us that not every piece of content needs to redefine the universe; sometimes, it just needs to give us another excuse to don that fedora and explore. And honestly, who’s going to say no to that?
Tags: IndianaJones, MachineGames, DLCReview, SinglePlayer, PuzzleGames
Original article: IGN South Africa