Just one day after the early access launch Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has already broken a major Xbox record. Released December 5th for Xbox and PC. The Great Circle is the first game starring Indiana Jones in over a decade and the first true movie game of this console generation. Starring Indy in an original globetrotting adventure, it features stealth and battles against rival archaeologists, exploration of ancient ruins and historic sites, and tricky puzzles surrounding long-lost artifacts. It has already received largely positive reviews, with critics focusing on its poignancy and similarity to the films.

These reviews drove us forward Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to status as the highest-rated Xbox exclusive console of 2024according to Metacritic. At the time of writing, it sits at a Metascore of 86 on consoles and 87 on PC, beating other Xbox/PC exclusives and games released by Microsoft companies this year.

Indiana Jones has outperformed other Xbox exclusives

STALKER 2, Flight Sim and Hellblade are incomparable

Indiana Jones beat out several other major releases this year to take the title of highest-rated Xbox game of the year. In recent memory is STALKERS 2which came out just a few weeks ago and received mixed reviews, earning it a 73 on Metacritic. Although fans of the series loved the way it captured the uncompromising difficulty and oppressive atmosphere of the original games, Its technical problems were too much for some to bear. Key features, including the supposedly advanced enemy AI, were no longer available upon arrival. Although a variety of post-launch patches (sometimes several in a week) have helped resolve these issues, the damage has already been done.

Started just the day before STALKERS 2Xbox got too Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 this year, which has a slightly higher Metascore of 78. Similar to STALKERS 2Fans from before Flight simulation Games loved the 2024 edition for its increased realism, brand new career mode, and larger selection of aircraft than ever before. But It was widely criticized for its unstable performance and a barrage of bugswhich broke its signature dip and kept it from tipping over Flight Simulator 2020. Again, updates have improved since release, but reviews are final.

We got it a little earlier this year Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2a sequel from 2017 Hellblade: Senua’s victim. An action-adventure duology Hellblade The games follow the titular character Senua as she battles both Norse mythical creatures and hostile humans. Hellblade 2 was generally well received, with most critics feeling that it successfully developed the first game’s premise into an excellent sequel. However, Criticism focused on the relatively short length: Hellblade 2 ran for a maximum of ten hours, but cost $69.99 at launch, which many felt didn’t match the $50 price tag. This earned it an 81 on Metacritic.

Although the first
Hellblade
was exclusive to PlayStation, the sequel is only available on Xbox and PC.

Indiana Jones also has its problems, but apparently they weren’t severe enough to dock its metascore. The criticism of this primarily focuses on the long and frequent cutscenes, which many admittedly expected due to the strong focus on the story. Performance issues are present, although perhaps not as disruptive as in STALKERS 2 or Microsoft Flight Sim. The critical consensus seems to be this It is a faithful – but more importantly, entertaining – adaptation of the popular film seriesand that’s all anyone ever asked of him.

Our take: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle could be the start of something great

More Indy on Xbox please

Even though I only had a little time to invest The Great Circle until now, I like to take critics at their word. I can already say that it is exactly what I imagined from a modern model Indiana Jones Game: beautiful historical vistas, light but satisfying puzzles and cheerful slapstick combat. Performance issues are manageable (and I suspect they’ll get better after a few updates), and I have no problem sitting through long cutscenes – I’m a Metal gears Fan, after all. I’m also happy that such a large item is available on Game Pass.

I’d love for this game’s success to be the start of a longer series of Xbox/PC games – and if they eventually come to PS5, all the better. There’s room for plenty of indy adventures set before, between, or even within the films. With the film series in a tough spot, fans are eager for any kind of indy content, and the interactivity of the video game medium could take the series to new heights. I secretly hope so Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to become Xbox Unexploredand the first game is a good example of its potential.

Sources: Metacritic (1, 2, 3, 4)