Patrick Murphy:
You guys always have things like HDTVs, headsets, and other electronic stuff and I was wondering what you do with all of the th ...
OXM SAYS:
Generally, we return them. HDTVs are obtained with legally binding loan agreements; we have generally 30 to 45 d...MORE
Posted on: Jun 05, 2008
Lego Indiana Jones:
The Original Adventures
WORDS BY: Corey Cohen
If ever an idea sold itself, it was Lego Star Wars. Even the hardest hearts in gaming were softened by the mix of classic characters and timeless toys, presented in a cute, clever style that was irresistible. But now that this formula’s fueled two games, can it dazzle us all over again with an all-new movie license?
On the surface, the character of Indiana Jones is a good fit for the franchise. He’s an explorer, eager to discover new things, which matches the Lego-game mentality of obsessively unearthing every hidden Lego piece and secret in the gameworld. And while we’re talking superficialities, we’ve gotta say — we dig the visuals here. It’d have been easy to bore us silly with stark brown caves and leafy jungles. But whether you’re evading a giant boulder or searching for the Grail — the action spans Raiders, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade (six missions apiece) — the characters and environments are vividly rendered and nicely detailed, making this world of plastic snakes, blocky cars, and sliding blocks feel all the more immersive. Innovative and mind-blowing, no. Simple, stylish, and engaging – yes.
Moreover, developer Traveller’s Tales has clearly tried to evolve the gameplay of the Lego Star Wars titles. For one thing, the game has far more cooperative puzzles than the Star Wars entries. If you’re playing by yourself, this means you’ll be doing more character-switching — for instance, positioning Short Round on a rope, then switching to Willie to have her pull a second rope, which opens a door. (Thankfully, you no longer have to be right next to a character to switch to them.) If you’re playing a co-op game, it means a heightened sense of teamwork as you tackle these puzzles.
Characters can also pick up all sorts of items now, so you’re not limited to whatever your default item is. The pickups are a diverse lot, ranging from shovels (for digging up treasure) and wrenches (for repairing vehicles and machines) to guns (for shooting Nazi-ish foes) and books (for entering special areas). Of course, Indy’s whip — which only he can use — is the best, most diverting item of all. With it, you can stun enemies, pull switches, swing across chasms…or even snag Marion and pull her in for a quick smooch.
Yup, the developer’s trademark humor is in full effect — particularly in the game’s cutscenes, which are almost as funny and entertaining as the powerhouses in Lego Star Wars. Like the rest of the game, they’re kid-friendly, too (read: no Mola Ram heart-pulling), making Lego Indy a good choice to play cooperatively with little ones. Whoever you co-op with, you’ll need to do it on the same console: amazingly, there’s no co-op play over Xbox Live, even though Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga had it and the forthcoming Lego Batman will have it, too. Needless to say, that’s a big disappointment in a franchise that, here more than ever, has always emphasized co-op play.
We found something else disappointing, too: as much as Lego Indy enhances the series’ core gameplay, there’s still a basic “rote-ness” to the game, whether you’re trudging through Temple of Doom’s mines or riding motorcycles in Last Crusade. In between the comical cutscenes and setpiece boss battles, you sometimes become all-too-aware of the slog you’re on, and getting to your destination starts to feel like a bit of a chore. Maybe that’s inevitable when you’re playing the third — albeit fairly evolved — game in a series, but we definitely noticed that, well, the novelty’s somewhat worn off this time around. Minor annoyances like the camera, which occasionally irritates in single-player and can truly frustrate in multiplayer, began to really bug us.
There’s still a lot of entertainment value here: the cutscenes, the puzzles, the whip, the unlockable areas, the light-hearted humor. But, moreso than with Lego Star Wars, you don’t need a microscope to see the flaws in this shiny new jewel.
On Xbox 360
7.5
- Stylish visuals; nifty cutscenes.
- Adds new gameplay elements to Lego Star Wars setup.
- Action can grow tedious; camera can be aggravating.
- No online co-op!
- Will Lego Batman return the series to stardom?
Mon, 06/09/2008 - 22:20
Posted by Gogolor
Thu, 06/05/2008 - 19:54
Posted by Corey OXM
Actually, Gogolor, one of Lego Indy's cutscenes does adapt the human-sacrifice scene from Temple of Doom----there's just no heart-pulling of any kind. The game puts a more humorous, kid-friendly spin on the event.
w00t! Really looking forward to playing this game as soon as i kill that last mime boss in PAAOTRSPOD!
Mon, 06/09/2008 - 04:38
Posted by ravensclaw007
Whoa, hey I was wrong. I looked at the June issue and Commanders: Attack of the Genos got a 7.0 in the back button section. My bad! Go oxm.
Mon, 06/09/2008 - 04:34
Posted by ravensclaw007
Hey Paul, Corey, and the gang,
I love it! Yes, blue skies. No worries Paul. Despite my earlier rant, I don't take it too seriously. Its fun to chime in every once in a while. You guys are awesome, it cool to hear from you, thanks! But to follow up on my earlier comments...
Yes, I think we all understand the scoring system. "Sucks" was figuratively speaking. I'm sure I'm not the only one out there that thinks/feels that when the score dips below 8.0 it drops off our gotta buy radar. I can't imagine a lot of the readers thinking, "sweet it got 7.5, I gotta go get that." It that's unjust, then oxm needs to change the back button to 7.0 and above right? cause that's a "good" game. hmm. I just hate to see a great game get a low score. Glitch W. - you're taking things way too literal man. I have to say I laughed when I read we can all go online and read the quotes, dude, hilarious, cause we all do that right, all the time. yup. And Glitch W, yes scores are agreed upon by the whole staff. So you're saying they all play through the game and review it?...nope. I.e. it's heavily swayed by the reviewer. Which is fine, I'm just saying its a tough score to hand out. Nobody is saying that oxm gets it right every time. Are you? To err is human. Anyways, life goes on.
BTW, Love the Mag ! And despite my arguments above, I think you all do a bang up job! Keep up the great work!
Go Indy.
PS, I look forward to seeing the back button section in the mag changed to 7.0 and above in three months. I'll be keeping my eye out for it. ;)
Mon, 06/09/2008 - 03:57
Posted by Paul OXM
Hey ravensclaw, deep breaths, calm blue ocean & all that jazz. As you can see here -- http://www.oxmonline.com/articles/58 -- by giving it a 7.5, Corey's calling it a good game. And thanks Glitch, well put.
Sat, 06/07/2008 - 18:00
Posted by Glitch W
@ravensclaw007
The problem is that you are under the impression that a 7.5 is a bad score, which it isn't. A 7.5 is an above average score despite popular opinion. You also are not right to say that the reason that this game was scored as it did was because he is "anti-Indy." As Corey, Dan, and others of the OXM staff have previously stated, reviews are agreed upon by the whole staff.
As for your argument that he did not mention the Achievements is flawed. If you are looking for a review of Achievements, go to MitchyD's article "The Scoreboard." Seriously though, would you honestly buy a game because it has funny achievement quotes? You can see the achievements for free on the Internet.
Overall your continued persistence in saying that the 7.5 score is "brutal" and "is sending a message to the world that OXM thinks the game sucks." is simply incorrect. A 7.5 is an above average score and does not mean a game "sucks."
Thanks,
Glitch W
Sat, 06/07/2008 - 03:45
Posted by ravensclaw007
Corey, seriously man, your bias in your review was painfully evident. Clearly you're anti-Indy and pro Batman. We know you're queued up for Batman already, but why the hatin for Indy? My daughter and I have been having a great time! The puzzles are really creative and fun. However, I agree with the slogging through the game comment, which was just as bad or worse in Lego Star Wars, but a 7.5 score?! That's brutal. They also improved the game by gettting rid of the retarded gold bricks, simplifly the game. They tightened the controls as well. The quotes on the achievements are classic and fun. You didn't mention any of that in your review. Ok so we get you don't like Indy, but giving it such a low score is sending a message to the world that OXM thinks the game sucks. Unjustified and agruably unecessary.
Fri, 06/06/2008 - 15:23
Posted by shadowover93
Wow,is their going to be a lego Halo?Now that is a bunch of BS.
Fri, 06/06/2008 - 00:54
Posted by Corey OXM
Actually, Gogolor, one of Lego Indy's cutscenes does adapt the human-sacrifice scene from Temple of Doom----there's just no heart-pulling of any kind. The game puts a more humorous, kid-friendly spin on the event.
Fri, 06/06/2008 - 00:34
Posted by Sgt.Gamer
Hey shadowover93, how bout' a Lego Halo? A little Language here,blood splatter there. Tobacco use there could be fun!lol. The games O.K. and great pass time for boredom. I say a 7.8 if its possible
Fri, 06/06/2008 - 00:31
Posted by Gogolor
Still a must buy for me. I'm disappointed to hear there's no LEGO adaptation of the Thuggee ceremony though : ( I was really looking forward to it.
Thu, 06/05/2008 - 21:04
Posted by shadowover93
Weak,another Lego game. When will they stop.