VIDEO GAME REVIEW: LEGO Indiana Jones 2

The first name in adventure returns for second LEGO adventure.

STORY:
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas went back to the well, so why shouldn’t Traveller’s Tales? The game developer’s sequel to “LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures” essentially exists so gamers can play through stages modeled after the fourth Indy adventure, “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” Mutt Williams becomes a playable character, and the action is ramped up over the “Original” LEGO game. But new elements will keep Indy fans entertained, meaning the game is not a rehash that simply grabs for cash.

GAME PLAY:
What new elements? First and foremost, “LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues” comes with an easy-to-use feature that lets players create their own levels. This function gets to the heart of LEGO blocks, which are supposed to be used to create one thing, then torn apart and used to create something completely different. “Build Your Own Level” lets fans construct challenging scenes using objects, vehicles and more. These new levels can be shared with friends, or dropped into pre-existing levels on the game. It takes the “Indiana Jones” environment, pardon the pun, to a new level.

But most of “Indy 2” is new. Yes, you can work your way through “Crystal Skull” challenges. But in doing so, you unlock games modeled after the first three “Indiana Jones” movies: “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “The Temple of Doom” and “The Last Crusade” (which turned out not to be the last crusade, but let’s not get technical).

But wait. You already played those levels in the first game! Ah, yes, but Traveller’s wisely fleshed out scenes that were not included in the first game, or explored different angles for scenes you once played. The environments are much larger in “Indy 2,” and the puzzles harder to solve. “Indy 2” assumes you’ve played the game (or some form of a LEGO game) already, so early challenges are rather difficult and minor villains present advanced boss-battle challenges when you’re least expecting them. There are more tools to experiment with, more vehicles to drive, more secrets to unlock and plenty more worlds to explore as Indiana, Marion, Mutt and the rest of the crew.

If the game makes one mistake, it’s in introducing a new split-screen function that allows players to explore different areas while playing in co-op mode. Remember how you couldn’t go too far away from your partner in the “Original” series? Now when players split up, the screen splits with them, allowing you to follow your character on half of the screen. A think black line divides your screen. It twirls around when the characters re-approach each other. And most times, I wasn’t sure where to look … giving enemies more than enough time to punch, kick and shoot me while I was distracted. It’s a neat concept, but incredibly distracting in practice. Perhaps I just need more time to get used to it, but on first pass, I didn’t care for this new feature.

CONCLUSION:
Amazingly, “LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues” proves that the LEGO franchises can continue, even in places they’ve already explored. Having played through the “Original” series, I still found plenty to love about this sequel, which overflows with fresh challenges and stimulating content. The game play is smooth, though the split-screen drives me crazy. Overall, this is a solid game for LEGO and Indiana Jones fans, alike.

OVERALL GRADE: B

EM Review by
Sean O’Connell
Originally Posted 11.19.09