Gameplay 8.8
Graphics 8.2
Sound 8.8
Value 8.9
Distributor: Activision
Classification: PG
Review Date: June 2008
Reviewer: Tyrone Williams

8.8


LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

After the highly successfully LEGO Star Wars franchise, Indiana Jones fans can now experience the similar excitement, high jinx and fun of this unique gaming world that combines the original three Indiana Jones movies with the world of Lego.

Best of all, the developers have ensured that the game follows quite a few of the key scenes from the movie such as Indy running from the Boulder in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark to Indy's foe drinking from the wrong chalice in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, all classic moments that pay true homage to the movie.

Features:

  • Everyone’s favorite fedora wearing hero returns to theaters this May in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and families can celebrate the humor and excitement of the original films with LEGO Indiana Jones.
  • Tongue-in-cheek humor presents The Original Adventures in a manner only LEGO can whip up, with comical reinterpretations of classic Indiana Jones scenes and elements.
  • Use Indy’s signature whip as a multi-purpose tool to attack, disarm, swing across gaps, activate levers and interact with a world of LEGO objects and puzzles.
  • For the first time, LEGO Indy characters are fully immersed in their environment; swim, climb, shimmy across rock ledges and pick up and carry objects.
  • Use a variety of weapons from the environment to fight enemies (e.g., chairs, guns, swords, bottles).
  • Unlock more than 60 playable characters, including villains and supporting characters (Marion Ravenwood, Short Round, Rene Belloq, Willie Scott, Marcus Brody, Jones Senior and Mola Ram).
  • Character specific abilities include excavation by Satipo, an umbrella slide by Marcus Brody, and monkey access by Marion Ravenwood.
  • Create unique playable characters like Sallah Scott or Mola Round by mixing and matching the LEGO body parts of all playable characters.
  • Explore the globe and solve puzzles that encourage creative thinking through the use of teamwork and unique building situations only possible in a LEGO world.
  • Cooperative gameplay encourages parents to share the legacy of Indiana Jones with their children in a fun and humorous way.

The developers have also added a few sneaky references to other Lucasfilms characters with them making cameo appearances in the game such as Luke Skywalker. In its essence, LEGO Indiana Jones the Original Adventures is an action, adventure and puzzle game that can be played solo or cooperatively for a truly enjoyable gaming experience. 

Puzzles do play a large role in the game and some can be quite frustrating, especially when the clues are staring at you in the face and your characters must be used in conjunction or by themselves to manipulate these puzzles. There is also an option for adaptive learning to be turned off which may help some gamers.

The combat is also more intuitive in LEGO Indiana Jones as the boss characters are more tricky to defeat as the gamer must use their brains and sometimes brawn to defeat them. All the Indiana Jones anecdotes have been implemented into the game such as Indy's fears for snakes or his father's fear of rats, all classic Indiana Jones moments.

My favourite aspect of the game was mining cart section of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom which was thoroughly enjoyable as you race along at high speeds. What really makes this game so entertaining is the humour that is littered throughout the entire game such as Belloq imitating C-3PO or the facial expressions, it's truly Champaign comedy at its best, so no matter if you are an Indiana Jones fan or not, the humour will appear to everyone.

Each character also has their own unique abilities such as Indy's bullwhip which can be used to swing across gaps or some characters who can squeeze through small gaps, all characters must be used, once again in conjunction to successfully complete the puzzle.  The only downside to playing solo is that the AI may sometimes hamper their assistance if they are to stand on a platform to active a button while another character must perform something else. Eventually they will get or you can just attach a second controller and ask a friend or do it yourself.

It can be frustrating at times, especially when you are trying to solve a puzzle. The combat, although entertaining does become repetitive as you progress through the game and the sometimes endless respawning of enemies is a little annoying at the best of times. The title also contains a plethora of secrets and references littered through the game, so even though you may have completed the game, by playing it a second time, you will uncover a variety of new goodies.

Graphically, the title is a visual treat on the PlayStation 3 with its high resolution graphics and almost flawless frame rate. The characters have all been faithfully recreated to mimic their movie counterparts as have the gaming environments from the Thugee Temple in the second film to the Grail Temple from the third movie. There are also some great cutscenes littered throughout the game which assist in immersing the gamer into this rich gaming environment. My only grip with the graphic system is the limited camera control as some characters can vanish behind certain obstacles.

Musically, the title is perfect and uses the John Williams scores from the original movies that really adds to the atmosphere. The sound effects are quite "LEGO" sounding as are the characters grunt and mumble almost legible words. Fantastic!

In conclusion, Lego Indiana Jones is quite an enjoyable game that progresses from the LEGO Star Wars franchise and contains everything you would expect from an Indiana Jones game from adventure to humour. Great graphics, a sturdy gameplay engine and decent gaming options, this is one game that all gamers should get if they enjoyed LEGO Star Wars or the Indiana Jones movies.