After launching on Xbox and PC last December, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is about to make a landing on PS5 platforms. And whether they own a standard PS5 or a snazzy Pro model, players are in for a treat. Already one of the best games based on Indiana Jones, perhaps even the best, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle makes use of the unique features of the PS5 console to enhance the overall experience. Having come to the console a little late, there are also welcome tweaks and improvements.
I really enjoyed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle when I played it for review on Xbox Series X last December. “If you’ve ever wanted to step into Indy’s shoes, this is the game for you”, I stated. My experience wasn’t free of issues, however, with me summarising my review with, “There are some issues with the pacing of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and the combat isn’t great”. These underlying issues still remain in the PS5 version, of course, but you shouldn’t let them put you off this thoroughly engaging adventure.
Jump into Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and you’ll find yourself embarking on a journey that will take you around the world, trying to unravel the mystery of the titular Great Circle while preventing a powerful artifact from getting into the hands of fascists who will certainly use it for nefarious purposes. There are exhilarating action scenes, open-world areas that let you progress at your own leisure, side-quests and activities for you to complete, and of course, temples and tombs to be raided, often filled with traps and puzzles that you need to overcome.
The PS5 version of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches with with a bevvy of bug fixes and improvements made to the game since it released on Xbox Series X/S and PC. There’s no longer any stutter during story scenes, for example, and now there’s a handy timer that lets you know how long it will be until a search is called off if you’re detected in hostile areas. Things like this may be small, but they all add up to make the game more enjoyable overall.
As already mentioned, though, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle does suffer from poor pacing at times. And despite being developed by MachineGames, known for its work on the Wolfenstein series, the combat isn’t all too expressive. Melee combat in particular lets the game down, especially when facing off against multiple enemies. Thankfully, separate difficulty settings for both combat and exploration/puzzles do let you fine-tune the experience and alleviate these issues somewhat.
On PS5, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle makes great use of the DualSense controller to not only improve player immersion, but also provide useful feedback. There’s both haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support, giving you more of a feeling that you’re present in the game’s world. And, even better, there’s brilliant use of the light bar. It will turn yellow when you enter combat, pulse yellow when NPCs are searching for you, and display red when you’re low on health. This feedback is also displayed on-screen of course, but it’s helpful nonetheless.
It’s PS5 Pro owners that are going to get the most out of this release, however. In addition to the above, they also get the benefit of noticeably improved performance and visuals. I’ve been playing on PS5 Pro and have been blown away by how sharp the visuals are — but then it does apparently run at native 4K. Thanks to the PS5 Pro’s enhanced ray-tracing capabilities, the game’s lighting is also improved. All in all, this is one of the most impressive-looking games available on PS5 Pro, and the more picturesque sights make being Indy even more enjoyable.
Whether you’re an Indiana Jones fan or simply love a good action-adventure game, it’s very easy to recommend Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. One of the best games of 2024, it will now likely prove to be one of the best games of 2025 for PS5 owners, especially if they play it on PS5 Pro where it looks absolutely stunning and plays better than ever. MachineGames: I’m definitely up for more adventures as Indy if you’re willing to provide them.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
