The first question I had when I saw that Lucasarts had created a sequel to the previous LEGO Indiana Jones game was why? Admittedly, the first instalment didn’t cover the latest film Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but would they be able to make a game which offered a new experience as opposed to releasing the same game with just a few extra levels.
You’ll be pleased to know that this game really provides entertainment and depth in abundance. I have always been a fan of the LEGO games and thought that the Star Wars versions as well as the Batman version were very good. I did feel that the last Indiana Jones game lacked a little depth.
With this release the game has been separated into 6 chapters, KOTCS has three separate chapters while the first three films only get one chapter each. This decision seemed a little strange but I imagine as KOTCS was overlooked in the first game that they gave it such a large chunk of this game.
This release sees the introduction of a slightly new idea for the Lego games in that each chapter has its own ‘hub’. In the previous games, you’d complete a level in the game and then replay the level in a free play mode with different characters where you’d unlock or be able to reach places you couldn’t in the story mode. Indy 2 loses the free play mode but gives these hubs a whole new lease of life.
The hubs are large free roaming areas where you have to open story levels by unlocking characters and vehicles. Once you’ve completed the story section you can then go around and complete bonus levels which unlock treasure chests which then appear together to build big items such as space rockets or submarines which then open up a final bonus level which normally revolves around getting a million studs.
The only criticism, if it is a criticism, I have about the hubs is that they are quite confusing at times because they are so large! It’s not easy to work out where you are supposed to be going other than an arrow pointing towards the entrance to a level. With that said, there is so much to do in these hubs that it’s easy to forget that they aren’t a proper level!
The game once again revolves around studs, breaking almost anything in sight to release these LEGO studs which you then use to buy characters, vehicles and bonuses – all of which are required to open the bonus levels and story modes. The game makes good use of characters again, Indy’s whip plays a large part with him swinging across gaps or capturing enemies. LEGO games make the most of using different characters for different tasks, any female character can jump higher than the males, while the older characters such as Henry Jones has his grail book to unlock hieroglyphic puzzles. There really is so much to do!
During the story mode, it has to be said that the developers have taken some liberties with the storylines from each film. At one point during the Crystal Skull you find yourself fighting a giant ant man, and in Raiders of the Lost Ark you have to take on a ghost at the end. It’s all a bit surreal but to be honest, it adds to the fun! These LEGO games are just a little glimpse of what games used to be before we were thrusted into the light of games like GTA and Call of Duty, it’s all just innocent fun.
As with any LEGO game, there is also the amusing version of events, each part of the film shown in cut-scenes is done in an entertaining way. It may not be really funny but it’s light hearted!
The gameplay itself is very similar to previous versions, as mentioned earlier, there are some new features thrown in such as fire which can be put out after throwing bottles of water at the flames. There has also been an introduction of vehicle levels which I must say didn’t do much for the game. I found these to be quite frustrating, all you do is drive around trying to hit other vehicles – each chapter of the game has one of these vehicle levels and they got very repetitive and don’t really provide much of a challenge.
The one thing this game does provide plenty of is depth. I played the game for over 10 hours and was only 35% complete with plenty obviously still to do. You will definitely get your moneys’ worth from this game.
Another new feature added to the game is the create option. You can now not only create a character, but also create a level and create an adventure. The create a character is simple enough and similar to previous versions but the idea of creating your own level is quite interesting. The create an adventure is basically where you choose a treasure, choose a level then complete the level as you do in the game – nothing too exciting there. The biggest problem with the create a level is the lack of online compatibility. If you could design levels, upload them for other users and download from an online community this game could offer a huge amount more but unfortunately it’s a little lackluster making levels for yourself.
Overall, you will probably already know if you’d be a fan of LEGO games or not. The developers have really added to this instalment of Indiana Jones. Yes, there are changes to the stories but nothing that ruins the experience of the game and there has been a real effort not to repeat elements from the first game to give fans their money’s worth. This is a fun game which really takes you back to basics in platforming and puzzles.
VideogameUK verdict: 7.5/10
