Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has no shortage of fantastic set pieces, but surprisingly enough, it never bothers to use its most obvious one. Ever since Raiders of the Lost Ark first hit the box office, memorable action scenes and the Indiana Jones name have gone hand in hand. Even in the video game space, franchises like Tomb Raider and Uncharted have obviously been inspired by the ingenuity associated with Indiana Jones, and some of the most memorable action moments in those games owe some DNA to the series.

For the most part, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is eager to make the most of every setting, whether that's the rooftops of the Vatican or a frozen ship found in the unlikeliest of places. If any detail in The Great Circle seems like a potential Chekhov's gun, it's typically a safe bet that it will end up firing. The one instance that runs counter to this concept is found in Gizeh, where the lack of any pay-off to the train that trundles through the area comes as something of a surprise.

The Great Circle's Train Is A Missed Set Piece Opportunity

A Constant Background Presence In Gizeh

Although Indy never steps foot on the train in Gizeh, its presence is consistently felt while exploring the region. Whether it's rumbling tracks directly over Indy's head or smoke from the engine is simply billowing on the horizon, the train is an unmistakable part of Gizeh's textural tapestry. Trains have long been a staple of action scenes, from Buster Keaton's 1926 film The General to 19th-century fiction with Western train heists, and Indiana Jones made memorable use of them in both The Last Crusade and Dial of Destiny.

The Great Circle's decision to refrain from this impulse runs counter to the norm, and on one hand, it wastes any anticipation that a player might build up for a climatic train scene in Gizeh. On the other hand, the familiarity of train sequences might be a solid justification for the game's refusal to employ the set piece. As much as Indiana Jones takes after classic adventure serials, the only thing truly old-hat about it should be the fedora atop Indy's head, and a train sequence might feel less inspired than some of the game's best moments.

A Train Scene In The Great Circle Might Not Feel Original

It's All Been Done Before

Fresh on the heels of Dial of Destiny, the timing might have also been a problem, as it might have seemed too repetitive after a train sequence that arguably delivered the movie's most memorable action. While it's hard to say if the release of Dial of Destiny actually impacted the game in any way, especially considering that the game was already deep into development, there's always a possibility that some late-stage decisions were made with the intent of standing out from the film.

Lucasfilm's involvement in both Dial of Destiny and The Great Circle could have also played a role in making sure the two projects didn't have excessive overlap, although it seems unlikely that the company would outright veto a train sequence.

In the video game space, the biggest competitor might be Uncharted 2, which opens with an iconic scene where Nathan Drake has to climb up train cars dangling off the edge of a mountain. Although a moving train sequence in The Great Circle would likely be completely different, not wanting to invite comparison with a scene that legendary would be understandable. The Great Circle invokes some possible Uncharted comparisons elsewhere, but it's largely operating in its own territory, a decision that tends to work to its benefit.

Indiana Jones & The Great Circle's Plot Makes Sense As Is

The Future Could Always Change Things

The train's inclusion in Gizeh simply makes logistical sense for the operation that's happening there, and the team at MachineGames may never have seriously considered making it a set piece. At the end of the day, the overall momentum of The Great Circle's story has to take precedence over engaging in every possible fancy, and the flow of events in Gizeh proves compelling as it is.

All the same, there's a reason that train scenes have endured as pop culture staples, and it's hard to deny the allure of duking it out on top of moving cars or careening down the tracks in a runaway caboose. Even though Indiana Jones and the Great Circle never makes use of the train in Gizeh, there's always the chance that a sequel to the game could pick up the slack.