Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review – The Indy Adventure We’ve Waited Decades For

Indiana Jones and The Great Circle review discussions all circle back to the same thing: this finally feels like a real Indiana Jones adventure again. 

MachineGames takes the stealth-forward DNA of its Wolfenstein games and reshapes it into a first-person action-adventure built around exploration, puzzle-solving, disguises, and improvised escapes that feel pulled straight from a Spielberg set piece.

Developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks under Xbox Game Studios, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launched on December 9, 2024 for Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store, arriving day one on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. 

The PS5 version followed on April 17, 2025 with PS5 Pro enhancements, while the Nintendo Switch 2 port arrived in May 12, 2026. Pricing sits at $69.99 for the Standard Edition and $99.99 for the Premium Edition, which includes early access and The Order of Giants DLC expansion.

Critically, the reception has been strong across the board. Metacritic scores currently sit at 86 on Xbox Series X|S and 87 on PC, while OpenCritic places it in the 96th percentile of reviewed games. It also ended 2024 as the highest-rated Xbox console exclusive of the year.

This Indiana Jones and the Great Circle game review breaks down what actually makes the experience work: six globe-spanning historical locations, stealth systems that reward improvisation, Troy Baker’s surprisingly excellent performance as Indy, and whether the cinematic storytelling outweighs the clunky melee combat and heavy reliance on cutscenes.

I Missed This Indy Feeling

I went into this Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review expecting a fun licensed adventure and came out genuinely surprised by how confidently it understands what makes Indy special.

This isn’t an action-heavy power fantasy like Uncharted or a shooter disguised as an adventure game. As I’ve found while writing this Indiana Jones: Great Circle review, the game is slower, more curious, and much more focused on stealth, exploration, and puzzle-solving than I expected – and honestly, that’s exactly why it works. 

The biggest win here is authenticity. From the dusty ruins and cryptic clues to the constant “I absolutely should not be here” energy, MachineGames nailed the tone of the original films. 

Troy Baker deserves a lot of credit too. Instead of trying to imitate Harrison Ford outright, he captures Indy’s charm, sarcasm, and exhausted improvisation in a way that feels natural after a few hours.

That said, the flaws are real. Melee combat feels awkward more often than satisfying, some cutscenes drag on too long, and the semi-open exploration areas aren’t nearly as strong as the tightly scripted story sequences.

Still, if you enjoy stealth-heavy adventure games, environmental puzzles, and cinematic single-player experiences, this is one of the best licensed games released in years, and an especially easy recommendation for Game Pass subscribers.

It’s Like a Lost Fourth Film

Stepping into this adventure for an Indiana Jones and the Great Circle game review feels less like playing a licensed spin-off and more like discovering a forgotten cinematic masterpiece. 

Set in 1937, the narrative neatly slots between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. It captures that specific era of Indy’s life where his wit is as sharp as his whip. 

The plot kicks off at Marshall College before spiralling into a global conspiracy involving the Great Circle: a mysterious alignment of ancient sacred sites that a fascist cabal, led by the enigmatic Emmerich Voller, is desperate to exploit.

This journey isn’t just a series of static levels; it is a globe-trotting odyssey that takes you from the marble halls of the Vatican to the sun-drenched ruins of Egypt and the frozen peaks of the Himalayas. 

Each location is built with incredible historical specificity. You aren’t just passing through; you are conducting archaeology in a world that feels physically grounded and rich with detail.

Helping you navigate these dangers is Helena Shaw, a cunning and unpredictable ally whose motives often keep you guessing. Her dynamic with Indy perfectly mirrors the classic film formula of friction and mutual respect, making her easily one of the strongest original characters we’ve seen in years. 

While the game was developed in close collaboration with Lucasfilm Games, the real magic is in the performance. 

Harrison Ford himself praised Troy Baker’s portrayal, which captures Indy’s iconic voice and scrappy physicality without feeling like a hollow impersonation. As I noted for this Indiana Jones: Great Circle review, the voice work is a crowning achievement that anchors the entire experience.

However, one point to keep in mind is that the game is very heavy on cutscenes. These are long, cinematic, and frequent: a deliberate design choice by MachineGames to maintain a film-quality rhythm. 

While many will love the Spielberg-esque presentation, some may find the constant interruptions to the gameplay frustrating. Whether you are looking for a PC or an Indiana Jones: Great Circle PS5 review, you’ll find it is a standalone story that requires no prior game knowledge, but your experience will definitely be enriched if you’re a fan of the original trilogy.

Ready to step into Indy’s boots? Grab a Steam key.

Stealth, Whips, and Actual Archaeology

To understand what the game feels like day-to-day in this Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review, you have to look past the typical action-adventure tropes. Instead of a mindless sandbox, each of the game’s six major locations functions as a semi-open area rich with central story objectives, optional side missions, and environmental secrets. 

The design philosophy leans closer to an “immersive sim” than a standard open world; curiosity is your greatest asset, though the game never forces you to engage with every optional element. 

While those who rush the critical path will find a tighter, better-paced experience, players who take the time to explore thoroughly will discover a much richer depth to the world.

Stealth is the foundation of the experience. The game strongly rewards a stealth-first approach, allowing Indy to utilize found disguises to blend into enemy factions, crawl through ventilation systems, and exploit environmental cover.

Rather than the rigid rules of a traditional stealth game, the systems here are fluid and contextual, feeling more akin to the opportunistic “social stealth” of the Hitman series. If you’re a fan of the genre and looking to sharpen those skills further, the best stealth games roundup features plenty of other top picks to keep you in the shadows. 

You can distract guards with thrown objects or sneak past them entirely; those who embrace this cleverness will find the game far more rewarding than those who try to go in loud, as open combat is designed to be difficult and less satisfying.

The standout element, however, is the puzzle design. These aren’t just simple lever-pulling tasks; they are environmental puzzles that require Indy’s expertise as an archaeologist. You’ll spend time reading ancient inscriptions, aligning celestial mechanisms, and combining environmental elements to unlock hidden chambers. 

You don’t just stumble through these trials; you actually have to stop and use your brain. I found myself constantly surprised by how many different solutions are tucked away in the environment, usually giving you a few ways to crack the same case depending on how you look at it.

As I noted in this Indiana Jones: Great Circle PS5 review, it’s easily the most consistent part of the game. The puzzles feel like “real” archaeology, managing to make you feel like a world-class scholar even while you’re sweating through your next big adventure.

Central to both this exploration and the occasional scrap is the whip. It is the most satisfying mechanical element in the game, functioning as a versatile tool for swinging across gaps, pulling levers from a distance, or disarming enemies mid-combat. It stays consistently useful across all six locations and feels deeply thematic. 

To keep track of it all, you have the Adventure Book. As detailed in this Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review, this notebook serves as both a narrative log and a vital puzzle-solving tool where cross-referencing maps is essential

If there is a floor to the experience, it’s definitely the melee combat. While Indy is supposed to be this scrappy, “hit-em-with-a-chair” kind of brawler, the actual controls feel pretty clunky and imprecise, with hit feedback that just feels a bit loose and unsatisfying. 

I’m definitely not the only one who felt this way, either; it’s pretty much the one thing everyone seems to agree is the weakest part of the package. Gunplay is available but deliberately limited, as the design actively pushes you toward avoidance and stealth rather than direct confrontation.

The pacing also takes a bit of a breather during those semi-open segments that bridge the gap between the big story moments. While it’s fun to just wander around, these bits definitely feel a little less “movie-magic” than the main set pieces.

If you’re the type of completionist who needs to check every single box, just a heads-up that some of the side content leans more into busywork than blockbuster quality. But as long as you’re here for the core loop of whipping, sneaking, and digging up history, the ride stays pretty incredible.

Sixty Dollars, or One Month of Game Pass?

So, is Indiana Jones: Great Circle worth it? To answer that, you first have to look at how you access your games, because the value proposition shifts dramatically depending on whether you are a subscriber or an outright buyer.

For anyone with an active Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscription, this is the easiest “yes” of the year. For this Indiana Jones: Great Circle Xbox review, it’s worth noting the game joined the service the very day it launched on December 9, 2024, so if your sub is live, you already have full access to Indy’s latest globetrotting trek. 

If your membership has lapsed, picking up a 1-month Game Pass Ultimate key on Eneba, which typically runs between $10–13, is easily the most cost-effective way to play. Just be aware that Game Pass Standard does not include this title; players on that specific tier will need to either upgrade their subscription or purchase the game separately.

If you prefer to own your games outright, the $69.99 Standard Edition is a significant investment. You are paying for a high-quality, cinematic experience that takes about 12–15 hours to wrap up the main narrative, or closer to 20–25 hours if you are the type of archaeologist who insists on uncovering every side mission and hidden secret.

For the superfans, the $99.99 Premium Edition includes The Order of Giants story expansion. Released in September 2025, this DLC offers a substantial narrative addition for those who aren’t ready to hang up the fedora once the credits roll.

For the budget-conscious non-subscribers, a “wait-for-sale” strategy is valid. Microsoft first-party titles often see discounts of 30–40% within a year of release, which can save you roughly $20–28. Since this is a story-driven, single-player campaign with limited replayability, you won’t be missing out on a “live” community moment by waiting. 

While the various stealth approaches and environmental puzzles offer some flexibility if you choose to go back in, most players will find that one thorough playthrough is enough. Ultimately, as we’ve found in this Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review, the value here isn’t found in infinite replay cycles, but in the exceptional quality of every hour spent in Indy’s shoes.

Museum Quality: Why the Environments Are the Real Stars

The visual and auditory experience of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a massive flex for the team at MachineGames. They built this on “Motor”, a custom fork of the id Tech 7 engine, and they didn’t play it safe. Ray tracing wasn’t just an afterthought here; it was a baseline requirement from day one.

Because the lighting was baked into the game’s DNA, the way light shifts as you move from a sun-drenched jungle into a dim, candlelit tomb is startlingly realistic. We’re talking natural light fall-off and contact shadows that make every ancient stone and dusty corridor feel like a real place you could reach out and touch. 

If you’re playing on PC with a high-end Nvidia card, you can crank things up to full Path Tracing. It’s a total resource hog, but it delivers a level of lighting accuracy that consoles just can’t match. It’s easily the most “next-gen” the game gets.

The art team clearly did their homework across all six major locations. Whether you’re sneaking through the marble halls of the Vatican, trekking through the Himalayas, or getting lost in the temples of Thailand, the environments feel lived-in and research-heavy. You’ll find yourself pausing just to look at the carvings on a wall or the way the light hits a relic.

That level of detail extends to the characters, too. Troy Baker doesn’t just sound like Indy; his expressions and movements are mapped to Harrison Ford’s likeness so perfectly it’s almost eerie. It’s supported by a pitch-perfect John Williams-inspired score and soundscapes that make every whip-crack feel tactile.

Which hardware should you bring to the dig?

• PC – The Ceiling: If you have the GPU for Path Tracing, this is the definitive visual experience.
• Xbox Series X & PS5 – The Sweet Spot: Both consoles are remarkably comparable and strong. As you’ll see in any Indiana Jones: Great Circle Xbox review, the console versions still look incredible even without the PC‘s high-end lighting bells and whistles.
• Series S & Switch 2 – The Mid-Tier: Still looks great, but the Switch 2 version targets 30fps, making it the “play it on the go” compromise.

No matter where you play, this Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review finds that the technical foundation ensures the atmosphere stays top-tier from start to finish.

A New Gold Standard for Licensed Games?

The reviews are out, and it’s safe to say Indy has stuck the landing. If you were worried this might be another mediocre movie tie-in, the numbers tell a very different story:

• Steam: 90% “Very Positive” (Gamers are actually loving it).
• OpenCritic: 87/100 (Sitting in the top 4% of all games on the site).
• Metacritic: 87 on PC and 86 on Xbox, officially the highest-rated Xbox exclusive of 2024.

Beyond the review scores, the game has already pulled in over 4 million players, which is a massive win for Bethesda. It’s also picking up serious awards season heat, including a GOTY nomination at D.I.C.E. As I’ve touched on throughout this Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review, this isn’t just a lucky break; it’s a defining moment for the character in gaming.

Critics have been pretty vocal about how much MachineGames got right. GamesRadar went as far as saying it’s Indy’s best adventure in over three decades, while the OpenCritic community is putting it in the same “god-tier” category as Batman: Arkham or GoldenEye. Even Windows Central gave it a 4.5/5, specifically praising how the team nailed the vibe and the dialogue.

Essentially, it’s one of those rare games that actually respects the source material. If you’re looking for more journeys that hit those same high notes, the best adventure games hub is a solid place to find your next great story.

That said, let’s keep it real: there are some rough edges you should know about. The biggest complaint across the board is the melee combat; it’s a bit clunky and lacks that “snap” you’d want from a modern brawler. 

There’s also the cutscene situation. They are long and frequent, which feels great if you’re here for a cinematic experience, but might get on your nerves if you just want to get back to the puzzles. Also, while the linear missions are top-notch, the semi-open world bits feel a little less polished.

If you can live with some awkward brawling and a lot of cinematic breaks, you’re looking at a new benchmark for what a licensed game can be.

My Overall Verdict: The Best Indy Adventure Since The Last Crusade

When asking is Indiana Jones: Great Circle worth it, the answer lies in how much you value an adventure that understands that Indy was never supposed to be an unstoppable action hero. He’s a guy who improvises, gets cornered, and barely escapes disasters by the skin of his teeth. 

MachineGames leaned fully into that “scrappy” identity, and the result is arguably the strongest licensed game we’ve seen in years. 

The critical reception backs this up. With a Metacritic score of 86-87 and an 87 on OpenCritic (placing it in the 96th percentile), this wasn’t just nostalgia bait that critics tolerated: it’s the highest-rated Xbox exclusive of 2024 because the adventure itself is genuinely well-crafted. 

What stuck with me most is how the game prioritizes archaeology over mindless spectacle. The best moments aren’t the explosions; they’re the quiet beats where you’re connecting clues in your Adventure Book to solve a centuries-old mystery.

Great for:

• Indiana Jones film fans of any age who want a story that feels like a genuine fourth chapter.
• Game Pass Ultimate subscribers looking for a meaty, high-quality single-player journey.
• Fans of Uncharted or immersive sims who want a world that rewards curiosity and cleverness.
• History nerds who appreciate culturally specific, research-heavy environments.

Less ideal for:

• Combat-first players: If you need fluid, polished melee to have fun, the clunky brawling here will frustrate you. While sneaking around is a blast for those who love patience and creativity, anyone who’d rather a more punchy combat should check out our list of the best action-adventure games.
• The “Cinematic-Haters”: If you lose patience with long, frequent cutscenes, the pacing might feel interrupted.
• Multiplayer seekers: This is a strictly solo, story-driven affair.
• Switch 2 owners with other options: While the port is impressive, the 30fps cap makes the Xbox or PC versions the definitive way to play.

Ready to play? If you’re on Game Pass, it’s been in the library since day one: just download it. If your sub has lapsed, a 1-month Game Pass Ultimate key on Eneba is the cheapest way to jump back in. 

For those buying outright, grabbing a Steam key on Eneba will almost always beat the direct store pricing. Even PS5 players are covered with a comparable visual experience and Pro support.

Ultimately, as this Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review has shown, MachineGames understood exactly what this IP needed and delivered it. If this is the direction the franchise is headed, Indy’s future in gaming looks just as iconic as his past in film.