Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (PS5)

Thanks to the acquisition of Bethesda by Microsoft that was finalized back in 2021, I figured Deathloop might possibly be the last Bethesda game I'd play. I assumed that paying so many billions for the developer would pin Microsoft into locking future titles exclusively on their platforms to see a return on that investment through revenue models like Games Pass.

While I mourned the idea of never jumping into another Fallout title again, there wasn't really anything at the time immediately on the release horizon that I had circled on my calendar. But the last few years have both added some new games for me to anticipate, but more importantly have proved my assumptions wrong on release strategies. 

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle released on Xbox and PC back at the very end of last year. Four months later, it's in our hands on PlayStation. Then there is Doom: The Dark Ages looking like it will release next month on PlayStation and Xbox consoles together. Everything's coming up Milhouse for this jaded PlayStation gamer. 

There has been buzz about this game for months, given the praise and excellent reception it enjoyed in that initial release on Xbox and PC. The visuals are excellent and was even the focus of our own performance test of the GTX 4090. Apparently the game is even better on PS5 Pro with a release day performance patch upping the ante to the enhanced capabilities of that system. But I played happily on my regular old PS5 and it was every bit as gorgeous as I could have wanted. 4K resolution, ray tracing, it's a delightful experience on the eyes...

And ears as well. The crack of the whip, the crack of a bad guy's jaw when Indy lands a right hook, the subtle background chime of the Raider's March "da-dah-da-daaaaaaah da-dah-daaah..." This game does an incredible job of bringing the classic films to life as a playable game. And while every element of the look, sound, and feel of the game is crafted perfectly to spec, the character performance of Troy Baker to channel a near-perfect Harrison Ford imitation is deserving of every bit of praise it has received.

I have been frustrated so many times in games where a famous license was gained but not the specific implementation that is currently in zeitgeist. Looking mainly at you, Marvel, where the cinematic universe has enjoyed so many iconic performances that have entrenched certain expectations that, when you spin up the video games, it feels like you're getting punked by a Spaceballs reference.

That's not the experience at all with this Indiana Jones game. When you play the Great Circle, you feel like you are stepping into a new film in the franchise, down to the same interjections of humor and mannerisms. The opening level is a direct re-creation of the opening scenes from the first film. Putting not only the comparison to the source material to the test, but showcasing the triumph in its adherence to, and extension of, that legacy.

So its production values are right on par with the best of Indiana Jones film franchise. But I don't think it's unfair to contrast that with the inevitable comparisons the PlayStation's seminal treasure hunting adventure series, Uncharted. Naughty Dog's opus might be the gold standard for this type of game on this particular system, but these two IPs take distinct interpretations in how they present the gameplay.

There are some commonalities to be sure: combat, exploration, climbing and traversal sections, tombs and the puzzles and clues required to unlock them. But Uncharted was always a much more on-rails experience than the Great Circle which plays out over a more open world. Not a true open world game though. Each location is flung across different sections of the globe, complete with classic flying line over the map when moving between them that is also such a quintessential feature of the films. So the maps stand isolated and ring fenced, but the way each plays out is very much open to a freedom to explore.

Combat is also a bit more open. Uncharted's combat was more on rails, focused on gunplay from a third-person perspective and moving from cover to cover and weapon to weapon as the clip runs out, only occasionally mixing in a melee attack. Indiana Jones flips that into a first-person battle, with hand-to-hand combat taking precedence over using weapons.

Triggers map to left and right punches. You can block and parry incoming strikes, and even charge up heavy blows. It's all, once again, in line with the films as, iconic pistol shot to the swordsman aside, just about every other action set piece you can remember is Indy punching a Nazi with that familiar thwack sound accentuating the blow.

Movement also follows this first-person design choice and adds in elements of stamina. If Indy wants to run, climb, fight—everything will cost a bit of stamina before he needs a slight rest. There are level ups that can be purchased on your run through "Adventure Points" to unlock stamina and other boosts. But managing that meter is always a factor in your choices, especially when navigating a fight with anything higher than a base mob that goes down easy in a few blows (or a well placed one-hit sneak attack from behind).

There are also numerous objects strewn over every map that can be picked up to give you a boost in striking power. From the obvious billy clubs and crowbars to more silly objects like guitars and candlesticks. Each lack much durability and break after a few blows but do the job. Indy also packs his trusty revolver, but ammo is scarce and any shots fired will notify all nearby enemy combatants. In most occasions, however, you will be opening with as long a stealth approach as you can manage.

Then there is of course Indy's dependable whip, which acts as both a vital aspect to his movement and ability to traverse gaps and climb onto ledges. It's also is a primary way he interacts with various elements in the environment in solving some of the puzzles or activating key mechanics. For gaming purposes the length of the whip gets a little ridiculous at times, and when climbing the whip can be more of a rope. But we will suspend disbelief enough to allow it. 

What gets a little more tedious is all of the ways the game tries to immerse you in certain activities, mostly by just abusing unnecessary motions of the left thumbstick. Need to unlock a door? That will cost you one twist of the stick. Need to open a chest? Please lift the stick up. Open a secret door? Place the secret medallion with the Square button—and then more stick twisting, of course. Even doorknobs sometimes require a twist, except for all the many other times they don't.

You already have to hit Square before every one of these actions, but then they throw in some stick play for...reasons? It's not really immersive if that's what the design was going for. It's more annoying than anything else. It reminded me all too much of that old failure of a game Heavy Rain, making me want to yell, "Shaun!" in eye-rolling frustration. 

There are other annoyances. While you have some choice to tackle objectives in stealth or guns fists-a-blazin', it's all a bit awkward. The move to a first-person brawler is hard for any game to pull off. It's a decent execution here but only that.

Stealth is pretty basic stuff. Nothing to write home about. Disguises are key (also true to the movies) but officers can see through disguises. That's all fine. But what gets irksome is all the back and forth across the open world levels running fetch quests. Hey, get to this location and sneak past all these checkpoints and guards...Oh no, you don't have the key. Sneak back past those guards and checkpoints into this other place and steal it...Great, now run all the way back to the first location...Ok but now it's dark and you forgot your lighter (I kid you not, this is a real plot point), run across the map over to the bazaar and buy a new one...Now run all the way back and finally dive into raiding this tomb...Great, do that three more times to complete the level.

It pads the playtime, but doesn't exactly bring the fun like a more on-rails experience actually delivers. There are also side quests, mostly consisting of everyone needing medicine, but the Nazis/fascists are hoarding it, so, if you happen to steal any, please turn it in here for a reward. But they're optional and mostly distract from the otherwise excellent storytelling. So, I never really cared to do any of them; and there is a real quality of life aspect added to the game that you can fast travel to previous locations to do any trophy cleanup later if you wish. 

So what's the verdict? I'm not sure if I’m in love with the stealth aspects. I'm not sure I’m in love with the combat. I'm not sure I’m in love with the pacing when traipsing back and forth through the levels themselves. None of which is terrible, but each is rough around the edges ever so slightly in its own way.

I am, however, in love with the storytelling and attention to detail. The Great Circle really transports you into Indy’s world, putting you into Indy's shoes. As a child of the '80s who grew up on these films, it is a bit of a dream come true. So many games have already come before and did the tomb raiding thing so well. As a game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle isn't just trying to replicate them. It's trying and succeeding wildly—by replicating the seminal films that inspired all those other games, and provide its own twist that actually stays true to the source material in just about every way.

This is a beautiful looking, true to the movie, narrative experience. I'm so glad Bethesda is still bringing games over for PlayStation.