The Order of Giants Puts Puzzles At The Forefront, and It’s All The Better For It

When the general public thinks of Indiana Jones, they likely imagine the eponymous hero running away from a giant boulder, or the ghostly spirits of the Ark of the Covenant melting Nazi faces, as well as all the car chases, fist fights, and whip swings. But something that’s rarely at the forefront of the series’ public identity is Indiana Jones‘ penchant for puzzles.

They may not be quite as dramatic or overtly thrilling as an aerial dogfight or shootout, but puzzles play a pivotal role in every piece of Indiana Jones media. The hunt for the Ark wouldn’t be the same without the Staff of Ra revealing its resting spot. The Last Crusade wouldn’t be the same without Indy being forced to choose the correct Holy Grail. And Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s new DLC wouldn’t feel nearly as complete without its own bevy of engaging brain-teasers.

Indiana Jones: The Order of Giants Is Home to Some of The Game’s Best Puzzles

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s base game has a plethora of puzzles for players to solve, many of which require a unique gameplay mechanic or strategy to complete. Indiana Jones: The Order of Giants doubles down on these environmental challenges, delivering a total of six major puzzles throughout its runtime.

Much like those in the base game, each of The Order of Giants’ puzzles present the player with a distinct set of mechanics. There’s a snake temple puzzle that requires players to guide the flow of water through rotating tiles. There’s a gladiator-themed puzzle that requires players to place pipes in front of a moving ball. There’s a big locked door called the “Monster Gate” that includes animal imagery, Roman numerals, and rotating stone columns. And that’s only half of the DLC’s puzzle offerings.

Along with unique gameplay mechanics, Indiana Jones: The Order of Giants‘ puzzles all play a vital role in uncovering the overarching mystery of the DLC. Most of the DLC’s best puzzles are those that occur in the Nephilim Order tombs, which shed more light not just on the DLC’s story, but the wider narrative of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as well. These direct ties to the game’s story make the puzzles feel much more like dramatic set pieces than lengthy sequences where players are simply rotating blocks and flipping levers.

Indiana Jones: The Order of Giants’ Puzzles Are a Great Change of Pace

While Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s base game had plenty of puzzles, the open-world nature of its level design meant that players could often go an hour or two without engaging in a single one. This could lead to a combat or stealth-heavy experience for some players, which in turn could drag the game’s pacing down a little.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle‘s The Order of Giants DLC is only around 3–4 hours long, and its level design is far more linear than that of the base game. This gives the DLC much better control over its pacing, resulting in a succinct and consistently enjoyable adventure.

There are plenty of combat encounters and platforming sections in The Order of Giants, but puzzles are sprinkled between them much more evenly than in the base game. This leads to a very natural gameplay flow where players are presented with something new or different every few minutes, which also leads to a constant sense of progression and a natural build towards the DLC’s climactic finale.