The Indiana Jones franchise has had a rough decade or two. Though it’s not perfect, the original Indiana Jones trilogy is widely considered to be some of the greatest adventure movies ever made, with an incredibly charismatic central performance from Harrison Ford, great action sequences, and engrossing mysteries. But the last two Indiana Jones movies have been pretty disappointing, and Indy’s video game outings haven’t fared much better. But Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has just broken the curse.
Just like the classic movies it so lovingly hearkens back to, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has a very strong lead performance from Troy Baker, some riveting action set pieces, and a captivating mystery at its core. It’s the first Indiana Jones project in years to receive an almost universally positive reception, and it’s exactly the win that Xbox Game Pass needed to propel it through to the end of the year.
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s Last Crusade Easter Egg Explained
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is filled with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Easter eggs, and there’s one that ties directly to The Last Crusade.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Ends Xbox Game Pass’ 2024 With a Bang
Xbox Game Pass Has Had a Strong Year
Xbox Game Pass started 2024 on a fairly high note, delivering both Resident Evil 2 and 3 in the first two months of the year, right alongside Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Palworld, Persona 3 Reload, and Dead Island 2. March added Diablo 4 to the subscription service, marking the first Activision-Blizzard game on Xbox Game Pass following last year’s acquisition.
Xbox Game Pass’ momentum then slowed down a little in the second quarter of the year. But with major AAA releases taking a break, it gave new Indie games some time to shine, such as Another Crab’s Treasure and Manor Lords. May saw Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 hit Xbox Game Pass, and while it was far from a perfect game, it still had some shining qualities.
The rest of Xbox Game Pass’ Summer was decently busy, with Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 all being major additions that dropped within days of one another. And then September arrived, beginning a hot streak that’s managed to stay strong ever since. Age of Mythology: Retold, Frostpunk 2, Sifu, Inscryption, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Flight Simulator 2024, STALKER 2, and Nine Sols delivered back-to-back wins for Xbox Game Pass these last few months.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Is The Perfect Capstone for Xbox Game Pass’ Year
A December release is a risky thing in the gaming industry, but Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has managed to defy expectations and become Xbox Game Pass’ swansong for 2024. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has received widespread critical praise, and its day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass once again proves the value of the service.
Though Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set to release on PlayStation in Spring 2025, there’s a very real possibility that the current hype surrounding the game’s launch has convinced some eager franchise fans to purchase an Xbox – or at least buy Game Pass – so that they can play it as soon as possible. Regardless, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle has rounded out Xbox Game Pass’ year with a bang, and the future of the subscription service now feels much brighter.
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