by Derek Draven

Created on: March 18, 2009

Star Wars: Lego proved that the Lego franchise could have a successful run on next generation video game platforms, despite the lack of any physical Legos with which to play with. The Lego series is basically a parody of specific franchises, opting for a more kid-friendly approach to the subsequent subject matter.

Indiana Jones: Lego continues the trend by making fun of all three movies in the original Jones' trilogy. As with Star Wars: Lego, the game purposely alters the canon and playout of certain scenes for a more comical effect. The end result is pretty much the same as the original game.

One or two players must play through each of the game's three chapters (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and the Last Crusade) and use puzzle solving skills to complete each level. Throughout the levels are numerous objects which can be blown up to expose hidden items, money and weapons. Certain parts of the game force the player to "build" an object out of a pile of Lego blocks to form vehicles and other machines which can be used to pass a certain obstacle. There are combat techniques as well, each one effectively blowing up enemy Lego characters into small pieces.

It's all in good fun, of course, and the game does stay enjoyable thanks to the puzzle solving elements mentioned before. However, Indiana Jones: Lego suffers from not having enough hidden content to unlock. Where Star Wars: Lego could keep you going for months, this Lego game feels much more hastily put together and incomplete. Everything for Indiana Jones fans is here, but sometimes the game takes such a detour from the original source material that it becomes uncomfortable, rather than funny.

Simplistic graphics make it easy for the game to look fine on any system, whether it be the traditional Wii, or the infinitely more powerful PlayStation 3. The X-Box 360 version looks sparkling and clean. All three versions feature standard surround sound and fine controls. They aren't perfect, however. Characters sometimes slide off of cliffs and into bottomless pits when the player tries to navigate around these hazards. It's far from terrible, but it does need some fine-tuning.

It remains to be seen whether Batman: Lego can solve the depth problems of this title, but for all intents and purposes, Indiana Jones: Lego is a fun game to play through. Just don't expect to go back and unlock a ton of hidden stuff, because there really isn't much there.

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