Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Review (Switch 2)
Summary: If you only own a Nintendo Switch 2, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle is an absolutely must-have. Is it worth buying a second time if you already own the Xbox Series X or PS5 version? Not really, but if you want it to be an excuse to play the entire adventure again, then nobody should blame you for doing so. The Switch 2 version running at 30 frames per second will deflate some, but when you consider the addition of gyroscope functionality, the trade-off is worth it. Overall, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle on Switch 2 is a great Switch 2 game, even if it might be a harder sell for those who've already played it.
4.3
Indy-licious
In 2024 Indiana Jones made his triumphant lasso whipping and sable brown fedora wearing return to console videogames in Indiana Jones And The Great Circle, courtesy of Wolfenstein developers Machine Games. Now you can take this amazing Indy adventure on the go with this new Nintendo Switch 2 port without compromise. Does this Switch 2 version retain everything that made the other console versions a smash hit, or does it belong in the Temple of Doom?
An epic adventure begins for Indiana Jones after returning to his archaeological teaching grounds at Marshall College, where a burly bloke breaks into the hallowed educational grounds and snatches a mummy artefact. It turns out this precious piece of property contains a pretty and prestigious stone that a secret order of Nazis wants their mitts on. Unsurprisingly Indy’s job is to uncover the secrets, follow leads and explore a myriad of puzzle‑laden caves and tombs while partnering up with a well‑to‑do lady journalist who is investigating the whereabouts of her missing sister.
The Great Circle treads familiar ground from the movies, focusing on beating up Nazis, searching for artefacts in sacred locations burrowed within a spread of destinations across the world, and it’s a game where you’re solving puzzles and evading traps in a dramatic and faithful fashion akin to the films. All of this is in the service of placing you in Indy’s signature Alden 405 boots in a wholly immersive cinematic way, where you’re essentially playing a full‑on film entry of the venerable franchise, but it’s a wholly original Indiana Jones title and story instead of the licensed shovelware we were largely accustomed to in the early 2000s.
Of course this review is based on the brand new Switch 2 port, and let’s take a step back and marvel at how much of a miracle it is that a big‑budget and still relatively new triple‑A experience is on the Switch 2, and that you can play it anywhere you like. Compromises have been made to cater for the Switch 2’s less powerful hardware as the game runs at 30 frames per second and, considering its portable existence, it doesn’t run quite as sharply as on consoles. However, despite the technical shortcomings, The Great Circle still retains the vast majority of what makes the console versions brilliant – and that is what truly counts.
A subtle and unique way Indiana Jones And The Great Circle differs from its hulking brethren is through the use of gyroscopic aiming. The motion sensors of Switch 2 allow for a slightly twitchier combat experience as you can snap whips with greater ease and swiftly target enemies with Indy’s firearms. The gyro enhancements may seem minor but they further give you dominion over Indy’s body in ways the Xbox Series X and PS5 versions can’t and they are a worthy trade‑off for the minor technical downgrades. The combat is great and thwonking Nazi skulls with all manner of weaponry feels exacting. Go pick up a sledgehammer or a shovel and you’ll absolutely revel in smashing faces in, and you may even find yourself obsessed.
The first thing to know about this adventure is that it disposes of the third‑person perspective of previous Indy titles, such as Indiana Jones And The Staff of Kings on the Nintendo Wii and Indiana Jones And The Emperor’s Tomb on the PS2, in the service of a first‑person perspective. This change is evolutionary, but not unexpected, as Machine Games are behind this Indy outing so the perspective mimics the Wolfenstein games, but now literally puts you in the shoes of the renowned fictional archaeologist himself. This level of immersion is evident when you pick out keys from Indy’s jacket pockets as you need to manually place the key into the keyhole and turn it, and when you look at the game map it is held within Indy’s hands. Clearly Machine Games want you to feel that you are Indiana Jones in the most authentic way possible and they’ve done a fantastic job here.
On top of the first‑person viewpoint, The Great Circle relishes open‑environment gameplay design, where you can freely roam around the city of Rome, where you can explore Rome in all her glory, as well as Egypt, the Himalayas, Shanghai and Iraq. These locations aren’t open‑world per se, but they are wide‑open areas, like huge zones you can discover to uncover secrets and collectibles. These open levels grant you the freedom to embody the studious Doctor Jones, providing players with breathable and wondrous spaces chock full of tremendous sights and white‑knuckle dramatic moments.
Variety serenades The Great Circle like lyrical majesty. Not only are you carefully treading through ominous tombs while waving around a delicately lit torch to guide your way forward in search of rare ancient relics, you’re solving puzzles and avoiding traps within those tombs, smashing ugly Nazi faces with frying pans, and exploring the Sukhothai region in Thailand and the dangerous swampy lakes where alligator‑like reptilians rove about underwater. There is plenty going on and it’s all excellently aligned with what we’ve come to expect from Indy’s thrilling adventures on the big screen; only this time the quality has translated to the medium of videogames almost seamlessly.
The Great Circle is one of those big epic adventures you’ll want to drink in. You shouldn’t feel obligated to do anything but explore all the areas and settlements you visit during the story. Maybe The Great Circle could’ve made better use of the environments to serve those who just want a laid‑back ride. Sure, stuffing The Great Circle with diversions and asides would derail the focus, but when the sights are so elegant and inviting, you may be left wishing you could play tourist more casually than tucking into active adventuring.
Final Thoughts
If you only own a Nintendo Switch 2, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle is an absolute must‑have. Is it worth buying a second time if you already own the Xbox Series X or PS5 version? Not really, but if you want it to be an excuse to play the entire adventure again, then nobody should blame you for doing so. The Switch 2 version running at 30 frames per second will deflate some, but when you consider the addition of gyroscope functionality, the trade‑off is worth it. Overall, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle on Switch 2 is a great Switch 2 game, even if it might be a harder sell for those who’ve already played it.
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