As long as there are big budget franchises that set up their own cinematic universes, there will always be a lego video game tie-in that manages to follow along. Lego Indiana Jones would be the second time that Travelers Tales took another well known Lucasfilm movie franchise and made it into a video game for all ages. After their major success with turning the Star Wars movies into fully fledged playable lego video games, Indiana Jones was the next in the lineup to be legofied, and the results are as follows.
The stories for the game are based on the Indiana Jones movies that were released during the time. Throughout the journey, you will be able to play through Raiders of the lost ark, Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade. Each of the stories follow the same beats as the movies but with the added twist that they have some campy fun by doing random jokes and showing cartoony hijinks. This game continues the tradition of being childish but also irresistible and it's great to see the stories of Indiana jones being told in a more humorous and positive light compared to how the movie’s styles and tone are much different than the game is.
If you’ve played the Lego Star Wars games then Lego Indiana Jones gameplay follows the exact same format. The hub world is none other than Barnett College, it is the same place that Indiana Jones teaches his college courses in the movies. You can play alone or with a friend and you’ll be able to play as many different characters in story mode and even many more when you unlock free play. Every level is based on a location from the movie you are playing through and you’ll need to puzzle solve and fight enemies in order to get from point A to point B. collectable are hidden all over the place and you can spend the studs you collect on things such as new characters both Enemies and Heroes, and unlockables that include cutscene clips and powerful upgrades. If you're looking for a lego video game that changes the formula, you won’t get it here, but the formula the game runs on is still tried and true and it works well for Indiana Jones as it did for Star Wars.
Compared to the graphics of later lego games, this game may not look as smooth or as polished as later titles, but there are still plenty of things to be impressed by such as the level design and details they possess. Each location makes you feel like your playing through a lego version of the movie and the game feels authentic as there are plenty of areas you will recognize if you remember what happens in the movies. The lego characters look really good and they can have a wide range of expressions from joy to anger. These graphics are not nearly as impressive as they were in the star wars games, but Travelers Tales still did a great job faithfully recreating the sights and scenery from the Indiana Jones movies and bring them to light in a more cartoony and colorful backdrop.
Most of the music was composed by David Whittaker even though the original tracks he is scoring are basically recreations of the score from the movies that were originally done by John Willams. There really isn’t much to talk about with the music as it basically does its job to make you feel like you're playing an Indiana Jones product. Its great and tried and true, and that is really all there is to it.
This is a good game for kids and kids at heart, while the graphics could use a bit more polish this was a step in the right direction for Travelers Tales and it would lead them to create other lego games based on big franchises such as Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. The gameplay is simple but welcoming and the campy feel of the way they tell the Indiana Jones stories remains intact. If you liked the Lego Star Wars game, chances are you’ll probably like this one too. It’s not my personal favorite lego game but it is still good.
(Final Grade: B)