LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (Wii) - Review by Chris

Introduction

The Indiana Jones films from Steven Spielberg and LucasArts are widely regarded as some of the best action films of all time. The films carry several of the most iconic moments in the history of films and if you ask anyone, I'm sure they'll at least know the classic theme tune that is part of the experience, even if they haven't seen the films. It's strange then that there haven't been many good games based upon the license, with only the very early graphic adventure games on the PC being worthy of the license. It's now the turn of developer Traveller's Tales to try and make good on the license with the Lego brand.

Gameplay

If you've had the joy of playing any of the previous Lego branded titles prior to this, then you'll know the score. However, for those who haven't Lego Indiana Jones takes that famous license and spins it into the world of Lego. Familiar locations, scenarios and characters are all created out of Lego as you'll play through the three original films (sorry no fourth one here but that's reserved for the next one) recreating the most iconic moments from them and then some. It's a simple premise that has worked well in the previous Lego games and still works well here, although the game has lost some of the charm that the original games had. You'll start off within Barnett College, which acts as the hub world for this game just as the cantina was in Lego Star Wars, and by heading for the notice boards in the main atrium you'll have access to the three films. You'll start off by only having access to Raiders of the Lost Ark but as you progress, you'll unlock both the Temple of Doom and the Last Crusade and each of these three films is split into 6 sections that span the course of each of the three films. There'll be some filler moments in these sections that you'll have to pass through but they all inevitably come to one of those iconic moments that the franchise is known for.

The gameplay pans out as a mix of platforming, action and puzzle solving, with a little bit of vehicular gameplay thrown in. Many titles have tried this style of mixing up the gameplay with multiple type but none haven't been able to nail it just as the Lego series has. The gameplay melds together extremely well, offering up platforming at one moment and when you've had enough, the game throws something else at you. This continuity between the gameplay makes for an enjoyable experience and never really tires over the course of the 18 levels. But because the game is marketed for children more so than adults, it does suffer from a lack of difficulty. As a result, if you choose to simply go for the main storyline, you'll finish the game pretty quickly and without much trouble. But this is only one way to play the game because the Lego series is known for having huge replayability and the levels offer up many nooks and crannies to explore. That replayability is apparent here, with there being over 60 characters to unlock which, after completing a level, all free to use again in said level to help you unlock more of the game's secrets. There aren't as many characters as the Lego Star Wars games and those available only add a small amount of variety to the gameplay but it does allow for some interesting level designs and puzzles. This becomes more apparent thanks to the drop-in, drop-out co-op which is a stalwart inclusion in the series but makes for some great gaming.

Along with an eclectic selection of characters, there are also many secret unlockables that grant or change the way in which the levels are played. These are found by collecting items either in the levels or around Barnett College and then purchased in one of the specific rooms within the college. There are plenty of these on offer, with some being genuinely interesting while others are the kind of thing you won't bother using, and can make playing through the levels again that little bit fresher. But it does lead to a large similarity with the older Lego games. These unlockables, as well as the gameplay as a whole, are very similar and little has changed in the time between the original and Lego Indiana Jones. This is the reason why the game and the series has started to lose its charm and will soon be in need of something drastic to shake things up.

Controls

Making use of the Wii-mote and Nunchuk, the controls are easy to get to grips with allowing you to jump and punch your way through the action. The Z button is used for an action specific to the character you are controlling, for example, with Indy it is used for his whip. Changing characters is as easy as pressing a button, in this case the C button so you can switch between the two characters you have control over on the fly. It's seamless and works well although when there are more than two characters, trying to get the game to switch to the one you want is difficult. Luckily for gamers, the only motion control implemented is that for cracking the whip but this is purely option and is otherwise covered by the Z button.

Graphics

The game is presented well, with everything looking as it should be, only made of Lego. The levels are open and large but are split into sections themselves, with a fade in screen breaking up the action while the next section is loaded. The textures for the environments aren't as well done as they could be, and are blurry throughout the entirety. The characters are animated well with the usual Lego humour coming about as a result of visual slapstick. There is a plethora of characters available, all being visually distinct but they end up playing very similar to one another. The game does suffer from some frame rate issues when things get hectic on screen but it never really holds the game back much.

Sound

The famous score heard in all of the films has been recreated here in high quality. It sounds great and flows with the game extremely well, changing in tempo when the action requires it to. It's as formidable now as it was when the films were originally released and is sure to bring in a new generation of kids humming the theme tune.

Final comments

Lego Indiana Jones goes a long way in doing justice to the license it carries. The game, while short, has huge amounts of replayability thanks to the large supporting cast of characters and unlockables to be bought and found. The charm that the original games exude has dwindled here somewhat but the end experience is one that is still genuinely entertaining for all ages. Any fans of the original films will no doubt enjoy what is on offer here but if you've played the Lego Star Wars titles, don't expect much in the way of difference in the gameplay.

Pro: Great and iconic music, genuinely fun in both single player and co-op, lots of replayabilty
Con: Some graphics issues, same template as previous games with little change
Final score: 8.3

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