Indiana Jones and the large circle were released on Xbox Series X and Series S late last year, and was one of the best games of 2024. It may have taken several months, but PlayStation 5 owners are finally able to use this experience with a new visual upgrade for PlayStation 5 Pro owners.
This review will be a little short this time. This is because I’ve reviewed this at the time of release. That review is still in almost every respect and we really aim to highlight the upgrades and improvements of the new platform in this review.
Indiana Jones and the large circle are simply one of the best Indiana Jones-related properties since the film’s original trilogy. With visceral combat, clever puzzles and fascinating stories, it’s a trip you shouldn’t miss. The PlayStation 5 version may not justify its existence if you already play or own the Xbox version, but if you weren’t on board, you actually didn’t have a better time.
Check out our full detailed review of Indiana Jones and the Big Circle.
Good luck and glory
That being said, I will do my best here to put together some important highlights of the experience. For those who want to skip this and focus on upgrading your PS5 and PS5 Pro, go further to the “Appearance” section of the review.
In 1937, held between the events of the Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Last Crusades, Indy finds herself chasing a mysterious man in search of stolen relics. Without doing too much, this pursuit essentially leads him through the path of hidden order, undeveloped powers and special bonds that connect the world’s biggest landmarks to one singular line around the world.
Without a memorable support character, instead of an Indiana Jones adventure, Ginetta “Gina” Lombardi rides in search of his late sister. The moments and conversations shared between Indy and Gina are generally moving, heartfelt, and approaching this pursuit from an incredibly different angle, but come together at times when it matters to create a well-acted conversation and an incredible action set piece.
I also have to state here for the record of actor Troy Baker’s performance as an indie. I lost the number of times that young Harrison Ford thought he was in the booth. As far as impersonation goes, when it comes to breathing new life into these old characters, it gives a lot of perspective. Still, labeling this as impersonating will harm Baker’s performance, adding his unique charm, while still loyal to the characters we know and beloved.
Break that whip
In most cases, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle divide the gameplay into three sections: combat, stealth and puzzle solved.
In combat, you will usually see them robbing them with bare hands or melee weapons, such as tools found in the environment, frying pans, and even throwable weapons. The left and right fists can be controlled by left and right triggers, and both the L2 and R2 of the Dualsense controllers utilize tactile feedback. It’s a shame the whip won’t receive this treatment as it’s not restrained by the trigger, but it’s not necessarily an escapee.
There is no hand-to-hand combat to take on multiple enemies. That makes sense for the character, but things feel a little clunky when you’re trying to block one enemy and counter second to counter them to trip up or disarm a third.
Indy can also use his Trsuty Revovlker, find him in Ebnealment, remote wepaons like machine guns and rifles taken from fallen Nazi soldiers, but it does not produce enough noise.
Stealth is usually the path to go, helping to thin the crowd when you have to hit an enemy or two beyond your mouth. Raw or hide space still creates a significant amount of tension, but considering how many melee weapons you encounter, in contrast to ranged weapons, it’s always easier to see in the long run.
When you’re not secretly punching your face, you need to solve various puzzles and go through some interesting environments to allow the camera to switch to third person. They aren’t necessarily difficult, but they’re enough brain scratchers to make you feel smarter without dragging the overall pace. Some are certainly more tricky than others, but generally there is a considerable amount of context in Indy’s diary, and you can refer to it. The game can also give a pointer if you’re stuck too long.
Finally, you can use your camera to take photos of various landmarks and items of interest, and collect valuables in the wild to help you earn adventure points. These points can be spent on upgrades to Indy’s abilities, even if players need to find a specific book to which they can purchase that upgrade.
Please look at the parts
Even on a standard PS5, this game looks incredible. Like the Xbox Series X version, players get one of the good looking games, even on the PS5. The frame rate is stable and feels like a layup in terms of what the actual base PS5 can do, except for the weird texture pop-in.
However, unlike the Xbox Series X or series version of the game, PS5 Pro users will get a little more in the graphics department. First, instead of asking the game to choose between performance mode and fidelity mode, it simply launches at native 4K resolution. As a result, things don’t only look sharper, but are packed with more detail thanks to the addition of Advanced Ray Tracing, which is also available on the standard PS5.
That being said, the extra levels of detail from a sharper resolution combined with the same 60 fps in almost all situations is a great way to play the game and rival that of a high-end PC build. Similarly, I have to praise this for running what it looks like on the standard PS5, and even the Series X.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Indiana Jones and the Big Circle are one of the best adventure games in recent memory, one of the best looking games on the PS5, and are sharper and more detailed on the PS5 Pro.
While it’s not often added to the core experience of those who play or own games on an Xbox or PC, we recommend jumping for an incredible adventure to anyone who owns, or has access to, or has not yet played the game.
5 stars (out of 5)
Highlights: Amazing story and voice performance. Attractive gameplay and lots of unique puzzles to solve. Smooth visuals; numerous locations to explore
Low Light: Melee combat is a bit confusing when multiple enemies are involved. It looks even sharper on the PS5 Pro thanks to its native 4K resolution.
Developer: Machine Games
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/s, Windows PC, Game Pass
Available: Now
Reviews conducted on PlayStation 5 are conducted using pre-release code provided by the publisher.
