Indiana Jones adventure games were a foundational part of my gaming DNA growing up. From The Fate of Atlantis to The Emperor’s Tomb—and yes, even both of the LEGO games—Indy has always held a special place in my gaming journey. As we touched upon in our initial review of the game, it was incredibly exciting to see a massive single-player blockbuster release for modern platforms. Now, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has cracked its whip onto the Nintendo Switch 2.
Developed by Machine Games under the Bethesda umbrella, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a grand, globe-trotting adventure that perfectly harkens back to the original stories. It’s been a few years since the last Uncharted and Tomb Raider games, so it’s refreshing to see the O.G. back front and centre. It’s not just the characters and memorable moments from the film; the narrative brilliantly incorporates puzzle-solving, sneak attacks, and bombastic action, easily making it one of the best action/adventure games out there.
Keep in mind, we have reviewed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on both the Xbox Series X/S at launch and later again on the PlayStation 5, and while we aim to talk about this running on the Switch 2 as much as possible, we will retread some familiar ground here.
Hat? Check. Whip? You Bet.
Choosing a first-person perspective over the traditional third-person view of games like Tomb Raider or Uncharted is a bold choice, but one that truly pays off. Emerging from an underground tomb to see the pyramids in all their splendour feels incredibly grand, and getting hands-on with the puzzles, even something as simple as unlocking a door with a key, is much more immersive from this viewpoint, and this is only accentuated by the immersive controls on the Nintendo Switch 2 system.
The story starts by delivering every fan’s ultimate fantasy: a tutorial set during the jungle temple discovery from Raiders of the Lost Ark, complete with swapping the golden idol and outrunning a giant boulder. From there, you jump into the main narrative, exploring the rich history of Connecticut’s Marshall College, going undercover as a priest in Vatican City, and slinking through Nazi dig sites in Egypt along sandy pyramids and camps.
The environments are bolstered by absolute stellar performances. Troy Baker’s motion-capture performance brings all the trademarks of the Indy we know and love, while offering something more nuanced over the 20-hour runtime. Mario Gavrilis is equally fantastic as the evil Nazi archaeologist Emmerich Voss, providing a formidable villain willing to go toe-to-toe with our favourite whip-cracking professor.
Running on Nintendo’s Newest Hardware
The short answer: it’s a tale of two ways to play. The game looks absolutely amazing in handheld mode; the Switch 2 screen truly shines in this game, making the rich environments pop beautifully. While it may not be the most cinematic way to play, you can play it on the go, and I found myself settling into bed in the cold that has come across Melbourne and enjoying a dose of Indiana Jones.
The game consistently runs at 30fps for the most part, and the fact that it can achieve this is a huge leap forward for Nintendo and the Switch 2 console. In terms of resolution, it targets 1080p in docked mode and 720p in handheld, with the upscaling kicking in here to make it more beautiful.
In the opening hour of the game, particularly in the museum area, there is even some ray-tracing in the university area; it may be the upscaling doing its thing on overdrive, but it had that beautiful and impressive effect. Would we have loved a super high resolution and a higher frame rate? Sure, but how much can we possibly ask for on a console this size? The game is so incredibly beautiful and immerses you so much that any of these concerns really fall away.
However, things look notably less good in docked mode. The glaring drop in performance and quality is noticeable when it moves to the big screen, accompanied by increased stuttering that pulls you out of the immersion. This expands to the loading times when you first boot the game and continue; there is a noticeable stutter from the other versions for it to get started. It’s nothing too crazy, but definitely noticeable and a step down from the more powerful consoles.
The game doesn’t come with the Order of the Giants DLC, but it can also be purchased with the game, which also includes Indy’s iconic Temple of Doom outfit; rather essential for recreating iconic moments from the film series.
Thankfully mouse and gyro controls have been added, for more precise puzzle-solving and aiming.
Final Thoughts
Despite the docked performance hiccups and control omissions, having a blockbuster Indiana Jones game of this calibre playable in the palm of your hands is a triumph. It’s a beautifully written, nostalgic return to that old-school Hollywood feel, packaged into a highly enjoyable portable adventure.
When a game’s story and controls are this good, it completely immerses you in it, and any of the shortcomings due to system limitations fall away. It truly is a gaming miracle that this game runs and looks this good on the Nintendo Switch 2 system, and it is a must-have for fans of the game on other consoles and a great introduction point if you missed it.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Fantastic narrative and voice performances; Engaging gameplay and plenty of unique puzzles to solve; Slick visuals; Numerous locations to explore; Can finally take on the go with the NS2 console
Lowlights: Melee combat gets a bit confusing when multiple enemies are involved; Locked 30fps mode
Developer: Machine Games
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC, Nintendo Switch 2
Available: Now
Review conducted on Nintendo Switch 2 with a pre-release code provided by the publisher.
Header image provided by the publisher; other images are in-game screenshots captured by the author.
