Eventually, Naughty Dog would bring its craft to perfection with the Last of Us games, building on everything that had worked in the Uncharted games to a polished sheen, and delivering some of the greatest titles in the history of the medium in the process. But for as great as the Last of Us games are – and I say this as someone who legitimately feels The Last of Us Part 2 is one of the greatest games of all time – they are also fundamentally very different in the mood, tone, and aesthetic they strike as compared to Uncharted. For all the similarities that the two franchises share, if you wanted that globetrotting, swashbuckling, treasure hunting adventure, filled with some great action set pieces, some great historical fiction, and maybe a supernatural twist or two? The Last of Us is very decidedly not it.

Very few things are, as it turns out. Earlier, I mentioned Tomb Raider as an inspiration for Uncharted, and within the video games medium, at least, Tomb Raider absolutely is the best equivalent. And for what it’s worth, fans of Uncharted do have potentially three other games they might like a lot to check out in the new Tomb Raider trilogy, if they haven’t checked them out already. Those games rebooted the franchise, taking inspiration from Uncharted liberally (how the tables turn, and what have you). And while none of the new Tomb Raider games ever match Uncharted’s brilliance, they are still really good in their own right. If you want more games along those lines, they are well worth checking out.

But those games themselves are old now, and the Tomb Raider franchise has itself been inactive in terms of new releases for almost as long as Uncharted has. Inherently, it’s not unreasonable to assume that if there was any Uncharted fan who wanted more games along those lines, the seven years that have passed since the release of the final game in the modern Tomb Raider trilogy have provided more than enough time for them to look into those games for their fix. So pointing to Tomb Raider hardly helps here.

Where hope comes from for Uncharted fans in these cases ends up being a very, very unlikely game– in more ways than one. This month, Microsoft will release MachineGames’ fantastic Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on PS5. The game, which launched in December last year for Xbox Series X/S and PC to great acclaim, is being brought over to the PS5 as part of Microsoft’s continued multiplatform publishing push. Admittedly, the idea of a Microsoft game acting as a stand in for a flagship PlayStation franchise is hilarious, as is the idea that Indiana Jones, the granddaddy of Uncharted and Tomb Raider to begin with, has come in with an eleventh hour win here- but the game’s quality speaks for itself. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a marvelous single player action adventure game that really hits the perfect tone and aesthetic, takes players to multiple locations around the world on a globetrotting treasure hunting story, has a great historical fiction infused central plot and mystery, and has some really strong storytelling- which, of course, is typical for MachineGames.

They are obviously not perfect equivalents. Indiana Jones is largely a first person game, for starters, which creates a fundamental change to the flow of the moment to moment gameplay. It is also far less focused on combat than the Uncharted games. Naughty Dog’s franchise is, of course, so combat focused that it has given rise to a whole class of memes about how the series’ protagonist Nathan Drake is a mass murderer (and even led to the rise in awareness of ludonarrative dissonance, and what it may mean when it comes to video games). Anyone who has seen the Indiana Jones movies, of course, knows that that level of killing and violence isn’t exactly what the eponymous main character is known for. And so it makes sense that The Great Circle de-emphasizes action.

Instead, the game is designed almost like an immersive sim. Rather than guiding players through linear areas interspersing light platforming and puzzle solving with heavy combat encounters, The Great Circle moves players into small sandbox style semi open areas, giving players objectives but mostly leaving it to them to figure out how to go about them. In other words, it almost plays like an immersive sim lite. In any area, in any part of the game, Indiana Jones will have to contend with a lot of armed opponents, but he will rarely be shooting them away in grand shootouts. Instead, The Great Circle emphasizes stealth and melee combat, it emphasizes puzzles, and it emphasizes exploration and discovery within its areas for players to figure out how to progress.

This is a fundamentally different type of game than Uncharted in that sense. If you were in it purely for linear and high octane action packed gameplay, and the roller coaster style set pieces and combat encounters that Uncharted is known for, then little in The Great Circle would scratch that itch (though it does admittedly have some excellent set pieces). At the end of the day, it’s not really going for that sort of experience, so if that’s the sort of Uncharted-style game you’re looking for, your search for something new that fills that niche is sadly going to have to continue.

However, for other fans, who primarily want Uncharted’s pulpy, high octane, swashbuckling tone, its globe trotting adventure stories blending fact and fiction, for those fans who want Uncharted’s vibes more than anything, The Great Circle is a fantastic pick, one that carves out a very comfortable place for itself in the pantheon that Naughty Dog and Uncharted had monopolized for the better part of two decades now. That’s an amazing feat, and hopefully, MachineGames gets the chance to build on that with the follow up to this game.

As for Uncharted? Hopefully, a new one of those is on the horizon as well. Thankfully we have something great and new that has a lot of the same vibes– but MachineGames’ take on Indy is ultimately its own thing (which is arguably one of the reasons it’s so good, and doesn’t just suffer from a knock-off syndrome). It’s not the exact alchemy that led Uncharted to becoming one of the most beloved brands in the industry. When the next one of those is coming is anyone’s guess– in a couple of years, it will have been a whole ten years since the last time the franchise was active. Hopefully there’s a new release well before then.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

April 16th sees the arrival of Neon White (Standard) and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game (all tiers), followed by Crime Scene Cleaner and Tempopo on April 17th for Ultimate and PC Game Pass. On April 24th, Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be playable on PC Game Pass and Ultimate as a day-one release.

April 29th sees Stoic’s Towerborne, or at least the Game Preview, going live on April 29th, months after launching into Steam Early Access. The month concludes with Far Cry 4 for all three tiers. Starting May 1st, Anno 1800 will be available for Ultimate, Standard and PC Game Pass alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022). On May 6th, all three tiers can play the Lovecraftian-esque fishing title Dredge.

Of course, several titles will be leaving the service on April 30th. Check out the list below:

• Have a Nice Death (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Kona 2: Brume (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Sniper Elite 5 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Last Case of Benedict Fox (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Thirsty Suitors (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Rewinder (Cloud, Console, and PC)

As lead systems designer Kyle Koenig told IGN First, “We’ve significantly increased the number of Perks with over 90 of them – each requiring various Skills to unlock. As you invest in Skills, it changes how you can invest in Perks and leads you down many different paths.” For example, Run and Gun allows one to fire a shotgun, SMG and assault rifle while sprinting and sliding. Pretty potent, but it shines even more with the bullet-time-esque Tactical Time Dilation.

Space Ranger, on the other hand, buffs damage based on Speech and opens up new dialogue options. “The way we looked at them when designing them was to look at all the different modes of gameplay the player has, and what are all the actions they can take and how can we modify them.”

It’s also possible to build around different types of elemental damage. As Koenig notes, “Even if you want to mix and match them, you can be a character that’s all about plasma and burning things alive while getting healing from it – or using shock damage to scramble automechs and have them fight for you temporarily while paralyzing creatures and humans – or using corrosive damage to take away all their armor and make it so all your attacks against them are critical hits that deal insane amounts of damage.”

If you’re someone who thrives off slaying NPCs, Psychopath and Serial Killer are the ticket, permanently increasing your max health. “Especially in an Obsidian game where we allow you to kill anybody – the game’s going to respond, it’s going to roll with it, and you’re going to still be able to complete the game. It’s actually a really fun way to play in a second or third playthrough to see how far you can take it,” said design director Matt Singh.

Launching later this year, The Outer Worlds 2 sees players controlling an Earth Directorate agent who ventures to Arcadia to stop an outbreak of rifts. It’s coming to Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC (including Battle.net), with a Direct scheduled for June 8th.

This change arose due to how the first game homogenized builds. “We would often see characters good at everything, which by the end of the game, minimized your personal experience with your character,” said Koenig.

Skills now feel more drastically different but significant in their own right. “We wanted to focus on making each individual level-up and investment really important. There’s less confusion about when I should invest in one Skill or the other. If I want to be a player that’s all about guns and using medical devices, I know which Skills I really need to care about. By having them separated and not in groupings, it lets characters be more specialized.”

This change also helps create more build variety beyond “a traditional stealth-focused build, combat-focused build, or speech-focused build. There’s a lot of blending of concepts, playing with other systems and incorporating those into a pretty broad but unique range of different player profiles.”

Skill Specialization is still available, like Engineering, which provides one percent damage resistance and the ability to +1 difficulty and lower mechanical systems. On the other hand, Hack allows for unlocking +1 difficulty and lower terminals while dealing ten percent more damage to Automechanicals. As you level up, their bonuses also become stronger.

The Outer Worlds 2 launches this year for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out the latest gameplay and stay tuned for its Direct on June 8th following the Xbox Games Showcase.

Journalist Jeff Grubb spoke about The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion’s rumoured remake on a recent episode of his daily Giant Bomb news podcast, GameBreaking News, where he claimed it’s scheduled to release sometime during the week of April 21- i.e., the final week of the month. An exact release date is still unknown, but the window’s certainly narrowed down, and it looks like it won’t be long before the game releases. 

Prior leaks have claimed that the Oblivion remake will be a fully overhauled version of the game, built on Unreal Engine 5 and featuring a reworked stamina system, new UI, reworked archery and blocking mechanics, and more. Read more on that through here.

Sure, it would launch several months after the PC and Xbox Series X/S versions, but the quantum shift had finally occurred. Cue the announcement of Forza Horizon 5 and the resurgence of rumors around titles like Starfield, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and more. PS5 players could finally experience franchises restricted to Xbox for years and, in some cases, decades.

However, now that the Great Circle is almost here, launching on April 17th for Sony’s console, how does this version compare to other platforms?

Let’s get this out of the way immediately – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a gorgeous game. Developed on a fork of id Tech 7, it looked utterly gorgeous on PC and Xbox Series X when it launched, even with some players facing issues with the former’s system requirements at launch. Does all that visual splendor carry over to PS5? How about the performance?

Thankfully, as with other Xbox releases on PS5, the Great Circle is an excellent port. There are some notable things to nitpick with the visuals, which can still be seen on the PC and Xbox Series X versions. Nevertheless, this is a great-looking game out of the box and the performance is rock-solid.

The latter is notable primarily because Indiana Jones and the Great Circle runs at dynamic 4K resolution and targets 60 frames per second. The biggest attraction is the implementation of ray-traced global illumination and the results are truly exceptional. Indirect lighting naturally illuminates indoor locations, be it in buildings or caves, and the resulting shadows are sharp. Even if the resolution shifts during heavier scenes, the overall image quality and pixel count remain fairly high.

Considering many other developers have struggled to deliver excellent visual fidelity and solid performance while implementing ray tracing, the Great Circle is definitely a stand-out. I have no idea how MachineGames optimized it to such an incredible extent on consoles, but that carries over to PS5 with nary a hitch.

How do the console versions measure up to each other? For that matter, does the PS5 version beat out the Xbox Series X, when compared to the PC version, or are they more or less on the same page? Let’s find out.

PS5 vs. Xbox Series X

As you might have guessed by now, the differences are negligible. Such is the porting work that you’d be hard-pressed to notice many differences between the game on either console. The frame rate stays at a near-constant 60 frames per second during gameplay – some very minor drops can be observed rarely, but they hardly impact the overall flow. Loading times are also fairly similar – once you’ve chosen your settings and default difficulty, the transition to gameplay is nearly instant. Quitting to the main menu and resuming a save is seamless and takes no time on both platforms.

Perhaps the most notable blemish is the pop-in, with some shadows and a few assets loading as you get closer. The overall draw distance and level of detail are still extremely impressive on consoles, and some may be hard-pressed to notice it during the more intense sequences. It’s during the exploration sequences, like walking through the jungle in the Prologue and venturing into the ruins or running around the larger open maps, that it becomes noticeable. Once again, it’s far from a deal-breaker – you’re still guaranteed immense amounts of fidelity backed by incredible performance.

PS5 vs. PC

It’s here the dynamic resolution vs. native 4K comparison becomes more noticeable. First off, our test rig consists of an AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti, and 32 GB of RAM. For the settings, we set almost everything to the highest settings wherever applicable, be it Supreme or Ultra (though Volumetrics Quality is limited to Medium). Nvidia DLSS is employed and set to Quality Mode, with Dynamic Resolution not enabled.

Needless to say, the PC version is the clear winner. Though some very minor frame drops are noticeable in certain areas, it stuck to 60 frames per second for most of our hands-on time while delivering a crisp resolution and excellent image quality. Some pop-in issues were still noticeable at times but didn’t hamper the experience.

Though the dynamic resolution puts the PS5 (and, by extension, the Xbox Series X) version at a disadvantage, it’s only really apparent when directly matched up against a native 4K image like this. Otherwise, you’d be hard-pressed to notice any earth-shattering differences in visual fidelity. Which is a good thing, mind you.

Another note on the PC version – despite not meeting the requirements for all Supreme/Ultra settings, it still offered an incredible visual experience. It speaks to MachineGames’ optimization in this regard, and though your mileage may vary, you’re still assured of excellent fidelity and performance.

Conclusion

However, the best part about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is that, besides being an excellent game, you’re not forced to choose a version (though maybe avoid playing on Xbox Series S). It performs well on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC, balancing stellar performance with a nearly-locked 60 frames per second with incredible graphical quality that makes id Tech 7 shine. That it’s able to achieve all this with ray-traced global illumination enabled and sticking reasonably close to 4K on consoles makes it a technical marvel in many ways.

Beyond the technical aspects, the Great Circle is notable for its art direction and cinematic presentation. The shot-for-shot remake of the opening for Raiders in the Prologue, the sheer visual splendor of locations like Egypt and the Himalayas – it’s a treat for fans of the franchise and action-adventure titles alike. Even in places with differing weather conditions like snowfall and rain, MachineGames is showing off with the sheer amount of detail that it stuffs into scenes.

However, above all else, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a phenomenal game that’s faithful to the character and atmosphere of the films. It’s nostalgic yet stylized, incorporating that trademark Indy kitsch and charm while delivering a fun, original story with plenty of adventure, puzzle-solving, and mystery. If you haven’t played it on Xbox Series X or PC, there’s never been a better time now that it’s finally coming to PS5.

Yet, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle doesn’t just represent MachineGames and Bethesda “getting” what makes the franchise and its iconic hero special. It’s also an incredible action-adventure game in its own right, one that seamlessly blends the genre with light immersive sim elements and a cinematic presentation as meticulous as it is organic. Let’s run down all the boxes it ticks.

"The Prologue, which pays excellent homage to Raiders without feeling too overbearing or cheesy, is a teaser of what you can expect in terms of gorgeous foliage, vibrant lighting, detailed shadows, and a rock-solid frame rate."

Charismatic characters? Check, and even if Harrison Ford didn’t lend his voice to Indiana Jones, Troy Baker does an impeccable job, almost feeling indistinguishable in delivering that same smarmy yet beloved charm (while also delivering one of the most natural portrayals of a character talking to themselves in a long while). Deft seamless pacing, whether you’re engaged in a battle against Nazi troops or crawling through a dark tomb, carefully observing and photographing your environment to find the right solution? Also, check.

Incredibly responsive controls where every step and punch is natural (initial concerns of switching between third and first-person being completely unfounded)? An interface that turns the most straightforward actions like bringing up your map or checking Indy’s journal into a more immersive affair, deepening your connection to the character and the world?

Stellar environmental design with notable side quests, mysteries, collectables and puzzles to pursue when you’re not discovering incredible secrets? An excellent soundtrack that feels so unmistakably Indiana Jones, even without the iconic theme by John Williams (which is still very much welcome, don’t get me wrong)? Check, check, check, and check.

I could go on, but you probably already know that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a great game – of the many secrets it offers, the almost universal praise from critics is far from the most guarded. It adheres to the incredible cinematic presentation and atmosphere of the franchise while finding ingenious (if familiar) ways to gamify everything from combat and exploration to puzzle-solving and platforming. The real question is: How does the PlayStation 5 port perform? As it turns out, quite flawlessly.

From the very outset, the Great Circle is a gorgeous game. The Prologue, which pays excellent homage to Raiders without feeling too overbearing or cheesy, is a teaser of what you can expect in terms of gorgeous foliage, vibrant lighting, detailed shadows, and a rock-solid frame rate. It’s almost impossible that further environments could offer so much more attention to detail, be it in animations and ambient dialogue of NPCs or little critters scurrying around in abandoned catacombs.

"This isn’t to say that you won’t like the Great Circle if you’re a fan of Uncharted, but for all their base similarities, it’s a different approach in terms of gameplay and structure. "

However, MachineGames keeps upping the ante, allowing the ray-traced ambient occlusion and its effect on environments and characters to shine. This is further reflected in the cutscenes where the body language, facial expressions and even eye movements of characters are gorgeously conveyed by the animation work. And yet, it never feels overwhelming, though some sections in the dark did necessitate upping the HDR brightness a bit, especially if there wasn’t a torch handy.

The only detracting factor from all this visual splendor is some slight pop-in while moving, occasionally apparent in the shadows and textures. With the sheer amount of details packed in at any given moment and the consistent performance, it’s something I’m more than willing to forgive, especially since it rarely stuck out like a sore thumb.

Of course, for PlayStation players, the most obvious comparison to the Great Circle is Uncharted, with Nathan Drake compared to Indiana Jones since his inception. You would assume this makes the former a natural fit for long-time fans, but it’s important to note their fundamental differences, especially with the action action.

While Drake experiences an inordinate number of gun fights, the Great Circle often encourages playing stealthy and relying on guns as a sort of last resort, especially since ammo isn’t very plentiful. There’s also a different vibe to the puzzle-solving since photographing clues is as important as pulling levers or yanking switches with your whip. Photography is low-key notable overall since it’s a consistent source of Adventure Points for investing in new skills.

This isn’t to say that you won’t like the Great Circle if you’re a fan of Uncharted, but for all their base similarities, it’s a different approach in terms of gameplay and structure. I’d still encourage trying it, even if you never watched a single Indiana Jones film. And don’t worry – there’s more than enough action-packed set pieces to compete with Drake’s escapades.

"Gunplay is also on point, and as much as I would forget about the whip in favor of leaping into the fray and swinging for the fences, it’s visceral and feels fun to abuse."

In terms of its weaker areas, the hand-to-hand combat does leave a bit to be desired. Once you’ve settled into blocking at the right time and counter-striking, dodging, pushing and charging punches for more damage, it can feel comfortable. Watching the enemy occasionally evade strikes also made brawls feel more natural, as did picking up any object on the ground and smacking them silly until they broke.

However, it easily devolves into button-mashing, and in Adventure mode, it feels a little too easy to take down a group. Unless you’ve alerted an entire compound by ziplining down and alerted two dozen enemies to your presence (which I totally haven’t done accidentally on purpose).

All that said, the actual feel of combat is excellent, with punches having some real oomph. You would think that knocking out an enemy with a mean hook and watching their lights go out as they slowly topple to the ground would get boring after a while, but you’d be wrong. Gunplay is also on point, and as much as I would forget about the whip in favor of leaping into the fray and swinging for the fences, it’s visceral and feels fun to abuse.

And while stealth is enjoyable, whether you’re examining different routes and looking for ways to sneak past guards, throwing bottles to split up and isolate patrols, or bonking enemies with an assortment of objects, the AI can feel a bit too forgiving sometimes. I’ll chalk it up to Normal Mode being like that, but taking out an enemy and watching their friend not fully coming to grips with what’s happening, taking his sweet time to get alerted, does disrupt the immersion. At least they’re enthusiastic enough when alerted.

"Adventure has many names across the entertainment space, but when it comes to action-adventure titles, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is as good as it gets, and then some."

However, these are minor complaints when considering the bigger picture. An excellent action-adventure title is very much welcome, but it isn’t exactly rare. Neither is a stellar video game adaptation of a well-known property, strange as it feels to say in this day and age. However, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle goes beyond all that to deliver a truly memorable yet remarkably familiar experience.

It’s almost like welcoming an old friend you haven’t seen in so long, remembering everything that made them so endearing and yet seeing it in a new light. For MachineGames to have captured and translated the very essence of Indiana Jones as remarkably as it did warrants praise. Adventure has many names across the entertainment space, but when it comes to action-adventure titles, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is as good as it gets, and then some.

This game was reviewed on PS5.

A video by Retro Game Future showcases what seems to be the PS5 physical version’s French cover. Unlike the box cover from online retail listings, it indicates that an internet connection is necessary. After inserting the disc, only 20 GB of data is included, with the rest downloaded through a mandatory update.

Bethesda previously confirmed that physical editions would require an online download, though it didn’t indicate how big it would be. The same issue sadly affects the Xbox Series X/S version.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle launches on April 17th for PS5. Check out our feature for everything you should know. You can also learn more about its PS5 Pro enhancements and the latest update (available now on Xbox Series X/S and PC).

At launch, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will also tout exclusive PS5 Pro features, including native 4K and 60 FPS support, advanced ray tracing, and more. 

MachineGames recently also released a new update for the game on Xbox Series X/S and PC, which brings additional progression options with new Adventure Books, new quality-of-life features, various bug fixes, and more. 

In our review of the game’s original release, we awarded it a score of 9/10, saying, “Indiana Jones and the Great Circle captures its source material’s vibe down to a T, delivering an authentic, swashbuckling Indiana Jones adventure that can stand toe-to-toe with the original trilogy, while strong level design, compelling exploration, smartly designed puzzles, and enjoyable stealth and combat also combine in a well-crafted gameplay experience that might just be MachineGames’ best outing to date.” Read the full review through here.

The game, which is available for pre-orders now, will tout 4K support, a remastered soundtrack, and three expansions in the form of Lords of the West, Dynasties of India, and Dawn of the Dukes. Additionally, Microsoft has also unveiled another new expansion, The Three Kingdoms, which will launch the same day as the PS5 version and will be available on all platforms. The expansion will be based on the Chinese classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, as its name suggests, and will bring five new civilizations, three new campaigns (totaling 15 missions), and more.

A Premium Edition of Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition is also available on PS5. On top of the base game and all of its expansions (including The Three Kingdoms), it will also include five days of advanced access, and 24 bonus in-game animated profile icons.