Indiana Jones PS5 Review – Is Great Circle Worth Your Time?

#ad Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Standard (PS5)

When it was first announced, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Standard had a tough task ahead. Living up to the legacy of one of cinema’s most iconic adventurers, while also carving out a meaningful space in the modern gaming landscape, was never going to be simple. The PlayStation 5 version arrives with a great deal of expectation, and while it doesn't reinvent the wheel, it delivers a pulpy, engaging experience that fans of the franchise will relish. That said, there are a few bumps along the way.

At its heart, The Great Circle Standard is a love letter to classic action-adventure. The game captures the essence of Indiana Jones – the dusty tombs, ancient puzzles, narrow escapes, and witty one-liners – and translates it into a tightly-paced third-person action experience. It doesn’t try to be overly ambitious, and that restraint is what often works in its favour. Instead of bloating the game with unnecessary systems, it keeps the focus on storytelling, exploration, and a healthy dose of Nazi-punching.

Presentation and Atmosphere

Visually, the game is a treat. While not the absolute peak of what the PS5 can offer, it does a splendid job with lighting and environment design. From shadowy jungles and ancient temples to bustling 1930s cities and icy mountaintops, every location feels distinct and lived-in. The lighting plays a key role in building tension, especially in the darker tomb sequences, where flickering torches and ominous shadows lend a cinematic quality to the proceedings.

Voice acting is solid throughout. The actor stepping into Indy’s fedora does a commendable job – he doesn’t attempt a full-on Harrison Ford impersonation, but captures the right balance of charm, gruffness and weariness. Supporting characters range from genuinely likeable allies to hissable villains, with the game leaning heavily into the old-school serial feel. The music, too, works wonders. While it riffs on John Williams’ legendary themes rather than lifting them directly, the score feels entirely at home in this world of whips and relics.

Gameplay: Familiar but Fun

Mechanically, The Great Circle Standard doesn’t break much new ground, but it executes its ideas with confidence. You’ve got your standard mix of platforming, light puzzle-solving, stealth, and combat. The platforming is smooth and intuitive, with Indy able to clamber, swing, and shimmy across precarious ruins with a decent degree of control. It borrows a page from the Uncharted playbook here, but keeps the movement slightly more grounded – no miraculous fingertip grabs at the last second.

Combat is a mix of fist-fighting and gunplay, though the game clearly favours the former. Indy’s fists get a workout, and the melee system is satisfyingly weighty. There’s a rhythm to the punches, dodges, and counters, and while it’s not as deep as a dedicated brawler, it does the job well. Gunplay is a bit less refined, but considering Indy’s reluctance to shoot first (unless it’s against Nazis, naturally), it fits thematically. The whip is a highlight – used for both traversal and combat, it adds flair and utility, letting you disarm enemies or yank them into traps.

Puzzles are sprinkled throughout and strike a decent balance between challenging and accessible. They won’t leave you stumped for hours, but they do require a bit of observation and logic. What’s impressive is how seamlessly they’re integrated into the environments. Instead of feeling like roadblocks, they feel like natural extensions of the spaces you explore.

Narrative and Pacing

The story is exactly what you'd hope for from an Indiana Jones adventure. Set between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, it sees Indy drawn into a globe-trotting mystery involving ancient civilisations, powerful relics, and, of course, a sinister Nazi plot. The titular "Great Circle" is tied to a secret ancient network believed to hold immense power – and naturally, both sides want to unlock its secrets.

What elevates the plot is its pacing. The game keeps things moving briskly, never lingering too long in one location or letting any one mechanic overstay its welcome. One moment you’re dodging traps in a Mayan tomb, the next you’re engaging in a high-speed chase on a motorbike through Berlin, or deciphering clues in a smoky library. There’s a clear love for variety, and while some transitions can feel abrupt, the sense of adventure is ever-present.

Character development is modest but effective. Indy is, of course, the centrepiece – sardonic, stubborn, and just a little bit broken. His relationships with supporting characters (a brave archaeologist companion, a morally grey informant, and an old flame) offer enough emotional grounding without becoming melodramatic. The villains, on the other hand, are deliciously over-the-top. The lead antagonist is a perfectly punchable, monologuing Nazi occultist, complete with a fascination for esoteric history and a taste for theatrical cruelty.

PS5 Performance

The game runs well on PS5, with only a few minor hiccups. Load times are pleasantly short thanks to the SSD, and the frame rate holds steady in most situations, with performance mode offering a reliable 60fps. Fidelity mode does add some visual polish, especially in lighting and reflections, but it’s the performance that gives the gameplay a smoother edge.

DualSense support is a nice touch. You can feel the tension when swinging across gaps or reeling in your whip, and the adaptive triggers give a bit more presence to gunfire and climbing. It’s not overdone, but it adds an extra layer of immersion that’s appreciated.

That said, the game isn’t without its bugs. I encountered a couple of physics oddities – a body flying off into the air after a punch, or Indy getting momentarily stuck on geometry. Nothing game-breaking, and likely to be patched, but they do remind you this isn’t a AAA juggernaut in terms of polish.

Where It Falls Short

As enjoyable as it is, The Great Circle Standard doesn’t do much to innovate. Its structure – alternating between puzzles, fights, and cutscenes – is well-trodden. If you’ve played any recent action-adventure title, you’ll know what to expect here. It also leans heavily on nostalgia, which may not appeal to players without a soft spot for the character.

The enemy AI can be a bit dim, particularly during stealth sections. Guards often fail to notice Indy crouching in plain sight or react sluggishly when spotting bodies. Likewise, while the environments are gorgeous, they’re not particularly interactive. You can’t experiment or approach challenges in varied ways; everything has a "right" solution.

Some side content or optional exploration could have enriched the experience, but the game keeps things fairly linear. This tight focus works in terms of story pacing, but also limits replayability. Once the credits roll, there’s little incentive to return beyond hunting a few collectables.

Final Thoughts

#ad Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Standard on PS5 doesn’t redefine the genre, nor does it need to. What it offers is a consistently entertaining, tightly-crafted adventure that plays to its strengths – atmosphere, character, and a sense of cinematic excitement. It’s not the most innovative title you’ll play this year, but it’s one of the most fun.

For fans of the franchise, it’s a dream come true: an authentic Indiana Jones experience, filled with heart-pounding moments, ancient secrets, and just the right amount of cheese. For everyone else, it’s still a solid, enjoyable ride – the kind of game that reminds you why you fell in love with action-adventure in the first place.

It may not quite crack the whip with the precision of Uncharted or the depth of Tomb Raider, but The Great Circle Standard delivers where it counts – in charm, excitement, and good old-fashioned fun.

Score: 8/10 – A rollicking adventure with heart and grit, occasionally clumsy but always entertaining.

 

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