Indiana Jones & The Great Circle: Should You Complete Fieldwork Before Main Story Quests?

Many of the side quests in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are referred to in-game as "Fieldwork," reflecting their archeological nature. Although the main story is sufficiently thrilling, these side quests are arguably the best parts of the game. They allow players to explore far-off locations, learning bits of real history as they pick up ancient artifacts and discover long-forgotten ruins. Certain bits of Fieldwork and optional mysteries in The Great Circle are also intensely rewarding, granting players Adventure Points and rare skill books.

But the issue is that each Fieldwork mission is locked to its particular location - after all, players can't uncover the secrets of Gizeh while they're thousands of miles away in Sukhothai. Like the Indiana Jones films, The Great Circle is a globetrotting adventure. Players will visit various locations over the course of the campaign, and by the time they've finished the main quest in one, they'll likely be eager to move onto another. But is it safe for them to leave any unfinished Fieldwork behind, or will they lose access to it later?

Indiana Jones & The Great Circle Doesn’t Lock Off Past Content

There's No Point Of No Return

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The good news is that there's really no point of no return in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Using the fast travel mechanics provided by Indy's journal, players almost always have the opportunity to go back to previous locations and complete unfinished side content, including Fieldwork, at their own pace. Quests don't expire or automatically fail at any point in time, so feel free to leave Fieldwork for later.

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That said, there are points in the game where this kind of fast travel isn't available. Occasionally, the game's focus shifts from free exploration to linear story. These moments will lock the player into their current location until the mission is finished, but they'll still be able to fast travel back to the area later. The game will always warn the player before they walk into one of these with a brief voice line that implies the story is about to move forward. Still, they'll be able to return later at will.

Advantages Of Completing Fieldwork Before Finishing Main Story Quests

Pros & Cons Of Doing Fieldwork First

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The main advantage to completing Fieldwork before moving along with the main quest is that the story just makes more sense that way. Think of it this way: when the player does Fieldwork alongside the main quest, they're effectively watching a long-form Indiana Jones serial divided into multiple, location-based arcs, with an overarching mystery for an A-story and a string of smaller outings as its B-stories. It wouldn't make sense if Indy were repeatedly jetting back and forth from the Vatican to Egypt, from Egypt to Thailand between episodes. He's presumably got enough downtime during his quest to take on some odd jobs as they come up.

It is possible to continue playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle after beating the main story, so even that isn't a point of no return.

And honestly, there's nothing wrong with a filler episode here and there, especially not when it comes to The Great Circle's side quests. Many Fieldwork quests are excellent - they're anything but the copy-paste side quests that bloat so many open-world games. Most are interesting and unique, with challenges, plots, and cutscenes all their own. As a result, doing these quests doesn't make it feel like Indy's slacking off from the main story - they all feel worth completing, whether the player spaces them out or does them all at once.

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Besides that, Fieldwork also comes with rewards that'll help throughout the main quest. The money, AP, and books the player may gain during side quests can come in handy. As a result, it's best to complete Fieldwork throughout the game when they can still use the rewards, as opposed to after finishing the main story, when there's little content left to do. That said, The Great Circle isn't particularly difficult on most settings, so it's not necessary to finish every Fieldwork quest just to be strong enough to beat the game.

Advantages Of Saving Fieldwork Until After The Adventure

Pros & Cons Of Doing Fieldwork Later

That said, there is some benefit to simply ignoring Fieldwork to finish the story, then coming back to finish it later. While the amount of Fieldwork available in The Great Circle is anything but overwhelming, it can slow down the pacing of the main story. If a player would rather the game play out exactly like an Indiana Jones movie, they'll probably prefer to avoid the Fieldwork, at least until they see the ending.

Plus, having all that Fieldwork at the end can make The Great Circle feel like a longer game, which is nice if the player doesn't want it to end. It's exciting to know that, after the credits roll, there's a whole host of side quests just waiting to be found. Of course, doing things this way doesn't actually make the game's runtime longer; the player still has access to the same amount of content, they're just completing it in a different order.

You Should Do Fieldwork Along The Way

Pace Yourself

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Ultimately, it's best to set an even pace by doing Fieldwork intermittently between main missions. It's the best, most sensible way to experience the story, delving fully into each of The Great Circle's main locations before wrapping things up and moving onto the next one. The game will feel fuller and more immersive as a result, and Indy's journey will make a lot more sense.

Besides that, it's simply practical to complete Fieldwork more gradually. The rewards the player will find during these side quests are especially useful during the main missions. Completing them all at the very end will make them feel worthless by comparison. Instead, players should do Fieldwork when they can actually use the rewards they get from it.

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Of course, with the lack of a point of no return, players are free to leave some Fieldwork for later if they so desire. If they're not interested in a particular side quest, or just want to see what's next in the story, it's perfectly fine to skip it for now.

If for no other reason, though, players should take on Fieldwork as it's unlocked because it's a worthwhile part of the game. Fieldwork quests aren't repetitive or boring - each one is uniquely interesting and fun. Completing these side quests as they come up is one of the most delightful parts of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.