Just one day after its early access launch,Indiana Jones and the Great Circlehas already broken a major Xbox record. Released on December 5 for Xbox and PC,The Great Circleis the first game to star Indiana Jones in over a decade, andthe first real movie tie-ingame of this console generation. Starring Indy on an original globetrotting adventure, it features stealth and combat against rival archeologists, exploration of ancient ruins and historic sites, and brain-teasing puzzles surrounding long-lost artifacts. It’s alreadygarnered largely positive reviews, with critics focusing on its immersion and similarity to the films.
Those reviews have propelledIndiana Jones and the Great Circleto the status of highest-rated Xbox console exclusive of 2024, according toMetacritic. At the time of writing, it’s sitting pretty at an 86 Metascore on consoles, and an 87 on PC, beating out other Xbox/PC exclusives and games put out by Microsoft-owned companies this year.
Indiana Jones Has Bested Other Xbox Exclusives
STALKER 2, Flight Sim, & Hellblade Can’t Compare
Indiana Joneshas beaten out various other major releases this year to claim the title of highest-rated Xbox game of the year. In most recent memory isSTALKER 2, which came out just a few weeks agoto mixed reviewsthat netted it a 73 onMetacritic. Although series fans loved the way it captured the original games' unapologetic difficulty and oppressive atmosphere,its technical issues were too much for some to bear. Major features, including its ostensibly advanced enemy AI, were dead on arrival. Although a plethora of post-launch patches (sometimes multiple in one week) have gone a long way in resolving these issues, the damage is already done.
STALKER 2’s Approach To Bug Fixes Shows The Industry Is Finally Improving
GSC Game World’s approach to fixing STALKER 2’s bugs and issues has not only impressed fans but is illustrative of the fact the industry is improving.
Launching just one day beforeSTALKER 2, Xbox also gotMicrosoft Flight Simulator 2024this year, which has a slightly higherMetascoreat 78. Similarly toSTALKER 2, fans of previousFlight Simgames loved the 2024 edition for its increased realism, brand-new career mode, andwider-than-ever variety of aircraft. Butit was widely criticized for its unstable performance and barrages of bugs, which interrupted its characteristic immersion, and failed to propel it overFlight Simulator 2020. Again, things have improved in updates since launch, but reviews are final.
A little earlier this year, we gotSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, a sequel to 2017’sHellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. An action-adventure duology, theHellbladegames follow titular character Senua as she fights Norse mythological creatures and hostile humans alike.Hellblade 2was widely well received, with most critics holding that it successfully developed the premise of the first game into an excellent sequel. However,criticism focused on its relatively short length:Hellblade 2ran a maximum of ten hours, but was priced at $69.99 USD on launch, which many felt didn’t match its $50 price tag. This earned it an 81 onMetacritic.
Although the firstHellbladewas a PlayStation exclusive, its sequel is only available on Xbox and PC.
Indiana Joneshas its issues, too, but apparently, they weren’t severe enough to dock its Metascore. Criticism of it mainly focuses on its long and frequent cutscenes, which many admittedly expected due to its heavy focus on story. Performance issues are present, though perhaps not as game-breaking as inSTALKER 2orMicrosoft Flight Sim. Critical consensus seems to hold thatit’s a faithful - but more importantly, fun - adaptation of the beloved film series, and that’s all anyone ever demanded of it.
Our Take: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Could Be The Start Of Something Great
More Indy On Xbox, Please
Although I’ve only been able to invest a short amount of time inThe Great Circlethus far,I’m happy to take critics at their word. I can already tell that it’s exactly what I wanted out of a modernIndiana Jonesgame: beautiful historical vistas, mild yet satisfying puzzles, and gleeful slapstick combat. Performance issues are manageable (and I suspect they’ll get better after a few updates), and I have no issue with sitting through long cutscenes - I’m aMetal Gearfan, after all. I’m also thrilled to see such a major property available on Game Pass.
Could Indiana Jones & The Great Circle End The Lucasfilm Games Curse?
If what’s been seen so far is anything to go by, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could be what Lucasfilm Games needs after some disappointments.
I’d love for this game’s success to be the start of a longer series of Xbox/PC games - and if they eventually came to PS5, too, all the better. There’s room for any number of Indy adventures set before, between, or even within the movies. With the film series in dire straits, fans are eager for any kind of Indy content, and the interactivity of the video game medium could propel the series to new heights. I’m secretly hoping forIndiana Jones and the Great Circleto become Xbox’sUncharted, and the first game makes a good case for its potential.
Sources: Metacritic (1,2,3,4)
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a first-person action-adventure game developed by the creative team at MachineGames. Set in 1937 between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, players take on the role of the titular globe-trotting adventurer/archaeology professor Dr. Indiana Jones, as he races across the world to stop a dangerous organization from utilizing the power of the mystical Great Circle.
