"We called the dog Indiana!"
Videogame publishers are never frightened to jump on the bandwagon where movie licenses are concerned – and frankly, some turn out a bit naff. But LEGO Star Wars was a revelation, taking the Star Wars saga and bringing to it the undeniable inventiveness and charm LEGO is famous for. So with the new Indiana Jones movie right around the corner, it will come as little surprise that Activision and Traveller’s Tales have done the same with everyone’s favourite wise-cracking, whip-slinging archaeologist.
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is very much in the LEGO Star Wars mould. It presents tongue-in-cheek takes on the first three Indiana Jones movies, (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and Last Crusade) broken down into six sections each, for a total of 18 stages of ickle brick adventure fun; with a multitude of collectables, unlockables and bonuses to boot. Yet despite the familiar structure, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures looks likely to offer a different feel to its sci-fi brother, thanks to the altogether different setting of Indy’s adventures.
Indy's angular escapades
Lacking the lightsabers, blasters and Force powers of the Star Wars titles, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures looks to be more of a close-quarters combat oriented action game, with the occasional gun thrown in for good measure. That said, Indy’s angular escapades suggest a greater focus on adventure.
Where The Original Trilogy had its occasional puzzles, Indy’s Original Adventures being based on tomb-trawling and relic hunting means LEGO Indiana Jones promises switch-flicking, puzzle-packed and platform-happy gameplay, with Indy whip-swinging across chasms and climbing ledges not unlike the Tomb Raider games.
This will be a great way for Indiana Jones fans to relive the films, while introducing the series to younger gamers too.
Of course, LEGO fans can expect a more upbeat, colourful and less serious experience than Lara’s exploits. LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is based on one of cinema’s most iconic series and this will attempt to mimic the movies most memorable scenes. From the boulder dash intro of Raiders which serves as the tutorial to the game (the boulder being entirely made of LEGO, of course), to fighting fanatics in Temple of Doom and bouncing around Venice as in The Last Crusade – as well as exploring Barnett College, which acts as the game’s hub – this will be a great way for Indiana Jones fans to relive the films, while introducing the series to younger gamers too.
Fans and newcomers alike can expect tons of nice little touches in LEGO Indiana Jones that are Traveller’s Tales’ trademarks. The abovementioned boulder scene, for example, has been altered to be longer, and the character who runs off at the start of it in the film now stays with Indy through the section in the game and can be controlled by player two in co-op.
Indeed, co-op forms a core part of LEGO Indiana Jones in general, with solo players able to swap between characters in some sections to overcome obstacles. Ingeniously, the personality of the film’s characters has been applied to The Original Adventures; Indy, for instance, is scared of snakes, so find yourself in an area crawling with the things and he’ll stand there petrified, causing you to switch to the scene’s second character.
Packed with character
Like LEGO Star Wars, then, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is clearly packed with character – and characters, for that matter. There will be 60 Indy good guys and villains on offer, with the option to mix and match character parts and special moves again returning from the Star Wars LEGO games. Of course, it isn’t going to be a masterclass in interactive storytelling – characters lack digitised speech, so iconic lines like “We called the dog Indiana” will be absent – but the quirky cutscenes, expressive faces and funny grunts and wails of LEGO Indiana Jones’ brick-built cast should more than make up for it.
Light-hearted, good-natured and packed with comic moments to make you smile, as well as imaginative gameplay and multiplayer laughs galore, LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures already looks like a winner. We’ll be playing it for review extensively before launch, so check back in June to find out if this meets the hype and turns into one of the summer’s few must-have movie tie-ins.
Preview by: Mark 'Stickle Brick' Scott
Preview Published: 15.05.08