Video games based on film franchises like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle had a bad rap when I was a kid. They were cynical cashgrabs that were almost universally awful, usually acting as direct tie-ins or retellings of the movies themselves.
Somewhere in the last 10-15 years that changed though, and we now get a steady string of games that not only respect their origins but are often bloody good fun too. Personal highlights include Alien Isolation and Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order/Jedi Survivor, but if I was to pick a single game that feels like it could slot right into the film franchise it’s based on, it’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. MachineGames has done a marvellous job of creating something that feels so authentically Indy, and now you can play it on the go.
After a truly iconic opening section that put a big smile on my face as I replayed it on Switch 2, you’re pulled into a globetrotting adventure that spans 3 large hub areas full of stories, mysteries and Nazis to duff up. It’s hard to pin down a genre for the game as you’ll be punching Nazis, swinging through ruins using your trusty whip, sneaking past guards and following leads to complete investigations. It’s a real melting pot of ideas, but a pot where they all come together to form something cohesive that somehow feels exactly how you’d want an Indy game to feel. If you’re interested in more about the game itself then Mick wrote a full Indiana Jones and The Great Circle review last year.
If you’re wondering how a game with exceptional performance and visual fidelity on Xbox and PS5 fares on the comparatively dinky Switch 2, I’m pleased to say that it’s pretty good! You’re obviously getting lower quality visuals but it’s still a looker. The game is packed full of detail and locations that scream Indy, and while it’s required a downgrade to run on the Switch 2, it’s by no means bad and it’s yet another example of a game that I didn’t think would be playable on the console. Foliage looks a little flat compared to other versions, which put a minor dampener on that opening sequence, but exploring the large Vatican City area on a handheld console was a real treat.
30fps in a first person game is usually a no-no for me, and when playing docked on the big screen it’s definitely not something I’d want to play. It’s far more tolerable in handheld mode though and after 15 mins of play I was able to largely ignore the lower framerate. Even in some of the more hectic fistfights it never felt uncomfortable for me, and transitioning into third person for climbing still worked well on the smaller scale. That said, the game’s frequent autosave function seemed to impact performance and would tank the framerate. It would only last a few seconds but when the game autosaves this regularly it was happening enough for it to be noticeable, and a bit annoying when you’re trying to batter a Nazi or clamber up a building.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Switch 2 is another miracle port for the console. Gone are the days of playing third party games on a Nintendo console and feeling like you’re getting a sub-par experience. Despite some necessary concessions, this is a good port of a great game and you’ll enjoy your time with Indy here as much as you would anywhere else.
