When Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launched on PlayStation 5 in April 2025, following its December 2024 release on Xbox and PC, it arrived with the promise of classic action-adventure thrills: tomb raiding, ancient puzzles, and globe-trotting danger set in the 1930s.
Developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks, the game builds an original narrative inspired by the legendary Indiana Jones franchise. But beyond its gripping story, striking visuals, and nostalgic callbacks, it accomplishes something rarely done in the world of video games or in most modern cinema and television: it gets Egyptian Arabic right.
Welcome to ‘Gizeh’
One of the game’s central chapters is set in Egypt, specifically Giza, stylised in the game as “Gizeh,” evoking the older French transliteration that was once commonly used. From the moment players step into the dusty alleys of a local village near the Pyramids and the Sphinx, it is clear this is not a superficial depiction of Egypt.
The setting is beautifully rendered, from bustling markets to narrow village pathways, mysterious tombs, and sprawling archaeological dig sites. But what truly stands out is not just the architectural or historical accuracy. It is the people, the language, and the everyday details that breathe life into the scene.
Throughout Gizeh, players encounter a range of non-playable characters (NPCs) speaking fluent, colloquial Egyptian Arabic. A carpet vendor bargaining with customers, a leather seller promoting his wares, dig site workers exchanging remarks, and passersby chatting or complaining about the heat all sound like actual Egyptians. The accents are accurate, the phrasing is natural, and the expressions are familiar.
Instead of the generic or robotic Modern Standard Arabic that plagues most Western productions, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle delivers something rare: properly spoken Egyptian Arabic that feels lived-in and real.
This attention to detail extends to the in-game documents. Players can stumble upon things like handwritten recipes in Arabic for fuul medames and hamam mahshi, not only using correct Egyptian terms but also showcasing authentic phrasing and grammar. These are not poorly translated or computer-generated texts. They feel as though they were written by someone who genuinely knows and uses the dialect daily.
Even Indiana Jones himself gets in on the linguistic effort. As you guide him through Gizeh, he responds to locals with simple but accurate phrases, like “naharak saeed” (good day), bridging the gap between foreign protagonist and local setting in a surprisingly respectful way.
One especially memorable moment unfolds in the heart of the Gizeh village, where a group of villagers gather in a circle to listen to a story told by an elder. The scene, lasting about two minutes, plays out like a short film. The elder’s storytelling is animated and expressive, filled with idioms and metaphors that reflect real Egyptian oral traditions.
From casual haggling in the market to offhand complaints about the weather, the characters behave in ways that are recognizably Egyptian, not just Arab in a general sense but specifically Egyptian.
Why This Matters
Arabic, especially in video games and Western film, is often treated as an afterthought. Characters speak in awkward, heavily accented lines. Subtitles mistranslate basic words. Or worst of all, Arabic text appears as a jumble of unconnected letters, a glaring oversight that would never be tolerated with languages like French or Japanese.
Dialects are frequently ignored. Egyptian Arabic, which has long been one of the most widely understood dialects due to Egypt’s role in regional media, is often swapped out for incorrect Modern Standard Arabic or replaced with unrelated dialects.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle does the opposite. It leans in. It treats language and culture with care. And in doing so, it not only enhances the player’s immersion, but also sets a new bar for how Arabic, and more broadly, non-Western languages, should be represented in games and audiovisual media.
Setting a New Standard
In a world where even big-budget Hollywood productions still struggle to depict Arabic convincingly, a video game has managed to outshine them all. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle shows what is possible when developers respect the settings they depict and involve the right voices in the process.
It is not just a game about ancient tombs and globe-trotting adventures. It is a lesson in how authenticity, particularly linguistic authenticity, can transform a good game into a great one.
And for Egyptians, it is a rare and refreshing moment of recognition.
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