Archaeology isn't always about the gold. Sometimes it’s about the things that should have stayed buried. If you’ve been tearing through MachineGames’ latest adventure, you’ve likely stumbled upon the massive, looming mystery of the Nephilim. But it’s the expansion—Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Order of Giants—that actually pulls the curtain back on the most bizarre corner of this universe.
It’s weird. Honestly.
We’re used to Indy fighting Nazis over religious relics, but here we’re talking about a secret society of literal giants. Not metaphors. Not "giants of industry." Actual, massive beings descended from fallen angels.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Order of Giants
You might think the Order of Giants is just another group of bad guys for Indy to whip into submission. That's not really the case. In the lore established in The Great Circle, this group—also known as the Nephilim Order—actually spent centuries working with the Vatican. They weren't just monsters hiding in the dark; they were protectors.
Basically, they were atoning for "ancestral sins."
The DLC, which dropped in September 2025, slides right into the middle of the main game’s story. It’s not a sequel. It’s more like a "lost chapter" that triggers while you’re already poking around the Vatican level. If you're a returning player, it feels like watching a director's cut where a massive four-hour sequence was suddenly stitched back into the film.
It kicks off when Indy meets Father Ricci. Ricci is a young priest who seems desperate, but as we’ve learned from every single Indiana Jones movie ever made, "desperate priests" usually have a lot of baggage. Ricci wants a specific artifact, but his request drags Indy into the deep, crusty underbelly of Rome.
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We’re talking about the Cloaca Maxima—Rome’s ancient sewer system—and catacombs that make the ones in The Last Crusade look like a day at the beach.
The Secret History of the Nephilim
The real meat of the story involves three specific giants: Abgal, Junia, and Gibborim.
These aren't just names on a wall. They represent a timeline that stretches from the Roman Empire to the Crusades. Take Abgal, for instance. He was an undefeated gladiator known as "The Minotaur." Think about that for a second. The legend of the Minotaur in this universe isn't a myth; it was a giant in a bull helmet fighting in Emperor Nero’s secret games.
Then you’ve got Gibborim, the "Nameless Crusader."
History books don't mention a ten-foot-tall knight winning the Siege of Antioch, but the Order of Giants lore suggests the Pope dubbed one of these beings a Crusader to tip the scales of war. It’s a wild re-imagining of history that fits perfectly into that "pulp" vibe the devs were going for.
Why the Cult of Mithras is Involved
While Indy is busy playing historian, a group called the Cult of Mithras is trying to kill him. These guys are obsessed with the "killing of the bull" (tauroctony). Because Abgal wore a bull helmet, the cult sees him as a literal incarnation of their god’s sacrifice.
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They don't want to protect the giants. They want to reenact their rituals.
It gets messy.
Solving the Puzzles of the Great Circle
If you’re playing this for the combat, you’re missing the point. The Order of Giants is arguably heavier on puzzles than the base game. There are two specific chambers in the Roman ruins that require more brainpower than the usual "pull the lever, open the door" mechanics.
- The Serpent Gate: A massive mechanical lock that requires translating Greek documents found in Junia’s tomb.
- The Shadow Pillar: A light-based puzzle in the catacombs that uses Indy’s lighter and some very specific mirror positioning.
The level design is vertical. You’ll be using the whip more for traversal than for disarming Italian soldiers. The devs clearly wanted people to feel the scale of the giants, so everything in their tombs is built to a different proportion.
It makes Indy feel small. Which, let's be honest, is a nice change of pace for a guy who usually feels invincible.
Is It Actually Worth Playing?
Look, it's roughly four hours of content.
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If you loved the first-person platforming and the "investigative" feel of the main game, it’s a no-brainer. The atmosphere in the Roman sewers is top-tier. You can almost smell the damp stone and ancient rot through the screen. Troy Baker’s performance as Indy continues to be scarily accurate to Harrison Ford’s younger years, and the music—composed by Gordy Haab—nails those John Williams flourishes.
However, if you're looking for a massive expansion of the "Great Circle" mystery itself, you might be a little disappointed. This is a side story. It adds flavor and lore to the Nephilim, but it doesn't fundamentally change the ending of the base game. It’s an "essential side quest," if that makes sense.
Actionable Tips for Players
- Don't Rush the Vatican: The DLC triggers during the Vatican chapter. If you power through that section too fast, you might miss the initial hook with Father Ricci.
- Upgrade Your Camera: Several of the best lore entries for the Order of Giants are hidden in the environment. Photograph everything. The "Nameless Crusader" notes are particularly easy to miss.
- Check the Cloaca Maxima Walls: There are hidden inscriptions near the water line that explain why Nero was so obsessed with Abgal. It’s not required for the mission, but it fills in the blanks on why the Cult of Mithras is so angry.
The mystery of the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Order of Giants ultimately reminds us that the world is much older and weirder than we think. Even for a guy like Indy who has seen the Ark of the Covenant open, a tribe of giant fallen-angel descendants is a lot to process.
To get the most out of your playthrough, make sure you've updated to the latest 2026 patches, especially if you're playing on the Switch 2, as the lighting effects in the catacombs were significantly improved to help with those shadow puzzles.
Next Steps:
If you've already finished the tombs in Rome, you should go back to your journal and cross-reference the symbols found in Gibborim's tomb with the map of the Great Circle in the main menu. You'll find that the giants' burial sites actually align with specific ley lines that weren't fully explained in the first act. This adds a whole new layer of context to why Voss was so interested in the Vatican's secret archives in the first place.