INDIANA JONES LEGO
i have to love it, every inch of its cutie-pieness but there is something lacking as a static sequel to the mechanics of its star waring predecessor. there is little evolution here in terms of play, infact it is complicated by the removal of the ‘force’ that is your guide in star wars. there is a little more to learn and lot more left undone at story mode, though i do not dispute re-plays. on a design level it is as dear as the lego genre holds you to expect. the levels are smaller, and the strategies less kined to its filmic counterpart. some of the cut-scenes are lacking that pinache that i have come to expect, i only tittered a few times, and the transitions between play and animations is rough and careless at times. that single function button is so reminiscent of the simplicity of 2D platformers that i have to forgive it its uselessness, as i stand next to objects and send the command that inevitably performs the wrong function.
on to the good… the load screens are the perfect homage, as the map pulls you away from the annoyance of load times and sucks you straight into that filmic adventure world, truly sucking you into thought of travel and adventure. some of the character functions are pure enjoyable novelty, the fear function for instance. indy is frozen by snake proximity and willie paralyzed in the presence of crawlers. despite her uselessness Willie is probably the best presented lego caricature. her only use is to scream in terror, smashing glass with the decibel, and fight like a flapping little girl.
regardless it is entirely playable and despite size welcomes freeplay do-overs and rewards good play with trophy levels to wet the appetite. unfortunately it will not keep me occupied til octobers Batman release. i demand more lego games. with the character models having noting more than cosmetic alteration, and the mechanic merely tweaked there i no reason that traveler tales couldn’t deliver 2 annually. next years requests: Back to the Future and X-Men… lego wolverine we love you!!!
