Indiana Jones and the Great Circlehas proved to be a smash hit for Xbox, garnering countless glowing reviews as well as a lot of commercial success. This was all thanks to the incredible hard work of MachineGames, the developer behind Indy’s latest outing. Of course, that hard work deserves to be recognized, and fortunately,Indiana Jones and the Great Circlehas been nominated for multiple awards, including Game of the Year.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circlerecently became one of theD.I.C.E. Awards 2024’s GOTY nominees, a title it shares with only a handful of the year’s very best games. However, while it is great thatIndiana Jones and the Great Circleis finally receiving award nominations,it also reveals one of the drawbacks it has suffered as a result of its nearly-perfect release window.
It Wasn’t A Busy Month For Games
Indiana Jones and the Great Circlepicked the perfect release date, as there was practically no competition for it going into the holiday season. WithAvowedgetting delayed again,the Great Circlewas given the green light to dominate the charts thanks to the absence of any other AAA games. Of course, it is thanks to the merits ofIndiana Jones and the Great Circlethat it did so well, but the lack of any rival releases did help in allowing it to thrive.
It also saw Xbox end 2024 on a high note, proving to be one of thebest FPS gamesof the year and giving people something to look forward to while the winter weather settled in. It also allowed it to just about get into the D.I.C.E. Awards, where it was, as aforementioned, nominated for GOTY.That nomination will help boost its sales even further, especially when it launches on PlayStation 5 in 2025.
The Great Circle’s D.I.C.E. GOTY Nomination Is Significant
It Gives Xbox A Win In 2024
While awards aren’t everything, getting a GOTY nomination at an awards ceremony as prestigious as the D.I.C.E. Awards is significant. Not only does it help boost sales as prospective new players suddenly want to see why it’s winning so much, butit also gives Xbox a win after years of studio closures, poor releases, and bad reviews. WiththeGreat Circlecoming to PS5soon, this nomination and a potential win couldn’t have come at a better time.
However, whileIndiana Jones and the Great Circlemanaged to make the cut for the D.I.C.E. Awards,its near-perfect release date meant that it missed out on an even bigger awards ceremony. Many may have noticed the absence ofthe Great Circleat the Game Awards, and that’s because only games released prior to August 19, 2025, were eligible for nominations. AsIndiana Jones and the Great Circlewas released on December 9, it missed out on earning an award.
Should Indiana Jones and the Great Circle get a sequel?
Having garnered widespread acclaim and landed on many publications' Top 10 of 2024 lists, I already find myself looking to the future of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and whether it should get a sequel. As a longtime fan of the franchise, I think MachineGames has done a fantastic job on the game in recreating a lot of the adventurous feel of the movies, particularly the whip mechanic and puzzle solving. Admittedly, there have been a few things that have struck me a tad awkwardly, including the Harrison Ford face design sometimes feeling a tad uncanny valley, but I’m absolutely open to seeing the studio make a sequel. I think it’d also be a fun idea for each game to start with a recreation of an iconic setpiece from the previous movies, much like Great Circle started off with Raiders of the Lost Ark’s opening.
Naturally, it can still be entered into the 2025 Game Awards ceremony, and it will likely be for consideration. Unfortunately,it doesn’t stand as good of a chance of winning or even being nominated as it will have been released such a long time before the 2025 Game Awards air, and it’ll have fierce competition from the likes ofCrimson Desert,Death Stranding 2, and, of course,GTA 6.
The Game Awards 2025 Aren’t Necessary For Indy’s Success
It’s Already A Breakout Hit
Fortunately, it doesn’t really matter if it gets nominated at the 2025 Game Awards, as not only weretheGreat Circle’sglowing reviewsenough of an indication that it’s a phenomenal game, but it has already proven to be a breakout hit without the aid of an award. While, of course, it would have been great hadIndiana Jones and the Great Circlelaunched early enough to be considered for the 2024 Game Awards,its December release date also meant that it remained the undisputed champion of premium AAA games in that month and beyond.
Indiana Jones And the Great Circle Has Even Greater News For Fans Of The Series
While the success of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle makes a sequel likely, a recent update could be the start of a brand new Indiana Jones series.
Unsurprisingly,Indiana Jones and the Great Circlewill survive without a Game Awards GOTY nomination. With a potential D.I.C.E. Awards win under its belt,the Great Circlecan rest assured that it has achieved a great deal since it was released and proven everyone who doubted it could capture the magic of theIndiana Jonesfilms wrong.Indiana Jones and the Great Circleis an amazing game, one absolutely deserving of recognition and awards - and maybe even a GOTY win - but one that can thrive and survive without them.
