Indiana Jones and The Nice Circle pits Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr. towards his biggest foes, the fascist Nazi regime of the Thirties and ‘40s, as soon as once more. And in basic MachineGames style, it feels unimaginable to bash their heads in utilizing, properly, absolutely anything I can discover. I’m not shocked by MachineGames’ dealing with of fight towards Nazis – they’ve been within the enterprise of letting gamers kill Nazis since helming the trendy Wolfenstein video games. So far as I’m involved, they almost perfected a extra immersive-sim tackle taking down Nazis in The Nice Circle. One factor that did shock me, although, was a facet quest about an explorer named Annika.
This “discipline work” mission, which is the sport’s stand-in for a facet quest, is one you possibly can choose up close to the tip of Indy’s journey. As such, right here’s your official spoiler warning to not proceed if you happen to haven’t but crushed the sport.
Spoilers For Indiana Jones And The Nice Circle Beneath
After making your technique to Sukhothai, Thailand, you’ll finally obtain a discipline work mission referred to as “A Research In Worry.” After native chief Pailin asks you for assist discovering a mysterious stone in Wat Mahathat, you arrive on the web site to search out Nazis have blown up the structure to search out an entrance to an underground temple. When you make your approach in, you discover one other archaeologist named Annika needing assist to advance additional into the location. Because the temple requires the arms of greater than only one particular person, Indy and Annika staff up.
It doesn’t take lengthy for the 2 to start chatting, and we be taught that Annika is definitely working for Voss, the sport’s predominant Nazi antagonist. From that time ahead, Indy digs into this with Annika, questioning if she is aware of Voss is a Nazi, if she understands what which means within the wider world of archaeology, and if she even is aware of Voss’ grander plan in The Nice Circle (which I gained’t spoil right here). She performs considerably coy, appearing as if she isn’t conscious of Voss and his fascist allegiance’s intentions. Indy, not able to take her out the way in which he does another Nazi he runs into as Annika is required for each of them to flee the temple, tries to elucidate to her what her working alliance with Voss means.
MachineGames stops in need of saying having dinner with a Nazi makes you a Nazi, or I assume to place it into recreation phrases, selecting to be an archaeologist for a Nazi makes you a Nazi. However, as the 2 converse extra, with Indy attempting to grasp why she’s working with Voss, mentioning how Nazis don’t perceive the observe of archaeology, we be taught Annika was a former pupil of Indy and requested him to write down her a reference for a possibility. Her reference turned one among many who Indy couldn’t full (he would possibly’ve been busy within the Temple of Doom), and Annika doesn’t overlook this, taking it as a private assault.
Annika’s bitter grapes brings her into the fold of the Nazis, as a result of I assume if a professor you want doesn’t provide the reference you need, the subsequent step is to embrace fascism. At one other level in my life, I possible would’ve laughed at this leap of logic. However in 2025, it’s not unbelievable – it’s actuality. In any sector, be it video games, motion pictures, politics, or elsewhere, there are numerous examples of people that don’t get what they need, or are canceled (see: face penalties for his or her actions), and shortly develop into grifters. They really feel pushed out of 1 house (once more, being held accountable), and as an alternative of proudly owning it, apologizing, and taking steps to be a greater particular person, they shortly change to the once-opposition and in some way make a fast buck. This act is grifting, and it’s exactly what Annika does.
She doesn’t get what she desires from Indy and jumps ship to affix his hated enemies. Positive, Annika does get what she desires from this fascist regime – the possibility to be an archaeologist professionally – however she’s doing it for literal Nazis. She hints at this all through this mission, however finally drops the act after the duo discover what they’re in search of. As an alternative of serving to Indy escape, she methods him, letting him know that she’s very conscious of what Voss is and what his plans are, and that she has no downside being part of it earlier than kicking Indy right into a pit to his presumed loss of life.
Thankfully, Indy escapes, however not earlier than discovering that Annika received cocky and careless, and misplaced an arm within the course of (discovered crushed by a door and separated from her physique). Indy remarks casually that she received what she deserved, and it’s an excellent second. At no level does Indy justify Annika’s actions or sympathize – he pushes again instantly, calling her out for what she is as a result of there’s no sympathazing or humanizing a Nazi. She’s far too grasping and vengeful to hearken to any of Indy’s warnings, giving up morals and humanity within the identify of revenge. It’s 1937, so she isn’t fairly in a position to begin a podcast or YouTube channel like her ilk would possibly in 2025, however she is embraced by the Nazis all the identical.
There’s quite a bit I really like about how MachineGames dealt with this narrative vignette with Annika. I really like that instantly, Indy is like “wait, what, why on Earth would you’re employed for them? That’s wild and unforgivable. Cease this.” I additionally love that MachineGames reveals no compassion or humanity for Annika, finally revealing she is aware of her true function and she or he’s morally okay with it. And eventually, the developer makes sure that Annika will get what she deserves within the type of a smashed arm, which can make her future archaeological adventures tougher. It’s not fairly the shovel upside the pinnacle or the hammer to the cranium Indy delivers to the numerous different Nazis in The Nice Circle, but it surely’s satisfying all the identical.
I recognize MachineGames utilizing a facet quest to dive even deeper into the way in which Nazis work, their careless regard for historical past and humanity within the chase for energy, and their punishment for doing this. In a recreation crammed with alternatives to instantly silence Nazis earlier than they’ll get a phrase in (the sometimes correct technique to cope with them), it’s additionally good to let one say all of the silly stuff we anticipate to come back out of their mouths earlier than placing them of their place. That’s the message of Annika’s story: the grift will finally chew you within the ass. Whereas The Nice Circle is a little more indifferent in how that occurs right here – on this occasion, nature handed Annika her comeuppance – it’s nonetheless satisfying to look at a developer absolutely discover this cycle.
