PC

  News 
  Reviews
  Previews
  Hardware
  Interviews
  All Features

Areas

  3DS
  Android
  iPad
  iPhone
  Mac
  PC
  PlayStation 3
  PlayStation 4
  Switch
  Vita
  Wii U
  Xbox 360
  Xbox One
  Media
  Archives
  Search
  Contests

 

Lego Indiana Jones: Whipping into LEGO Action

Company: Lucas Arts

If you're like me, you've loved the Lego Star Wars games, with their comedic slant on the classic films, so the idea of the same style being applied to an equally classic series, Indiana Jones, is just great.

The demo that we got to play covers the opening scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indy has traveled to South America in search of a golden idol. Well, based on that level (and its accompanying Free Play mode), I have to say, Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures not only takes all the great features from the Star Wars games, but enhances them with truly Indy mechanics.


The first of these mechanics is, of course, Indy's whip. With it, he can stun enemies, grapple across chasms and pull at wall switches. But Indy's whip isn't the only added weapon. Actually several characters, from natives to German soldiers, have items they use to attack. Before playing in Free Play mode, you have access to Satipo's shovel, Jock's wrench and you can even pick up spears and cross bows from the attacking natives.

The demo's Free Play mode lets you cycle between those characters, a German soldier who throws grenades, Short Round, a priest of Kali Ma, and several other characters that have specific abilities. One of these characters is Indy's dad, who carries with him a book that he uses to translate hieroglyphics and open up various doors, while Willie can use her shrill scream to break glass. All of these skills are necessary in order to get all of the Golden Treasure Chests scattered about the level (these are analogous to the mini-kits found in the Star Wars games).


There are a few other mechanics added to this game that helps make it seem more than just an Indy skin on the Lego line. For one, you can swim, so now you will have to go into the water to collect enough studs to be proclaimed "True Adventurer", or grab onto hanging vines to activate various switches. There also seems to be a good bit of semi-buried treasure that requires you to control a character with a shovel (like Satipo) in order to dig up. Throw in some dangerous animals like alligators and spiders (both big and small) as well as some booby traps, and you have yourself an Indiana Jones Lego game.

While Lego Indiana Jones is very blatantly branded The Original Adventures, we can at least hope for a secret Kingdom of the Crystal Skull level similar to the Episode IV level in the original Lego Star Wars game.

If you get a chance, download the demo yourself (the link is below), and try out this first level. I had a lot of fun exploring the areas, and the slap-stick cut-scenes in Story Mode are just precious. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure comes out for the DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Windows on June 3rd.



-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications
AKA Chris Meyer

Related Links:



Windows Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Sony PlayStation 2 Chaos Wars

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated