I have
to admit that I was a bit skeptical when I heard they were going to give the
LEGO treatment to some of my favorite franchises like Star Wars, Indiana Jones
and even Batman but it turns out that these games were not only delightfully
humorous but also unexpectedly fun for gamers of all ages. While Indiana Jones
has gotten the LEGO treatment before, LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure
Continues for the Xbox 360 is Doctor Jones’ best adventure yet.
We
named the dog Indiana
Like
the first LEGO Indiana Jones game, this sequel takes us through many of the more
memorable events of all four Indiana Jones movies with more emphasis on the
fourth film, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, seeing as it makes up the
Story Mode’s first levels. However, you do get to unlock the levels pertaining
to the first three films starting with Raiders of the Lost Ark,
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and finally Indiana Jones and the
Last Crusade. Oh, but these aren’t the same levels from the first game but
rather they’re bigger and better and there are even levels left out the first
time around (but more on that a bit later).
The
good news is that you can play the first few levels of the Crystal Skull
story and quickly unlock Raiders so you can go back to playing the true
Indy classics. Once all the chapters are unlocked, the game gives you the chance
to play through the story levels of the other chapters at any chapter or level
that catches your fancy. You can even go back to a favorite level with any new
character you unlocked in Treasure Mode or even Free Play mode.
If you
haven’t played a LEGO Indiana Jones game before, the chapters retell the
story from each film in its own cute and often funny manner. Sure, you’ll
recognize the scenes but they – naturally – leave the violence out such in
famous scenes like the face melting scene in Raiders or the cult leader
ripping out hearts with his bare hand in Temple of Doom and replace them
with slapstick comedy. As I mentioned, there are even new levels with new scenes
left out in the first game. Missed the car chase scene with Short Round in
Temple of Doom? Then you will be happy with this sequel.
The
game’s sequel has bigger environments this time around and that means more
ground to cover and more puzzles to solve. Once again, many of the puzzles you
solve in the game requires different characters with their own unique abilities
and skills. Marion and Willie, for example, have the ability to jump really high
and can reach places the men cannot. Indy, of course, has his whip while Short
Round has a wrench for the mechanical-based puzzles. Need to dig something up? Then Sallah is your man. Some characters even have phobias that get in the way
of solving puzzles. For example, Indiana is afraid of snakes and his father,
Doctor Henry Jones, is scared of rats.
Nazis, I hate those guys
Aside
from fun and often challenging puzzles, the game features plenty of fights
– whether it’s going up against LEGO Nazis, cultists, gangsters or Russian
soldiers just to name a few of the foes you’ll be facing. There are also boss
battles, many of which are actually quite inventive and fun seeing as they take
more than just brawling skills to defeat those bosses. Indy has a few new moves up his
sleeve like the ability to whip tie somebody or whip tie them and then pick them
up over his shoulder to toss somewhere. There are also vehicles in the game,
many of which are used in combat (knocking other vehicles out) races and some
of them are used to solve puzzles.
There
are plenty of unlockable extras in the game such as the ability to purchase new
vehicles and extra characters that you can use for the other game modes such as Free
Play or Treasure Mode. This adds to the replay value. You can still have a friend
drop in and out of the game offline as well as via Xbox Live but the best
feature just happens to be the Build Your Level mode that allows you to create
your own level complete with objects, vehicles and just about anything else you
might want to add to your player-created level. Then you can share them with a
friend and add your created level to any chapter. The best part is that even
younger gamers will be able to create levels without problems.
Fortune and glory
The
game’s visuals are actually quite impressive despite the fact that everything is
made out of LEGOs. The characters don’t always resemble the people from the
movies but you’ll know who is who and boy, do they look shiny during the cut
scenes. The environments actually do stand out beautifully and you just have to
love the animated re-enactment of various scenes from the movies. If the
Crystal Skull story was just entertaining as the story told here then Indy
fans would have been happier.
Interestingly enough, this is the first game where I don’t mind the total
absence of voice work. The gags in the game are purely sight gags and that works
well enough this way but we would have loved more sound effects. Still, the
soundtrack more than makes up for this mainly because it’s composed of John
Williams’ score from all four movies so you just don’t hear the same classic
“Raiders’ March” theme … although it never gets old.
Spanning all four films and adding a number of juicy building block extras,
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues for the Xbox 360 is not just
another fun romp with everyone’s favorite archeologist but it’s also the best
LEGO Indiana Jones game yet. Sure, the first game was great but this one has
enough content to make for a purchase and even more so if you missed it the
first time around.
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Gameplay: 9.0
Fortunately, many
of the more exciting moments from all four Indy movies that were left out of the
first game do show up in this sequel. There are plenty of levels with more
characters to unlock, vehicles to use (including animals to ride, like horses and
camels) and fun boss fights and puzzles. You can even build your own level via a
level editor.
Graphics: 9.0
Sure, the
characters and objects are made out of LEGO but on the Xbox 360 they look
downright amazing. The scenes are actually quite funny at times and downright
hilarious in other times.
Sound: 8.5
There’s no
dialogue and that’s fine seeing as the characters are a lot funnier
communicating via grunts. What makes up for the minimal sound effects and lack
of voice acting is the unforgettable John Williams score that plays throughout
the game.
Difficulty: Medium
Some of the
puzzles in the game will actually have you wondering what to do next no matter
how old you are while others are easy to figure out. Combat can also be a bit
challenging as well if you don’t watch your health, and some boss battles will
keep you very busy.
Concept: 9.0
All four Indiana
Jones movies are well represented in this game and you’ll be able to unlock more
characters with their own unique abilities and phobias to use in the Free Play
mode. There are a number of vehicles to unlock and use in the levels. We love
co-op play but we love the Build Your Level mode even better.
Multiplayer: 9.0
Once again, a
friend can drop in and out whenever they feel like it throughout the game’s
various story levels as well as the Build Your Level mode. The best part is that
you can share your created levels online with other players via Xbox Live.
Overall: 9.0
LEGO Indiana
Jones 2: The Adventure Continues is a far superior sequel and
a truly enjoyable LEGO title that gamers of all ages will relish on their
Xbox 360. Thanks to the new level editor and loads of levels that span the four
Indy films, this is the LEGO Indiana Jones game you will definitely want
to buy.
