So, here we are: because of Microsoft’s expanding multi-platform efforts, we’re now in a position where we can provide an official Preview of an upcoming first-party game before it’s even released on Xbox Series X|S. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches for current Xbox systems and PC this December, and will then be ported to PS5 in Spring 2025. It may be a surprising move from the platform holder, but for PlayStation players at least, they’ll already have a very good idea of the title’s overall quality many months in advance thanks to the staggered release.

Wolfenstein developer MachineGames will be hoping to knock it out of the park on the first go, though, and not have to rely on what will essentially be a second launch a few months later. Announced during Gamescom Opening Night Live, we weren’t aware of the PS5 port prior to the show, meaning we couldn’t secure a press appointment away from the showfloor. However, a kind Bethesda PR representative handed us a Fast Pass to attend a public briefing in the Xbox booth on the Saturday. Our impressions of the game are based on that access, but it’s possible more information was shared in the media-only presentation.

Having watched 10 to 15 minutes of gameplay footage — along with following the development of the game in general — Indiana Jones and the Great Circle rightly draws comparisons to Uncharted as it offers a globe-trotting adventure full of combat, puzzles, exploration, charm, and charisma. Much of the discussion surrounding the title has been focused on its perspective: first-person. It makes sense for a MachineGames joint after it honed its craft across a few different Wolfenstein entries, but the camera does zoom out at select point to third-person so you can catch a glimpse of Indy doing his thing. You’ll have a full view of him climbing, during cutscenes, and his hands appear on-screen when the whip is used or he’s running. With MachineGames clearly preferring to produce its games in first-person, this approach is probably just about the best of both worlds you can get.

The famous whip-cracker is forced on the journey to the Great Circle in 1937, set in between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. Indy is woken up in the dead of night at his workplace — which appears to be a museum — and finds someone stealing an ancient artefact. Choosing to pursue the thief, he finds the break-in to be just a small part of a much bigger, global conspiracy. To get to the bottom of it all, Indy calls on his worldwide network of allies and franchise newcomer Gina, an investigative reporter who joins him on the escapade.

Controlling Indiana Jones has always been something of a player fantasy, and during the many gameplay sections tying the story together, the comparisons to Uncharted appear to remain apt — except with a first-person camera. You’ll have the whip by your side at all times. In combat, you can use it to knock guards off their feet so you can get in close and utilise a combat system based around brutal melee action rather than guns. Then, during puzzle sections and general exploration, it can pull levers from a distance or activate buttons. Indy will also have his revolver as a last resort, and a lighter to burn away cobwebs and light the path ahead during darker sections.

While the gameplay presentation was cut up with talking heads from MachineGames spliced in between, the game certainly seems to flow like a typical action-adventure game of the Uncharted ilk. You can thrust yourself into the action, play encounters stealthily and distract guards, or stop to smell the roses and explore the environment for collectibles and side quests. You’ll earn Adventure Points for doing this, which can be spent on upgrades.

Combat breaks up those explorative ventures, focusing on fist fights. Indy does have a revolver and footage showed Indy wielding an MP40, but the experience overall does seem to focus on fisticuffs. You can perform melee combos after knocking an enemy off their feet with the whip, with a range of brutal takedowns and finishers eliminating them for good. These killing blows can be particularly savage and gory, with a very satisfying crunch when you slam a shovel off an enemy’s head. It might feel a bit too over the top, but then you remember they’re Nazis so it’s all completely okay.

This core combination of fighting, climbing, and exploring is what will make Indiana Jones and the Great Circle tick. With MachineGames backing it, the formula appears primed and ready to succeed. Whether it can compare to a modern Uncharted title is another story, but for now, it certainly seems like a high-quality Xbox release. The best part is due to the staggered launch, the PS5 port should be improved and expanded over what’s being offered in December. A story DLC after release has been confirmed, and the developer will have addressed any outstanding bugs and issues by the time Spring 2025 rolls around. With a definitive edition essentially readied up, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle might even be best played on PS5. Either way, it comes across a thoroughly enjoyable globe-trotting romp. Sometimes, it’s those that prove the most entertaining.

Will you be playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5, or will you jump in straight away with the initial Xbox Series X|S and PC launch?