The Indiana Jones the franchise has had a rough decade or two. Although not perfect, the original Indiana Jones trilogy is widely regarded as some of the greatest adventure films ever made, with an incredibly charismatic central performance from Harrison Ford, great action sequences and gripping mysteries. But the last two Indiana Jones the movies were pretty disappointing, and Indy's video game outings didn't fare much better. But Indiana Jones and the Great Circle he just broke the curse.
Just like the classic movies they listen to so lovingly, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle it has a very strong lead performance from Troy Baker, some gripping action set pieces and an engaging mystery at its core. It's the first Indiana Jones project in years to receive near-universal reception, and it's exactly the win Xbox Game Pass needed to propel it through the end of the year.
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle ends in 2024 for Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass had a strong year
Xbox Game Pass started 2024 on a pretty high note, offering both Resident Evil 2 and 3 in the first two months of the year, right next door Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Palworld, Persona 3 Reloadand Dead Island 2. March added Diablo 4 to the subscription service, marking the first Activision-Blizzard game on Xbox Game Pass since the acquisition last year.
Xbox Game Pass momentum then slowed a bit in the second quarter of the year. But with the major AAA releases taking a break, it gave new indie games time to shine, such as Another crab treasure and Lords of the Manor. Seen before 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 the Xbox Game Pass summer has been pretty busy, with Flintlock: Siege of Dawn, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddessand Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 all being major additions that dropped within days of each other. And then September arrived, starting a hot streak that has managed to stay strong ever since. Age of Mythology: Told, Frostpunk 2, Sifu, Decryption, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Flight Simulator 2024, STALKER 2and Nine Sols has delivered back-to-back wins for Xbox Game Pass in recent months.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the perfect capstone to the Xbox Game Pass year
A December release is a risky thing in the gaming industry, but Indiana Jones and the Great Circle managed to defy expectations and become the swan song of Xbox Game Pass 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.
Although Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be released on PlayStation in the spring of 2025, there's a very real possibility that the current hype surrounding the game's release has convinced some eager fans of the franchise to buy an Xbox – or at least buy Game Pass – so they can play it as soon as possible. Indifferent, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle rounded out the Xbox Game Pass year with a bang, and the future of the subscription service now feels much brighter.