Here’s a sentence I didn’t think I’d type one day – I spent a very long time exploring the secrets of the Vatican. And I wasn’t the only one.

After Indiana Jones and the Great Circle arrived last year, it became a common theme to hear how players had become obsessed with seeing all the marbled halls and mysterious chambers MachineGames had offered in its Indy adventure. As the first truly open area in the game, it’s a natural impulse to try and see everything it has to offer – but there’s something more to it.

The mix of familiarity and fantasy offered up by recreating one of the most famous places in the world – and then filling it with secrets – lends the Vatican section of The Great Circle a wonderful vibe, tapping into the joy at the heart of the original movies.

I’m delighted to report that, after playing a portion of the game’s DLC expansion, The Order of Giants, Vatican-heads like me are getting a whole lot more of what we enjoyed so much the first time round.

“With a location like the Vatican, we always had the idea that the rewards would be more than just some experience points and ability upgrades,” Lead Game Designer Zeke Virant tells me. “The detailed environments and authenticity of the world are a key part of the entertainment. You don’t need a big set piece that takes place inside the Sistine Chapel for it be rewarding. The Sistine Chapel is already amazing, and the game tries to respect that – the game allows people to be in awe of it as it actually is.

“Setting the DLC in Rome is a way of us continuing to create authentic spaces that lend themselves to exploration of all kinds – places that feel like they have secrets to uncover but are also interesting and detailed enough to get lost in as well.”

“Without spoiling anything,” adds Creative Director Axel Torvenius, “it is also the fact that Vatican is very central to a lot of the background story of the main game, so it made perfect sense to choose this location from a narrative point of view as well.”

The Order of Giants is lengthy new quest set amid the events of the main game. You don’t need to have finished the game to access it, nor will it spoil anything about the main game to play before you finish. And for those who have finished, you’ll simply need to fast-travel back to The Vatican to begin.

“We always had thoughts and ideas on how to make the current storyline and narrative deeper, and one opportunity to explore that was through adding a story DLC,” explains Torvenius. “We want the player to learn more about the tantalizing adventure that Indy is on in The Great Circle. There are so many narrative layers to the game that we couldn’t fully explore in the main campaign, but the story of The Order of Giants was something we really didn’t want to miss out on. In this way, the DLC functions as it its own chapter, like a very complex side mission almost, but it also deepens the experience and the understanding of the main game campaign. In our minds this is a win-win!”

As you explore the area, you’ll be able to meet a new character, Father Ricci (and his talkative pet parrot), who believes he’s discovered the clues to a long-lost papal secret – a legendary knight’s helmet, fit only for a giant, may be buried below a never-finished portion of The Vatican. This is, of course, too much for Indy to resist.

Soon, you’ll find your way to the building in question, sneak around or take down the Blackshirt guards surrounding it, and begin your adventure. And The Order of Giants doesn’t mess around – you’re almost immediately confronted with a gigantic new puzzle in an unexpectedly ornate hall, adorned with an enormous snake statue (cue some unhappy quipping from Indy).

I won’t spoil too much here, save to say that it’s a multi-stage puzzle about directing water (and a new puzzle type when compared to the main game), and that it doesn’t skimp on complexity. This is a pitch-perfect brainteaser, lengthier to solve than most of the puzzles at this point in the original game, but never frustrating.

Difficulty was a key concern for MachineGames, who came up with a neat solution for how to balance letting new players access the content naturally as they progress alongside players coming back after finishing the entire main game:

“It’s important for us to give players a consistent challenge no matter when they begin their playthrough of The Order of Giants,” explains Virant. “So, for the DLC, we implemented a new system that will adjust the difficulty of the DLC enemies. It’s based on how far you’ve progressed through the main story. So, the further players have progressed, the more difficult the DLC enemies will be.

“And like the main game, The Order of Giants’ puzzles are designed to be accommodating to different players and their preferences: the overall difficulty of the puzzles can be adjusted as with the main game, and for players who just need a nudge, they can still use Indy’s camera to get incremental hints.”

But this isn’t a purely puzzle-focused expansion. After I make my way through the water conundrum, I’m plunged into a frankly enormous digsite hidden underground, and the game becomes an adventure platformer, as I use ancient machinery, crumbling masonry, and my trusty whip to get around. It feels like a classic Indy set piece – not least when I meet one of the titular giants on a bridge that promptly collapses underfoot.

It sets the tone for the DLC: this is an expansion less about introducing wild new features (although we’re promised a new enemy type, brawlers will be glad to hear), and more about building on what was already so good about the core experience.

“We went back and studied the main game with the aim to make the DLC almost like a miniature version of that in terms of balance and content,” Torvenius tells me. “There are well-crafted cinematics, new enemies, new locations, set pieces, tension and twists and secret surprises towards the end – everything you need for a fully fledged Indy adventure! It was to some extent a blessing and a luxury to have the full game to look back at, picking out the best moments and being able to execute further on the things that really worked.”

The Order of Giants isn’t a purely subterranean experience – the expansion soon leaves the confines of the Vatican City and gets you onto the streets of 1930s Rome proper, offering us some digital sightseeing; it’ll offer new context for the mysteries surrounding the main story, and introduce a hidden cult working to nefarious ends; we’ll get new boat sections, and puzzles set in a grand palazzo.

Taken all together, it’s a way of deepening the existing game, rather than adding a new chunk onto the end. That goes for the story, too:

“The Order of Giants delves deeper into the mysteries of the Nephilim Order and their history in and outside of the Vatican,” says Virant. “The DLC offers new secret areas and new adversaries, and while it is standalone, it provides additional layers to the central saga. There’s also some familiar faces from the main story.”

“And while this is a new adventure that stands on its own legs,” Torvenius adds, “it was always the highest priority for us to make sure this fitted extremely well with the tone and mood of the main game. A seamless extension of the great adventure we see in The Great Circle.”

The philosophy behind all this seems to be clear – if you, like me, emerged from the end of The Great Circle wishing there was more to play, The Order of Giants is here to grant your wish. Slipping that hat back onto my digital head feels just as good the second time round.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆
12

★★★★★

Get it now

*INDIANA JONES AND THE GREAT CIRCLE: THE ORDER OF GIANTS DLC WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE SEPARATELY FROM SEPTEMBER 4, 2025 (BASE GAME REQUIRED TO PLAY)

There is a myth of a beast in the hidden depths of Rome, rumored to guard a terrible secret. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants DLC is an all-new story chapter that takes Indiana Jones to the ancient streets of Rome where forgotten catacombs twist into something far more sinister. Indy must outwit a dangerous cult and decipher intricate puzzles designed by emperors to uncover the dark legacy of the Nephilim giants.

MYSTERIES OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE AWAIT
When Indiana Jones encounters Father Ricci, a young priest desperate for help to track down a Roman artifact, a standard treasure hunt soon turns into a perilous journey. Along the way Indy must face the sinister plots of Emperor Nero and his gladiator games, the enigmatic Cult of Mithras, and whatever else lurks in the shadows. Can Father Ricci's cryptic knowledge guide Indy through these treacherous passageways? Only Indiana Jones can piece together this breathtaking mystery.

EXPLORE THE SHADOWS OF ROME
Danger awaits as The Order of Giants takes Indiana Jones beyond the walls of Vatican City and into a brand new open-area map in the bustling city of Rome. Adventure through the crumbling ruins of the Colosseum to the pristine Vatican Gardens. The mystery will also take you into Rome’s ancient sewer system, the Cloaca Maxima, and deeper below ground to foreboding crypts.

A DANGEROUS CULT
The secretive, centuries old Cultists of Mithras are everywhere, striking from the shadows. Their dark red robes reflect the blood oaths to their cause, and they’re willing to kill or die to protect the ancient power they serve.

*Base Game required (sold separately)

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: Digital Premium Edition

Bethesda Softworks

☆☆☆☆☆
780

★★★★★

$99.99

Get it now

Live the adventure with the Premium Edition of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle!

INCLUDES:
• Base Game (digital code)
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants Story DLC (also available for purchase separately from September 4 2025, base game required)
• Digital Artbook
• Temple of Doom Outfit

***
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them – Indiana Jones. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.

YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.

A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.

WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.

THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?