Indiana Jones and The Great Circle Review (PS5) – Exclusively Uncharted Waters
Who’d have thought back in 2022 that we’d be here in 2025, where not only are Microsoft in the middle of a resurgence with a string of excellent releases, but all of those releases are coming over to Sony’s console at the same time. The gaming zeitgeist has shifted dramatically from just a couple of years ago. While the majority of those changes are ubiquitously disappointing (looking at you, price rises and layoffs), the removal of console war exclusivity has been one of the shining lights.
It’s from this context that I’ve played Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, a Microsoft-owned IP, on my PlayStation 5. The best game Xbox and Microsoft have released in years, and here we are. Rossko has already delivered a stellar verdict of the game in his review, praising the story and adventure in equal measure. So, months on from its initial release, how does MachineGames’ Uncharted-esque adventure fare on PlayStation?
The Great Circle of Porting Life
We’ll start with the port itself, as that’s likely going to determine whether you shell out £70 to play it on Sony’s hardware, or you know, just play it on Game Pass. I’d say about 90% of the port is phenomenal, but the remaining 10% definitely has issues. Visually, I had lighting and geometry go haywire in the Vatican a couple of times. Climbing a specific wall made every texture and object go berserk, but thankfully, that didn’t repeat again.
Mechanically, there were a few more issues, sadly. The whip glitched out on me more than once, at one stage preventing me from progressing a quest, as no matter how many times I tried, Indy would simply glitch back to the previous spot. I had rage-induced moments of the R1 prompt bugging out when making death-defying leaps, which ironically, weren’t very defying of death thanks to the whip not working.
In Gizeh, my waypoint marker went completely AWOL, directing me to the same tent for every objective, despite none of my tasks being there. While each of these is relatively inconsequential on its own, in totality, they add up significantly. Like putting a makeweight bag of sand in place of a treasure, only to discover a chunk of the sand is missing. Cue an arrow to the face, or an earthquake, or whatever other disaster awaits.
Sightseeing, Indiana?
Whether these issues were all as present in the Xbox/PC version, I can’t confirm myself, but there were enough issues I ran into on PS5 that it detracted from the overall experience. Having said that, wow, is the other 90% of the port gorgeous? Basking in the glory of the Sistine Chapel, rays of sunshine illuminating the surrounding courtyards, is simply wonderful. I felt the heat of Gizeh and its imposing pyramids permeate through my TV, dunes of sand kicking up as I fired my revolver at a rogue Nazi guard.
The highlight, though? Seeing that section of the snowstorm-riddled ship. The crushing intensity of the blizzard, mixed with the superb physics engine crushing snow beneath Indy’s boot, is simply amazing work. When Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is firing on all cylinders on PS5, it’s beautiful to behold. On this front, I really can’t fault it at all. The framerate holds up throughout, even with the impressive destruction physics showing each individual brick of a wall being bashed to smithereens before my mighty hammer.
No crashes or other performance issues either, which is surprisingly positive, given MachineGames’ difficulty with performance in the Wolfenstein titles. There are issues with this version, to be sure, but Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is one of the most graphically impressive games I’ve seen on PlayStation 5. While it’s not quite on Horizon: Forbidden West levels, it’s not too far down a step. Indy has made the leap with aplomb. Shame about the aforementioned technical faults, as otherwise this would be stellar.
Congratulations, Sony Pal!
Obviously, if you’re interested in another perspective and breakdown of the game, you can reference Rossko’s initial PC review. However, I’d be remiss not to speak of my own experience with Indiana Jones and The Great Circle as well. To keep a long story short, I loved every moment of it. MachineGames has melded their traditional Wolfenstein systems into a fantastic action-adventure tale, with their trademark writing chops and satisfying gameplay nous.
Similar to Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Indiana Jones and The Great Circle mixes up semi-open world hub areas with a more linear mission structure. Exploring the hub areas reveals all manner of side-quests, collectibles (cleverly integrated into the Indy lore), upgrade books, secrets and interactions. Being the completionist masochist I am, I couldn’t stop myself from losing hours to clearing every icon, taking every picture and tidying up compelling side stories.
MachineGames’ knack for providing both stealthy and all-guns-blazing approaches means you can brawl an entire garrison into submission (I did this more than once), or you can skulk around and whipcrack a German officer into unconscious bliss. Verticality and different entry points allow on-the-fly spontaneity, while the writing of the side characters makes them charming to seek out and complete. All in all, I devoured the content Indiana Jones and The Great Circle has on offer, and doing everything will take you dozens of hours, making the journey worth the price tag.
Watch Your Step
Of course, all of Indy’s exploring and poking into places the Nazi’s would rather he wasn’t will get him into a spot of trouble. Indy has offensive strikes, block, parry and heavy attacks, as well as the handy ability to pick up any old trinket and whack someone over the melon with it. Seriously, nothing is more satisfying than procuring a swatter to smash into an unsuspecting soldier’s face. Indy is disgustingly overpowered, especially if you can parry well, but that’s part of the charm.
Then there’s gunplay, which while solid, is far less satisfying than in the Wolfenstein titles, though by intentional choice. Enemies can take multiple hits, while you take very few. Get into a shootout and you will be felled immediately. For the most part, I strayed away from the arsenal of weapons, which I think works to Indiana Jones and The Great Circle’s favour. Keeping things up close and personal feels in keeping with the movies and the light-hearted joy of the adventure.
As Indy is played (mostly) in first-person, platforming can occasionally be awkward, with more than one section boiling my blood thanks to obnoxious jumps. The previously referenced whip issues rear their snake-oiled heads here too, much to my and Indy’s chagrin. When it works, though, platforming, ledge climbing and completing puzzles is good fun. Many are well-designed brain teasers that give a nice dopamine hit when you finally hit the “a-ha!” moment.
Roads Uncharted
With Indiana Jones and The Great Circle hitting PlayStation, it’s going to draw even more comparisons to Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. While different in direction and style, the story tropes and narrative humour will feel right at home for fans of Nathan Drake and co. Slapstick brawling moments, quick-witted humour, and a genuinely compelling relationship arc between Indiana Jones and his compatriot, Gina, make for a great globe-trotting romp.
I laughed more than a handful of times, such is the quality of the writing and performance. MachineGames’ Wolfenstein series is criminally underappreciated in terms of its narrative aspect, overshadowed by the punchy combat. Here, however, Troy Baker nails the Harrison Ford gruffness with ease. The surrounding cast all have quirky personalities that light up any interaction you have with them, while the choreography and motion capture work is simply brilliant.
Travelling the world seeking out relics to prevent the German forces getting their hands on a mystical power sounds derivative on paper, but it’s brought to life incredibly well with expert performances and great writing. Then there’s the set pieces, a couple of which could rival some of the best in the business. We’ve seen these stories done before, but it’s hard to deny the inherent joy of taking on the Indiana Jones persona and whip-cracking skulls and one-liners in equal measure.
Greatness Ford The Ages
Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is a real spectacle and an absolute treat of a video game. MachineGames have delivered an action-adventure entry that sits up amongst the best that the medium has to offer. The port to PlayStation 5 hasn’t been the smoothest of transitions, which dents the overall joy of the experience compared to the Xbox/PC equivalent. Even so, I had so much fun punching, jumping, whipping and exploring, I was able to overlook the technical hiccups and optimisation issues.
It’s fair to say that you’re probably better off playing this on its original platforms, especially in light of it being included in a Game Pass subscription compared to £69.99 here. However, if like me, you spend the majority of your gaming time on Sony’s console, you likely won’t regret a penny of your purchase. Rossko gave it a nine in his original review, and I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment – this is one of the best games released in 2024. It’ll be one of my favourites of 2025, but the rough landing of the port means I have to notch it down a point.
Don’t let that deter you from embarking on one of the richest and brilliantly fun adventures I’ve had. Indiana Jones is back, and boy is he ready to take on the world and be a legend while doing so.
Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is available now on PlayStation 5 (review platform), Xbox Series S|X and PC via Steam.
Developer: MachineGames
Publisher: Bethesda / Xbox Game Studios
Disclaimer: In order to complete this review, we were provided with a promotional copy of the game. For our full review policy, please go here.
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