Lego Indiana Jones
Preview
Indy swings his whip at Lego blocks
by Marko Susimetsä
previewed on PC
Other cast members (cntd)
If you are playing alone, you can quickly switch which character you want to play by pressing K on the keyboard (or a button on the controller, if you happen play with one), but if you have a friend with you, they will be controlling the second character. All in all, the game gives me the impression that it will be at its best when you are playing with a friend. You can compete in collecting points and even smash each other into bits if such activities attract you, but the main goal is to solve puzzles in peaceful cooperation.
Graphics and controls
The graphics are very nice and serve their purpose perfectly – reinforcing the overall feeling of an uncomplicated and fun game. Rather than building the entire environment out of Lego blocks, the designers have used Legos only where they are best suited for the job. The general environment is rendered in a cartoony style that fits the Lego characters very well. The movements of the characters are fluid and there's simply no problems to run this game even on a mediocre platform - which is evinced by the fact that this title will be available to so many different platforms.
There are some levels where you may have trouble finding the correct spot to jump from in order to grab a hanging rope. On these occasions, it would have helped if you could adjust the viewing angle to check the alignment of certain ledges, but this is simply not possible in a game meant for a co-op experience. Also, the keys assigned for the controlling of the characters are pretty non-standard. Instead of using the keys around the usual WASD cluster for special actions, you basically have to use another hand to use the special keys on the other side of the keyboard. However, you can naturally configure the controls however you like, so this is not such a big problem.
It's all about having fun
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures promises to be an unassuming, uncomplicated platformer that is likely to be enjoyed by both children and adults, preferably together. The learning curve is very short and even if you wind up getting your hero killed a few times, it doesn't decrease the overall level of enjoyment. Rather, it is pretty funny to see the heroes and all the enemies blow up into their Lego component parts when they get killed.
This is a definite must have addition to my personal game collection and to all fans of Indiana Jones.
