Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Review - New Platform, More Magic
While PlayStation fans have long been blessed with excellent action-adventure games akin to Indiana Jones in the for decades in the form of Tomb Raider and then their own exclusive, Uncharted, Xbox fans were longing for something of their own in this sub-genre, with the 2015 timed exclusivity of Rise Of The Tomb Raider not quite quenching the thirst alone. Finally, the Xbox platform got something of its own with the release of 2024’s Indiana Jones And The Great Circle. My fellow editor, Matt Hewson said the game “perfectly captures the spirit of adventure, the humour and the action of the classic Indy films” in his glowing review of the game, but, in a rare change of pace, PlayStation were left standing on the outside looking in longingly. Those days are no longer though, because Indiana Jones And The Great Circle has arrived on PS5, with the more powerful PS5 Pro becoming the console destination platform for this modern MachineGames classic.
Matt didn’t pull any punches with his review last year, quickly declaring, “This is a true Indy experience” and that is a sentiment I can get around. On both the narrative level, where Indy’s adventure takes place chronologically between Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and The Last Crusade, and a gameplay front, you’ll quickly feel that you, yes you humble reader, are in the boots of Indiana Jones, cracking whips, smacking Nazis (something any rational person will appreciate), trotting the globe chasing mystery. As I was prowling around the streets of Vatican City, the game’s first explorable playground, all I could see was opportunity, from opportunities to explore fascinating side-stories and learn about the key players in this world, to opportunities in the gameplay vertical to stealth around, pick off unsuspecting blackshirts, and explore the many ways that you can reach your desired destination.
Though not as pronounced as what you might see from a Dishonored, there are certainly streaks of immersive sim elements found whenever the player enters (or returns to) one of these open environments, and there’s nothing that compels you to push the golden path narrative forward either. Some might construe this as a negative, that I’m suggesting that the main plotline isn’t engaging, but it’s anything but that. Simply the side-quests, and the environments that you have to pursue them in, are themselves, also so compelling that you’ll want to see everything through before you push on further.
While of course there are comparisons to be made with the Tomb Raider’s and Uncharted’s of the world, which of course owe so much to Indy for the road that his adventures paved for them, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle doesn’t play it too close to those modern gaming marvels, forging its own path through the globe-trotting action-adventure genre. The first-person perspective is the first, most obvious point of difference, but that’s not all; of course, Indy’s whip is helpful in both halting the impact of attackers, and as a tool to climb walls, and Indy is no wrecking ball either – he’s a professor first, and so players will need to employ a more stealth, considered approach to their exploration and their combat. It is possible to block, parry and strike your way to success against large crowds of attackers, though it certainly isn’t advised, no, players will find the greatest success and enjoyment, from diligently picking off nazis and ditching their unconscious bodies in hidden nooks. There will be plenty in the environment for the player to work with, as either a tool to distract and mislead, or to attack and defend, melee weapons are plentiful, but Indy’s fist-throwing game is pretty solid if you find yourself stranded with nothing else to use. Shooting exists, though it doesn’t feel like the game was designed with it in mind, so feel free to ignore the presence of the guns altogether, unless you plan to use the butt-end of the firearm as a blunt weapon as well. The enemy AI can be a bit slow on the uptake, with limited vision being something that you can pretty easily exploit – its good for the powertrip, but not great for challenge of the experience.
Indiana Jones And The Great Circle’s PS5 version utilises a range of PS5-exclusive features, as well as the increased power of the PS5 Pro to extract maximal performance and visual fidelity for the console player, making its latest release, the definitive way to play. Visual cues reflecting the alertness status of guards is reflected through the light bars on the dualsense, something that I didn’t find useful when playing on the TV because I’m not looking at the controller, but really helped when I was playing via the PlayStation Portal. Players will feel the weight of their actions through the Dualsense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers as well. But finally, gee whiz does Indy look good. The Great Circle already stunned for those pushing the game through an Xbox Series X, but the additional power of the PS5 Pro allows the game to run at 4K and simultaneously at 60FPS giving you stunning visuals from a wonderfully designed MachineGames world, and buttery-smooth gameplay.
PlayStation fans who have grown quite accustomed to an Indiana Jones-inspired action-adventure romp, but have been pleading out for more Uncharted or Tomb Raider suddenly have the grand-daddy of the genre to more than satiate the appetite. In this day and age where Xbox-exclusives are finding new homes on other platforms, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle is the pick of the litter so far.
Indiana Jones And The Great Circle was reviewed on PS5 Pro with a code kindly provided by Bethesda Australia.
