LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continue
Review
the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
by William Thompson
reviewed on NDS
Lego, is there anything it can’t do?
Before video games, kids played outside. They ran around, played sports, got into all sorts of mischief, and generally had heaps of fun. That was, of course, unless it was raining and you were stuck indoors. Lego was my saviour during those dark (and rainy) days. Putting together huge castles or pirate ships got me through until it was fine enough to go back outside.
Another brick in the wall
When the first Lego Star Wars game came out, I immediately went out and got it. It merged three of my favourite things (Lego, Star Wars and Video games) and I was impressed. Of course that led to other Lego based games including the original Lego Indiana Jones, which was heaps of fun. With the popularity of the first Lego Indy game, it was inevitable that a second would eventuate. And so, Lego Indiana Jones 2 – The Adventure Continues (henceforth referred to as Lego Indy 2) has turned up on store shelves for our entertainment.
After playing the game, it may as well have been titled LEGO Indiana Jones – The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as the game primarily revolves around that Indy movie. The Story mode is broken up into three acts following the storyline of the movie. Each Act is broken up into smaller sections, each giving an account of the story through a comic book style cut scene. These are done from Indy’s perspective and are quite humorous. The first three Indy movies do rate a mention, but only a minor one.
Brick by brick
But of course, the game isn’t about cut scenes. As with the other games in the Lego catalogue, Lego Indy 2 is all about collecting as many of those little bricks as you can. In typical Lego game formula, players must also smash the Lego environment to discover more Lego studs and hidden items such as gold fedoras (Indy’s choice of hat), special maps, and the occasion special red brick. Of course, standing in your way are numerous enemies. Although there doesn’t seem to be as many enemies in this game as in previous Lego games, they just continue trying to pull apart your little Lego character.
There are heaps of playable characters in the game, but these must be unlocked as you progress through the game. Every character has a special ability that will help to collect all the bricks and special items scattered throughout the game. Of course Indy has his whip, which can be used to swing on, or pull his supporting character up to higher ground. Marion Ravenwood can walk along narrow ledges, whilst Mutt (Indy’s son) can use his blade to cut ropes and can climb walls. This interaction with the characters is where Lego Indy 2 becomes challenging and more fun. It is here that the puzzles take shape and need to be completed before moving on to the next part of the story. Having the characters work together (you switch between characters) is imperative if you want to progress. The puzzles are not overly difficult, though, especially since the game highlights the character required to complete the task.
6.5
fun score
Pros
Familiar gameplay, enjoyable puzzles
Cons
Not muct different from existing LEGO titles
