When LEGO Star Wars came out, people wondered at the sheer idea of it. Who thought it would be a good idea to merge LEGO and Star Wars in videogame form? Many people wrote it off as a quick attempt to cash in on some Star Wars and kiddy bucks, and that was that. Then-much like Guitar Hero-people tried it, and learned it was actually a damn good game. And thus the LEGO videogame age began.
With all six Star Wars films exhausted after three games, it was time for Traveller’s Tales and LucasArts to turn their sight on the other worldwide sensation franchise they had at their disposal: Indiana Jones. (I’m sure that the timing of Crystal Skull was entirely coincidental…)
Unlike Star Wars, Indy films have far less in terms of easily recognizable characters; outside of Indy, only a few people would be recognized by those who saw the film ages ago, let alone known. Even more difficult, there’s really nothing too different about characters. To combat this problem, in LEGO Indiana Jones characters have less emphasis placed on their own unique abilities, and more is placed upon the items at your disposal. Outside of Indy (who always has his trademark whip) and a few other characters who have their own unique abilities, most of the diversity comes from what you happen to be holding on to at that time. Shovels let you dig, books let you translate, torches let you set stuff alight, guns shoot, etc.
What is similar between the two LEGO franchises is how the action and story progress. Like Star Wars, LEGO Indiana Jones (for the most part) tells the story of the three Indy films. (Darn, no Crystal Skull?) The silent LEGO actors return, with much of their actions and miming falling under a much more comedic ceiling than that of the Indy films. To keep it kid-friendly some notable elements of the story were removed (like most of the cool stuff in Temple), but for the most part if you’ve watched Indy, you’ll see scenes you like.
One of the more unique elements of LEGO Indiana Jones are the phobias. Different characters have different phobias; obviously Indy’s afraid of snakes. Encountering your phobia leaves your character nearly catatonic, shivering in fright. A good deal of puzzles later on in the game relies on you finding ways around such phobias, often by swapping control, or having your buddy do something while you chill in the corner.
If you were at all worried about the co-op, rest assured that the co-op in LEGO Indy is just as fun as in Star Wars, and possibly more. Unlike LEGO Star Wars, the puzzles in Indy are a lot easier to figure out, but aren’t so simple they’re not challenging or fun. Traveller’s Tales really walked a fine line between ease of difficulty and simplicity, and pulled it off great.
Once you finish the game, you’re left with the same choice as when you finished LEGO Star Wars: pack the game up for good, or go through and get all the little bonuses. If you enjoy it, it can last quite a while-but be warned, the bonus missions in LEGO Indy far surpass those in Star Wars in terms of difficulty.
There’s really no difference between the PS3, 360 and PS2 versions of LEGO Indy outside of things such as achievements and better graphics, which should be obvious. There’s (still!) no online co-op, which is a shame.
Yet again, Traveller’s Tales has proven that LEGOs aren’t just for kids. LEGO Indy is a step above the Star Wars titles, and is a must-get for any fans of the whip-cracking archeologist. I can’t wait to see what LEGO Batman has in store for us.
