LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures - Xbox 360 review

Full Review

If you’d like a swift verdict, then this one is for you. If LEGO Star Wars is one of your most fondly adored games, then LEGO Indiana Jones is going to blow your socks off.

Unsurprisingly there’s little deviation from the same old gameplay. When you are selling millions, why would you go changing a winning formula? It’s all about the exploration, collecting as many LEGO nubs as possible, and simply having a good old laugh.

Taking in all three films, you’ll find yourself taking part in all the major scenes you so fondly remember. So you’ll go frantically sprinting away from a huge boulder, take part in a thrilling mine cart chase, and make your presence felt in just about every other scene you can think of.

This time you’re never on your own. Nope, you’ve always got a game-specified compatriot to tag along that can either be controlled by a fellow gamer, or handled via the game’s AI.

Each character has a specific helpful trait. Marion, for example, has a fantastic double jump that can reach some of the collectibles that Indy can’t hurl his whip towards.

The only problem is the AI is a bit on the daft side. With some of the game’s most inventive puzzles requiring you and your compatriot to work together, actually getting your fellow character to give you a hand is a trick unto itself.

There are tonnes of puzzles to play around with, just about all of which are fantastically realised. The development team have crammed in some real head scratchers, though none are so tricky that you’ll spend more than a few minutes firmly stuck.

That’s a good thing too as LEGO Indiana Jones is one for the whole family to enjoy. Got yourself a young ‘un eager for some gaming action? Stick this one on, hand them a pad, and they’ll be hooked.

Not that there’s nothing for us older types. The hints of humour that made the LEGO Star Wars games an even bigger joy are back and even better than ever. If less than half a dozen cutscenes don’t manage to drag a chuckle from you, I’ll gobble down my hat.

It’s not all peaches and cream for Indy mind you. Though there is loads to unlock, and replaying the levels is a real treat, it’ll only last you a week of gaming at best. Not a horrifically terrible length of time, but if you get really hooked, it might only last you a weekend before you’ve seen almost everything on offer.

Plus, it has to be said that Indiana Jones just isn’t quite as enthralling a setting as Star Wars. Not that Indy is a bad character to go for, just that he’s not quite as widely adored as the Star Wars bunch.

Verdict

Yet another combination of Lego, and a brilliant series of films. It doesn’t take the brain of a rocket science (or just a whip to the bottom) to figure out that you could do a lot worse than make a trip to your local gaming store.

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