Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

"Is the new Indiana Jones game worthy of the original films"

Is the new Indiana Jones game worthy of the original films?

Indiana Jones is a character that surely you must of heard of by now. He's had 4 films, had a few games and his stories have been adapted into books. He's one of the most famous fictional characters there is. Now with the release of the new film, he's got a new game. A new LEGO game.

Gameplay
Like the previous 3 LEGO Star Wars games, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is a fun game to replay over and over again. There are 18 levels where you play the first 3 movies. 6 levels for each film. The main character is Indiana Jones (Spawns many arguments between children who want to play as him) but you also play Willie, Indy SR, Shorty, Brody, Marion and many more. Over the 18 levels, you will have to face Germans, snakes, spiders and royal guards. Because the game is aimed at 3 +, these will be like taking candy from a baby for experienced gamers. The storyline should take around 4-7 hours depending on how good you are at LEGO games and puzzles. I've played it twice, the first time it took 6 hours to complete it while the second time took 4 hours. This was because I got stuck sometimes on the puzzles during the gameplay. The puzzles may be the only thing which could confuse minors who play the games. The last level composes of puzzles from the invisible bridge to picking the right cup and drinking from it. My only criticism is that it can be very easy sometimes but of course that is only because the games designed for all ages
9/10

Features that make the game good
The characters are made of LEGO. Indiana Jones as LEGO is something that you don't normally come across often. Nearly every element of the game is LEGO from characters to candles to snakes. Phobias are cool to. Indy has a well known fear of snakes and if he goes near one in the game, he starts to shake and make weird squeaky noises. This adds humorous effects to the game and little touches that make's you appreciate the game more. Following on humour is a fantastic aspect for the game. My favourite bit has to be when Marion is kidnapped. In the film you think she has been killed when the van is destroyed but in this, she is seen behind Indy's back being ran round the streets 2 times. When I saw this a huge smile came over my face. LEGO games are well known for their humour. The ‘Drop in' and ‘drop out' is well worth a mention. You can play two player on this game at any time. A friend/parent can pick up a second controller, press the start button and be right into the action. With this, if they need to leave or go to the loo, there's no waiting for them to come back.

Graphics and Sound
The figures are LEGO. That could sum up the graphics but this is a detailed review so I'll go more into it. The characters and elements are really well done. Each character is modelled differently from another. The faces are different with Indy's beard stubble and a full beard of his father. The clothes are miraculously detailed. Indy's jacket resembles the films version perfectly. Many characters have different variations of themselves suck as Indy with a dinner jacket or Indy in a desert uniform. This proves that they stick true to the films don't use the same clothing every single time.
9/10

Sound is odd to write about. These LEGO characters don't talk English. They don't talk French. They don't talk German, Portuguese, Australian or even Klingon. The only sounds they make are grunts when they are hit or die. Sometimes during the scenes they'll make sounds like “I dunno” but talking like they have a hand over their mouths. The music is easier to talk about. This wouldn't be a Indiana Jones game without the Indiana Jones soundtrack. It plays in almost every level giving you the feeling you are in an Indiana Jones game. If you're going through the tunnels in a mine cart, the soundtrack from the film is playing in this level and this level only.
10/10
Replayability
Once you've done a level of the game, you can play it in free play. Free Play is where you can replay the level but this time you can play whichever character you want. Have Shorty run away from the boulder at the beginning of Raiders or have Indy SR on a mine cart. Hell, get Walter Donovan find the Holy Grail and survive. Free Play offers the chance to play your favourite levels with your favourite characters over and over again. However that's not all Free Play is for. I said earlier that it can take 4-7 hours for the storyline to be completed. That's just the storyline, there is so much more to do in this game. There are 10 treasure chests to collect, 3 bonus levels to unlock and 18 secret parcels to buy. If you're after all the collectibles then it should take you an extra 5-9 hours to do all this and earn 100%. Of course once the game is completed to its full extent, there will be a reward to get in the hub…

Annoying habits
I've experienced only ever one glitch on this game but I had to restart the level. Indy got caught in a wall and I couldn't switch characters to him. Even when I went into different rooms he didn't follow me. So far this is the only time I've had a glitch but it was annoying at the time. The Puzzles are quite annoying to. In the same level I had the glitch on (Pankot Secrets) there's a tricky bit where you have to cross a pit full of snakes. It took quite a few goes and a lot of studs before I finally got Willie and Shorty to the other side. Once you do solve the puzzle you feel stupid as it's so obvious what had to be done.

Final view
Back to my previous question at the beginning, is it worthy of the original films. The answer: Yes. LEGO Indiana Jones is a game for all ages and a perfect game for a child and adult to play together. It is a small bit harder than LEGO Star Wars with the puzzles but it is a game you can complete with a friend or parent. The humour is great, the fights are great and overall it's a great game.
8/10 for easy levels and annoying puzzles

Note to Parents
The Indiana Jones films have a lot of violence and gore in them. LEGO have got rid of this and replaced them with less horrific images. In the Last Crusade, someone's head is cut off. In the game though, the head rolls along the floor, smiles at Indy and the body is searching for the head oblivious to where it is. There is no blood either.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/01/08

Game Release: Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (EU, 06/06/08)