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Lego Indiana Jones review
The
Lego universe exceeded even the wildest expectations in terms of popularity so
after the tremendous success of Lego Star Wars,
it was quite predictable for Lucas Art to make a second attempt with
another famous movie franchise. The result is an even better game, more
polished and definitely better looking, who offers a welcomed opportunity for
the fans of the Indiana Jones series to relive some great action scenes from
the actual movie while playing those neat Lego characters in a familiar
environment.
There
are three main storylines to follow, each one comprised of six levels and after
completing each stage you can unlock new characters or customize your hero by
mixing Lego parts to achieve the desired result. While completing the campaign
set is rather a short endeavor you can always choose to replay those levels via
free play and unlock 60 new characters. These guys have distinct attributes and
talents that can enhance your experience and smooth things up in certain missions
where their special abilities come in handy.
Characters
don't speak and rather express their thoughts and feelings through grins and
pantomime, but they still manage to "sound" enchanting and it's most
unlikely to ever get bored of them. Of course just a couple of these guys are
actual figures that existed in the Indiana Jones movies but all of them are
charming and very fun to play with. Women characters can jump higher and reach
places inaccessible for Indy, other small characters can crawl through tight
tunnels while others handle shovels, guns or grenades.
Fans
will surely recognize many famous action scenes from the actual movies, such as
driving your motorcycle through German country side, outrunning a giant
boulder, running mine carts through the tunnels of the Temple of Doom and much
more. It's astonishing how Lucas Art managed to capture the distinct atmosphere
of Indiana Jones movies and translate it into an exciting Lego adventure,
capable of pleasing both the fans and the kids too young to remember this
unique hero and his quests.
Controls
are not difficult at all to master but the perspective is not very broad and
because of this fixed view, you are bound to fail several times in the early
stages but the effects are minimal as you'll be able to respawn immediately
from the same spot. This concept was
implemented in Lego Star Wars as well and proved to be a valuable asset to a
casual game, where action is supposed to run smoothly and even death is just a
minor setback.
For
those who are not familiar with the way Lego Indiana Jones is supposed to be
played, the computer controlled characters might prove very useful in the first
stages, sometimes even showing you the way to overcome certain obstacles. When
dealing with enemies your teammates are less effective as they are unable to
inflict serious damage but instead they only manage to stun the opponents and you
will have to finish them off.
Indy's
main weapon is the famous whip, useful in grabbing levers, guns or other items
that are out of reach as well as swinging across gaps but its impact in combat
is limited. Very frequently you'll have to rely heavily on your fists as the
handguns collected from the bad guys can only fire a few runs before expiring,
but there is always the option of hitting them with a Lego chair, bottle or even
a pizza. Anyway, combat comes second to solving puzzles in this game and while
only few of them have the potential of becoming frustrating, most are pretty
easy to solve and good enough to spice things up.
The
destructible environment is the main attraction of this game as virtually
everything is made up from Lego pieces and can be reduced to rubble. Occasionally
you will have to focus your attention on building ladders, bridges and many
other gadgets out of Lego to progress to the next stage, but these are rather
obvious steps to follow and are not a serious challenge anyway. Phobias
represent an interesting element introduced in Lego Indiana Jones and most
characters will become paralyzed with fear once they come near rats, snakes,
spider and other nasty critters.
Co-op
is what really makes this game fabulous and while the AI controlled teammates
are doing a great job, it's always more entertaining to solve the mysteries
with a friend. There is only one risk when playing with a real teammate as the
camera performs poorly at certain stages and your actions may trigger the death
of your companion by forcing him off the screen. It's not something that
happens very often but when it does it is extremely frustrating and I'm quite
shocked that nothing has been done to fix this issue.
Some
people might complain that the storyline is too short and this game can be
completed with ease in just a couple of hours and that it totally lacks
complexity. While this is not completely false, the truth is that Lego Indiana
Jones brilliantly succeeds in creating a casual, relaxing game to enjoy with
friends on a weekend afternoon. Its lasting appeal is insured by the smart way
it encourages you to re-visit each level in Free Play mode; while it is
impossible to collect every item the first time you enter a site, once you've
unlocked every character these objects become accessible and will fit nicely in
your collection at Barnet College.
Conclusion:
It's
only fair to say that while Lego Indiana Jones is no longer an innovative
concept since the Lego Star Wars series and its sequels are already very
popular, it is virtually unaffected by repetition and it looks as fresh as
ever. Easy to dismiss as a game for kids, who as a matter of fact will surely
love it, this game is equally entertaining for elder people and a must have for
anyone nostalgic for the famous movie franchise.
Gameplay: 85
The
gameplay is quite similar to what we've witnessed in the Lego Star Wars title
and its sequels but nonetheless it is very entertaining so there is no obvious
reason to complain. Lack of complexity is no setback either as this game was
intended to provide the casual gamer with a couple of relaxing hours spent
together with friends or family. Clever puzzles that don't get you frustrated,
a catchy storyline and many scenes from the actual movies translated into the
Lego universe create the perfect recipe for a hit.
Graphics: 84
Lego
Indiana Jones is a visual delight for both fans and newcomers, and creates a
very special setting that will keep the player determined to roam through each
level for more than once. Each stage is quite different and it's nothing short
of amazing how Lucas Arts managed to extract an astonishing amount out of the
unassuming Lego pieces that create this unique universe.
Sounds: 85
There
are very few people who are not familiar with the famous soundtrack from
Indiana Jones series and even less who might criticize this masterpiece, so
introducing it in the video game is of course another triumph for Lucas
Art. Sound effects are very good as well
and fit in nicely, while characters don't even need to speak to be charming, so
resorting to grins and pantomime to express feelings and thoughts has no
negative impact.
Multiplayer: 83
Online
play is unfortunately not available but local multiplayer is fun enough and trying
this game together with friends is paramount in order to take full advantage of
everything it has to offer. Sometimes
your teammate might suffer due to the poor way the camera works as he gets
forced off screen, but this issue is dwarfed by the benefits of having a buddy beside
you in solving puzzles and sharing the inherent fun.
Hardware: 81
The
requirements for this game are reasonable and it should run smoothly on most
computers while the frame rate remains constantly at good values.
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