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By Keith B (17th Jul 2008)The ageing adventurer gets the LEGO treatment, and is as just about as entertaining as the original Star Wars instalment.

LEGO Star Wars was a surprise success, considering there wasn’t a huge media machine behind it, and rightly so. The world which the developers at Traveller’s Tales tackled was one that many had a soft spot for, so as long as it wasn’t shambolic it was always going to have an audience. Well, in a little bit more of a business decision, the LEGO crossover takes place with the release of the latest Indiana Jones movie, cashing in on the hype.

But we don’t mind that, because where many titles released to cash in on movie hysteria aren’t worth the rubbish they’re made of, there is so much nostalgia here that, as long as you have any interest in the franchise, you’re going to find a lot to like in this.

As before, what you have is a puzzle-based platformer, where Indy and a gang of cohorts play through the first three movies –Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade. Each movie-game can be tackled independently so should you have a hankering for some Temple of Doom action you can jump straight in from the start, without clearing Raiders. All the decision making on which movie to go for takes place at Indy’s university, which also houses the rooms to check on artifacts found, characters unlocked, and so forth.
Once you get into a level you’ll find it a carbon copy of Star Wars’ gameplay – you smash everything you can to collect studs, or money; you build things from LEGO to help you progress (engine parts, bridges, statues – everything you can think of); you kill lots and lots of Nazis, and swing around on your whip. The whip is Indy’s new toy and it’s useful – aside from crossing chasms on it, you can attack enemies and also grab things out of reach and pull them to you. Where you can use the whip is highlighted so you’ll never find yourself completely stuck.

Like SW, you also need people that can jump higher (the girls) and small people (kids). The former can obviously jump and access higher places while the latter can scurry through holes and into secret rooms.
On the initial playthrough you don’t need to worry about finding all the artefacts or collectables because this is a game designed for multiple attempts. The heaps of characters and potential to unlock even more levels mean there is e very reason to go back a few times, and throw in the fact the, having played through it once and seen all the puzzles, you can fly through it the second time with uber efficiency and pace. And, once you’ve gone through the game once, the subsequent times allow you to bring a party of up to 10 characters with you (not all on screen at once, a flick of the bumper buttons cycles through them). This means you should always heve a jumper and crawler, meaning you should be able to access all areas.

The best thing about the game though is the humour, which is captured very well indeed. From the smirking Indy to the women in his life making his life miserable, his fear of snakes, the constant reaction to be one-upped by the Nazis – it’s all done with great polish. Dig a little deeper and there are more things to put a smile on your five – all the Nazi soldiers are blue-eyed and blonde haired which is funny but also a little brave from Telltale (using Nazis in any other way than shooting them dead is always a risk).

Indy can also access restricted areas by wearing the hat from an enemy and approaching the gate, and should he pass through, this is an Aladdin’s Cave of studs, artefacts and other goodies.

What’s not so hot with the game then? Well, if you weren’t a fan of the Star Wars one then this is a definite avoid. If you’re not into platformers or if you can’t get your kicks unless you’re in a FPS with an M16, then don’t bother. The camera angles are fixed in position, and for the most part work okay, but there will be sections now and again when you’re fighting people off-screen. This can be frustrating.

It’s also incredibly easy, although this isn’t really a criticism because the game isn’t structured for you to be in combat all the time, and unless you’re pretty average in the IQ stakes you’ll find it hard to get yourself stuck.
Multiplayer is catered for with a drop-in, drop-out feature which promotes casual and family play, which is a good thing I’m sure. There are plenty if instances where you need to get one character into place and then the other, such as jumping on two ropes to open a door. I didn’t play much co-op but when I tried it, it was all I expected.

The game looks good, and sound good too, considering there are no voices. All on-screen communication is conducted with grunts and groans but they’re surprisingly fitting. It’s actually enjoyable and means the same game can ship anywhere in the world. How many games do you know can do that?

LEGO Indiana Jones is worth a look if you like the style of game, and while it’s fair to say that Telltale has certainly remained within the comfort zones it’s easy to understand why. Don’t fix what ain’t broke and all that. Ultimately it comes down to your preference for gaming. Casual, family, light entertainment – buy it. FPS-mad, need to shout insults at people over Live about how good you are (when you’re not, you’re just delusional) – stay away. I’m a blend of both and I enjoyed it.