While I am not a massive Indiana Jones fan, this game immediately caught my attention thanks to its mix of action-adventure gameplay, puzzles and impressive-looking graphics. I had originally planned to buy it on PS5, but after the Nintendo Switch 2 version started receiving strong reviews, I decided to pick up a copy for Switch launch day instead. It also worked out cheaper, with the cartridge costing £49.95 from Amazon. The game arrived on time along with some digital pre-order bonuses.
These are only my very first impressions, but I started playing with high hopes. I expected something with a similar feel to the Uncharted series, mixed with elements of Hitman and classic James Bond games. I’ve always enjoyed titles that blend action with a bit of stealth gameplay.
Being a physical cartridge, there was thankfully no lengthy wait for huge downloads, so I was up and running very quickly. I began playing in handheld mode and, while I was enjoying myself from the outset, I did notice a few graphical quirks during the opening levels. Some cutscenes appeared to end abruptly or skip slightly. Once the proper gameplay began, however, the experience improved dramatically and the game both played and looked fantastic.
Since then, I’ve replayed the opening while docked and the issues seemed to disappear entirely. On a larger monitor, the visuals looked exactly as you would hope, noticeably sharper and more impressive overall.
After my first few hours of gameplay, I reached Rome and the Vatican sections which I have since cleared (though not entirely completed yet). Exploring environments, searching for clues and discovering hidden items is already becoming quite addictive. Interestingly, most of my playtime has still been in handheld mode, which I honestly did not expect. While the docked version is clearly superior visually, the convenience of handheld play on the excellent Switch 2 hardware makes it incredibly easy to keep picking up and playing.
The Vatican level is huge. Loads to do and many puzzles and side quests along with the main story. The combat controls at first felt slightly clumsy, but after spending more time playing, I quickly realised the issue was probably me rather than the game itself. Combat is fairly straightforward, with Indy able to punch enemies or make use of a variety of objects collected throughout the environment to take opponents down. You can even whip enemies who are armed.
The menus and HUD are clean and informative, offering plenty of useful options without becoming overwhelming, though ability to zoom in on maps in the handheld would be useful. The DLC released for the game is also available from launch at an additional cost of around £17-18. I’ll almost certainly pick it up, although I plan to finish the main story first. At time of writing I have just started the Gizeh levels and no doubt will revisit previous game sections to complete all elements. This level also appears massive and is quite the open world like the Vatican but seems more so as in the desert.
Gameplay is primarily presented in first-person, with occasional third-person moments mixed in. While the levels have sandbox-style areas to explore, you cannot wander too far from the intended route, although there are occasional alternative paths that eventually lead to the same destination.
At the time of writing, I’ve played daily for around twelve hours in total, including replaying sections of the opening. Overall, it’s an impressive technical achievement on the Switch 2 and gives me even more confidence and excitement for the upcoming Bond game when it eventually arrives on the platform as well.
Leave a Reply