Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review PS5

“A whip-cracking, globe-trotting adventure that captures the true spirit of Indiana Jones.” - Shaun M Jooste, CEP

Operating System: PS5

Application Category: Game

Editor's Rating:
4.8

Welcome to my Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review for PS5, a journey packed with ancient secrets, Nazi-smashing brawls, and that unmistakable whip-crack we all know and love. Developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks, this action-adventure title swings onto the PlayStation 5 with all the cinematic flair you’d expect from the world’s most iconic archaeologist. It was officially released on 17 April 2025 for PS5.

In this PS5 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review, I’ll break down the story, gameplay mechanics, visual and audio elements, and how the game holds up in both stealth and action moments. If you’re wondering whether The Great Circle captures the magic of the films while delivering satisfying gameplay, you’re in the right place.

So grab your fedora, dust off your relics, and let’s dive into this whip-cracking adventure!

Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this product from Bethesda Game Studios. Still, this review is based on my personal experience of the game and is not impacted by the gift.

Contents hide

1 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review PS5

2 Story Review | Globetrotting Danger and Ancient Mysteries

3 Gameplay Review | Whips, Puzzles, and Nazi-Punching Action

4 Audio-Visual Review | Classic Cinema Meets Next-Gen Polish

5 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review PS5: Final Verdict

6 Enjoy Our Captivating Stories!

Story Review | Globetrotting Danger and Ancient Mysteries

When it comes to cinematic storytelling in games, the action-adventure title delivers a full-throttle narrative worthy of the franchise’s legacy. In this part of my Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review for PS5, we’ll explore how the story unfolds across continents, examine the characters you meet along the way, and unpack how the plot ties into the series’ signature blend of myth, mystery, and pulp action.

A Theft That Sparks the Chase

The adventure begins at none other than Marshall College, where a stolen artefact hints at something far greater than a mere museum heist. This inciting event quickly launches Indy on a trail of ancient clues tied to the mysterious “Great Circle”, a concept rooted in real-world mythology and arcane astronomy. From the get-go, the tone is pitch-perfect: Nazi antagonists, shadowy academic rivals, and ancient secrets are all in play, setting up the kind of perilous, globe-trotting plot fans of the franchise expect.

The writing is fast-paced without feeling rushed, and the pacing is helped by cinematic transitions that keep the action rolling from one set piece to the next. You’re not just playing a game: you’re starring in your own Indy film.

Travel the World, Unearth the Past

This isn’t your average linear action story. The Great Circle takes players from war-era Rome to the ruins of Sukhothai, through Egyptian temples and snow-covered Himalayan peaks. Each location presents its own mystery, atmosphere, and cultural depth, with puzzles and historical clues that tie beautifully into the larger narrative.

You’re constantly decoding riddles, solving ancient mechanisms, or racing to beat your enemies to the next piece of the puzzle. The game leans into historical fiction in all the right ways, blending real-world legends with just enough supernatural intrigue to keep things thrilling without going full fantasy.

Characters With Purpose

Indiana Jones is, of course, the star of the show: sharp-witted, brave, and constantly caught between intellect and instinct. His character has been faithfully adapted here, with great writing and voice acting that bring the legend to life. But what truly strengthens the story are the supporting characters.

New allies feel like authentic additions to Indy’s world, each with distinct motives, strengths, and flaws. Enemies are more than moustache-twirling caricatures; some even blur the lines between good and evil. The relationships you build (and break) add emotional weight to the unfolding drama, grounding this epic in something deeply human.

A Mix of Main Quests and Side Paths Worth Exploring

While the main storyline in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle drives you forward with a strong cinematic focus, it wouldn’t feel like a proper Bethesda-backed adventure without a few detours along the way. True to form, the game includes several optional objectives and side quests that add meaningful layers to the experience, both in terms of world-building and gameplay variety.

These side missions aren’t just filler. Whether you’re helping locals uncover forgotten tombs, piecing together fragmented legends, or unravelling smaller mysteries linked to the Great Circle itself, they each feel like self-contained adventures. They reminded me of the side content in titles like Dishonored or even Wolfenstein: The New Order: rich in detail, full of narrative flavour, and always rewarding.

Some are hidden behind exploration challenges, requiring a keen eye for environmental clues and clever use of Indy’s tools. Others are dialogue-driven, offering choices that subtly reflect Indy’s dual nature as both a scholar and a rogue. The variety helps break up the pacing of the main campaign while rewarding curiosity, much like you’d expect from other games in Bethesda’s action-adventure stable.

If you’re the kind of player who loves diving into lore, solving extra puzzles, or just seeing how far the map can stretch, these optional threads offer a satisfying bonus to an already strong story.

How Long to Play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5?

The main story in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will take around 12 to 15 hours to complete, depending on your playstyle. If you take time to explore every hidden room, decipher all the puzzles, and chase collectibles, you can easily stretch it to 20 hours or more.

It’s a tightly packed campaign that avoids filler content, offering just the right balance between story progression, exploration, and action.

Final Thoughts on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle PS5 Story

To wrap up this story portion of my Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review, it’s safe to say the game absolutely nails the tone and pacing of a true Indy adventure. The mix of historical mystery, personal stakes, and pulse-pounding danger keeps you fully engaged from start to finish.

With memorable characters, exotic locations, and a plot that could easily rival one of the films, this is an action-adventure story done right, and one that truly shines on the PS5.

Gameplay Review | Whips, Puzzles, and Nazi-Punching Action

In this section of my Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review for PS5, we’re diving into the gameplay mechanics that bring this action-adventure to life. From whip-driven traversal and combat to ancient puzzles and stealth segments, the game offers a varied and immersive experience.

Learning How to Play: Smart, Contextual Tutorials

One of the standout features in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is how well it teaches you the ropes without holding your hand too tightly. Instead of frontloading a bunch of tutorials or overwhelming you with button prompts, the game introduces new mechanics organically, right at the moment you need them.

For example, the first time you’re expected to use Indy’s whip to swing across a gap, the game pauses briefly to explain it, then lets you try it in a low-risk setting. The same goes for stealth, object inspection, and puzzle mechanics. Each tutorial is brief, intuitive, and always tied directly to a gameplay moment or story beat.

This contextual learning keeps the pace fluid and immersive, especially for PS5 players who might not be familiar with older-style adventure mechanics. You’re always learning, but you never feel like the game is dragging you through a checklist. It’s smart game design that respects your intelligence while ensuring you’re never left behind.

Whip Combat and Melee Feel Just Right

Let’s start with the most important thing: yes, the whip feels fantastic. Whether you’re pulling weapons from enemies, triggering levers from afar, or cracking it to stun attackers mid-fight, it’s more than a gimmick: it’s a core mechanic. Combat blends melee punches and grabs with reactive whip moves and limited gunplay, and it feels like a seamless, cinematic brawl every time.

There’s real satisfaction in using the environment to your advantage, smashing enemies into walls, knocking crates onto heads, or finishing off Nazis with a classic Indy uppercut. The PS5’s DualSense controller gives some added texture here too, with just the right amount of haptic feedback when things get intense.

Puzzle Solving is Classic Indy

Puzzles are another strong suit. They range from deciphering ancient codes and rotating stone mechanisms to environmental logic puzzles that test observation and memory. What makes them stand out is how naturally they’re integrated into the world; you’ll often solve something as part of a tomb escape or artefact hunt rather than being pulled into a disconnected puzzle room.

Some puzzles are straightforward, others devilishly tricky, but none of them feel unfair. And yes, there are times you’ll feel like a proper archaeologist, brushing away layers of dust to find a clue that ties the entire plot together. These moments are peak Indiana Jones.

Stealth, Exploration, and Player Choice

Though it’s built around action, The Great Circle doesn’t force you into constant combat. There are dedicated stealth segments where sneaking through enemy camps or outposts becomes the smarter approach, and the game encourages you to think before swinging fists.

Level design often supports multiple approaches: do you climb the scaffolding and drop down silently, or cause a distraction and punch your way through? This variety gives the gameplay room to breathe and keeps the experience feeling dynamic.

A Beautiful, Dangerous World to Traverse

Exploration is both rewarding and occasionally frustrating. On the one hand, the level design is fantastic: diverse, vertical, and filled with hidden secrets and collectable relics. You’ll travel across dense jungles, sun-scorched ruins, and icy caverns, each with unique traversal challenges. Indy’s movement is smooth, and climbing, jumping, and swinging all feel great.

That said, navigating to main or side objectives can sometimes be confusing. The game occasionally lacks clear visual guidance on how to get where you need to be, leaving you unsure of where to go next. While it adds to the “figure-it-out-yourself” charm for some, others may find it interrupts the pacing. I certainly got lost a few times, which can be fun but also frustrating at times.

Immersive Mechanics and Next-Gen Polish

What really makes Indiana Jones and the Great Circle shine on PS5 is how polished the overall gameplay loop is. The combat is tight, puzzles are clever, and the mix of stealth, exploration, and action keeps things from ever feeling repetitive. There’s also just the right amount of in-world interactions, reading documents, inspecting artefacts, rotating objects, all of which add that extra layer of realism and archaeological authenticity.

The game is also optimised wonderfully for PS5: load times are fast, environments are highly detailed, and the transitions between cutscenes and gameplay are buttery smooth. Whether in action or downtime, the experience always feels premium.

How Easy is it to Play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5?

Overall, the game is easy to pick up and enjoy on PS5, especially for players familiar with third-person action-adventure titles. Controls are responsive, combat and exploration tutorials are helpful without being intrusive, and the whip mechanics are a joy once you get the rhythm down.

However, as mentioned earlier, navigating your way to objectives could use better signposting. While it adds a touch of realism and encourages exploration, it can occasionally become a hindrance, particularly in more complex environments or darker settings.

Final Thoughts on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review Gameplay Elements

In terms of gameplay, The Great Circle delivers a fantastic mix of puzzle-solving, combat, stealth, and exploration: all the ingredients of a classic Indy adventure. The whip is more than just a fun trick, and the way all the mechanics come together makes for a deeply satisfying action-adventure experience on PS5.

Audio-Visual Review | Classic Cinema Meets Next-Gen Polish

In this part of my Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review for PS5, we’ll look at how the visuals and sound combine to deliver a truly cinematic experience. For a game built on the legacy of one of the most iconic film franchises in history, expectations are sky-high, and I’m happy to report that it absolutely delivers on the audio-visual front.

Cinematic Visuals That Honour the Legacy

From the first cutscene to the final whip crack, The Great Circle looks like a lost Spielberg film remastered for PS5. Every location, from the ruins of Sukhothai to the icy cliffs of the Himalayas, is presented with stunning environmental detail, sharp textures, and dynamic lighting that highlights the mood and mystery of each setting.

Character models are equally well-crafted, capturing facial expressions, body language, and costume detail with the precision we’ve come to expect from next-gen games. Indiana Jones himself looks fantastic, grizzled, expressive, and iconic, and whether you’re solving a puzzle in torchlight or running from a crumbling ruin, the game constantly serves up moments worthy of a pause-and-screenshot.

Audio That Elevates the Adventure

The sound design in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a masterpiece of subtlety and spectacle. The soundtrack blends familiar orchestral cues reminiscent of John Williams’ themes with fresh arrangements that build tension, awe, and action. Whether you’re sneaking through a tomb or charging into a gunfight, the music supports every beat of the story.

Environmental sounds are richly layered, crackling torches, echoing caves, shuffling footsteps on ancient stone, and add to the immersion. But it’s the voice acting that truly elevates the experience. Indy’s dialogue is sharp and authentic, while supporting characters are fully voiced with emotion and nuance. It makes every conversation, confrontation, and casual comment feel like part of a living, breathing world.

Smooth Performance on PS5

From a technical standpoint, the game runs incredibly well on PS5. Load times are near-instant, transitions between gameplay and cinematics are seamless, and the overall frame rate holds steady even during chaotic sequences. The added tactile response from the DualSense controller, subtle vibrations when swinging on a whip, slight tension during combat, helps bridge the gap between watching and feeling the adventure.

Lighting effects, dynamic weather, and cinematic camera angles all contribute to the presentation. Whether you’re exploring sunlit jungles or storm-soaked ruins, The Great Circle is one of the most visually refined action-adventure games available on console right now.

Final Thoughts on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review Audio-Visual Elements

Visually and audibly, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle delivers exactly what fans hoped for: a sweeping, cinematic adventure brought to life with next-gen power. The environments are gorgeous, the audio immersive, and the overall polish unmistakable. It feels like you’re not just playing a game; you’re living an Indiana Jones film, and for fans of epic, globe-trotting stories, that’s the ultimate experience.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Review PS5: Final Verdict

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a triumphant return to form for action-adventure games. With whip-cracking gameplay, clever puzzles, breathtaking environments, and a story that captures the spirit of classic Indy films, this PS5 title is everything fans could’ve hoped for and more. MachineGames and Bethesda have crafted a love letter to the franchise while delivering a polished, tightly-paced experience that belongs on every adventurer’s shelf.

Although the lack of clear pathfinding occasionally interrupts the momentum, it’s a small gripe in what is otherwise a cinematic, immersive thrill ride. With unforgettable moments, globe-spanning exploration, and smart design choices, The Great Circle earns a nearly perfect score.

What I Would Like to See in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

While I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the game, one improvement I’d love to see in future updates or sequels is an optional visual aid system, something similar to Elder Scrolls Online’s magical pathfinding effect that shows you the direction of your current quest objective. This wouldn’t need to be active by default, but having the choice would be a helpful accessibility feature for players who, like me, occasionally get turned around in the game’s dense environments.

It would allow those who enjoy solving things on their own to keep the full challenge intact, while also offering smoother pacing for others who’d rather not get stuck trying to find a way forward.

Is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Worth Buying on PS5?

Absolutely. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of the films or just someone who loves cinematic action-adventures, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is well worth adding to your PS5 library. It offers a complete experience, compelling story, dynamic gameplay, top-tier visuals and sound, all wrapped in a polished, well-paced package.

If you’re looking for a tightly crafted, story-driven game that blends exploration, combat, puzzles, and nostalgia, this is one of the strongest titles of 2025 so far.

What Other Games Are Like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5?

If The Great Circle left you wanting more treasure-hunting and puzzle-solving, here are a few PS5 games that offer a similar thrill:

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection: Packed with cinematic action, exotic locations, and witty protagonists.
Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy: Gritty, grounded exploration with ancient ruins and deadly traps.
A Plague Tale: Requiem: For players who love stealth, atmosphere, and emotionally rich storytelling.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage: Offers historical mystery, fluid traversal, and stealth-driven gameplay.

What I Liked and Didn’t Like About Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Pros:

Excellent blend of action, exploration, stealth, and puzzle-solving
Whip mechanics are fun, useful, and central to gameplay
Story and characters feel true to the Indiana Jones legacy
Stunning visuals and immersive sound design on PS5
Smart, contextual tutorials and satisfying quest design
Faithful cinematic tone that keeps you engaged start to finish

Cons:

No optional guidance system for players who prefer clearer direction

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