Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is another sad story of the 2024 Game Awards

Key things

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle earned a nod at the 2024 Game Awards.
The game had potential in various categories such as Best Game Direction and Best Sound Design.
The Game Awards may need to change the eligibility date to give the game more recognition.

Each year, the Game Awards ceremony serves as a defining moment for many games and developers in the industry, highlighting some of the best gaming achievements of the year and often setting the benchmark for the future of the industry. Despite the excitement that surrounds the ceremony each year, the eligibility window tends to leave some otherwise deserving games in a frustrating limbo, leaving them sometimes left with no choice but to wait until next year's Game Awards and hope they haven't been forgotten about. . MachineGames' Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is one of the latest victims of this ongoing issue, casting doubt on the ceremony's anniversary date.

Reason Indiana Jones and the Great CircleBeing almost un-nominated at the 2024 Game Awards is so disappointing considering how hard the game is working for it. Due to its importance, especially belonging to one of the most popular film franchises, which is now several decades old, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle it probably belonged to the 2024 awards and yet was omitted due to the anniversary date of the ceremony. It's not the only game in 2024 that has this story STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl is another example of a game that could have held its own at this year's Game Awards.

Indy looks at the scorpion in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

An explanation of the unwritten rules of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Players should be aware of a few unwritten rules about combat and exploration in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle before venturing into his world.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was at the 2024 awards

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would do well at the 2024 awards

The Game Awards 2024 has many big nominations for Game of the Year, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle may not have been great enough to be included in this list of nominees, but it would still do well in other categories. At the very least, his reception deserves a lot of credit, with his Metascore currently resting comfortably in the high 80s. While that doesn't make it the highest-scoring game of 2024, it is one of the highest, and there are several reasons for that.

If nothing else,
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
would compete for the best action adventure game of 2024.

Firstly, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could have been for the best gaming direction thanks to the faithful execution of the iconic IP. Therefore, it would also make sense for him to receive nominations for Best Score and Music and Best Sound Design, as his music and sound effects are original and yet sound authentic Indiana Jones film. Plus, Troy Baker's impression of a young Harrison Ford is absolutely something to write home about, which could set him up for a top performance in 2024. All in all, there are plenty of reasons why Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could have been a big hit at the 2024 awards.

Maybe it's time for the gaming awards to change their annual date

Unfortunately, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle missed its window for inclusion in the Game Awards 2024. While the blame could simply be shifted to the game itself for not launching sooner, its place alongside STALKER 2 in 2024 is proof that the Game Awards may have to change its annual date. For example, January would be a great month for the Game Awards to celebrate the achievements of games from the previous year, especially since January is almost never a big month for gaming.

In addition, from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will now be the default for Game Awards 2025, is at an extreme disadvantage of either being forgotten, overshadowing the 2025 release calendar, or both. The best way to take the game awards from here would be to change its annual eligibility date to recognize games that are released throughout the year, not just up to a certain point in the year. This would give more games each year a better fighting chance to earn the recognition that some of them often deserve.