Although Indiana Jones and the Great Circle had a solid showing during the 2024 Xbox Developer Direct, many were highly skeptical about it for a few reasons. The game's developer, MachineGames, didn't have any experience making high-octane, movie tie-in games back then, and its most recent release at the time, the 2019 co-op shooter Wolfenstein: Youngblood, was panned critically. In addition to all of this, a lot of gamers simply weren't pleased with the direction the studio had taken with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Rather than making a third-person Uncharted-style action-adventure game, as most had expected, MachineGames decided to create a slower-paced, first-person title instead.
Despite many of the concerns surrounding it, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle wowed critics when it was eventually released in December 2024. The game received near-universal praise from both media outlets and diehard Indiana Jones fans, with some even going so far as to label it a Game of the Year contender. There was, however, one small issue with the game: it was only available on Xbox Series X/S and PC at launch, so PlayStation players couldn't enjoy it at the same time as everyone else. If MachineGames ever does decide to make a sequel to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, it should aim to make it available on all platforms on day-one.
Phil Spencer Comments on Xbox First-Party Games Coming to Other Platforms
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer explains the reason behind Xbox porting its first-party games to PlayStation and Nintendo.
An Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Sequel Should Be Fully Multiplatform
Indiana Jones Was Originally Going to Be on PS5 on Day-One, Until Microsoft Stepped In
Originally, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle was going to be released simultaneously across all current-gen consoles, including the PlayStation 5, but after MachineGames and its parent company, Bethesda Softwarks, were acquired by Microsoft in 2021, things changed. As was revealed during the 2023 Activision-Blizzard court case, Microsoft renegotiated Bethesda's contract with Lucasfilm and Disney to make Indiana Jones and the Great Circle a permanent Xbox console exclusive. At the time, this didn't seem unusual, considering Microsoft had previously expressed its intent to make most, if not all, Bethesda-published games exclusive to platforms where Game Pass exists.
Many Future Microsoft Games Are Coming to PS5 Day-and-Date, So an Indy Sequel Could as Well
Since the completion of the Activision Blizzard acquisition in 2023, however, Microsoft has had a change of heart regarding Xbox console exclusivity. In early 2024, the company announced that it was bringing four of its games over to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. Then, during Gamescom that year, it also revealed that the once-Xbox exclusive Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would be coming to PlayStation 5 in Spring 2025, just a few months after its release on Xbox Series X/S and Windows PCs.
Given Microsoft's surprise decision to bring Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to PS5, it appears that the company is aiming to make its games available on as many platforms as possible, rather than releasing them exclusively on certain consoles. Lately, Microsoft has announced several first-party titles that it plans to release on PS5 day-and-date, such as Ninja Gaiden 4, Doom: The Dark Ages, and The Outer Worlds 2. This may be a sign that a hypothetical Indiana Jones sequel will be launched on all consoles simultaneously, as well.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's Brief Xbox Exclusivity Isn't Beneficial for MS or Gamers
It wouldn't make much sense for Microsoft to apply the same release strategy it used with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to its future first-party titles. Making a game like Indiana Jones exclusive to Xbox platforms for only a few months doesn't provide a compelling enough reason to buy an Xbox console, and not releasing it on all platforms simultaneously can harm its possible sales revenue. That's why bringing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's potential sequel to PlayStation 5 and even the Nintendo Switch 2 on day-one would probably be a smart decision, from both a consumer and business perspective.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- December 9, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- MachineGames
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
- Engine
- id Tech 7
- Franchise
- Indiana Jones
- Number of Players
- 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them - Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.
YOU ARE INDIANA JONES
Live the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.
A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITS
Travel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.
WHIP-CRACKING ACTION
Indiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.
THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY
Venture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps,and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- December 9, 2024
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- December 9, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- April 17, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 14 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 134 GB (December 2024)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
