LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues Review for Xbox 360

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues box art

System: X360, PS3, Wii, PC, PSP, DS	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Traveller's Tales	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: LucasArts	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Nov. 17, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

Also noticeably improved are the graphics. The slapstick comedy of the cutscenes has never looked more lifelike, and the in-game contrast between the realistic backgrounds and the LEGO constructions on them has never been more stark. One hopes the LEGO series will take on more special-effects masterpieces in the future.

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues screenshot

Despite all these changes, the basic soul of the LEGO series is there. The cutscenes are amusing, with LEGO figures acting out not-particularly-faithful recreations of well-known movie scenes. They still talk in that cute LEGO language of grunts and murmurs, and as soon as the cutscenes end, you still proceed to smash everything you see in search of those tiny LEGO studs. There's still the occasional offbeat touch; for example, Indy's fear of snakes from the movie makes it into the game and plays a role in some puzzles. When you die, you're still slapped on the wrist with a fine (paid in studs) and placed right back where you were with full health. The soundtrack still features the well-known music from the films in question, not to mention that indescribably heartwarming sound of LEGO blocks clinking off each other.

A few old annoyances stick around as well. The screen still tears now and again, though if you're willing to sacrifice some framerate, there's an option to fix this. In single-player mode, your A.I. partner still can't seem to handle the simple task of following you very well. He's always getting stuck somewhere, and if you switch characters to help him out, sometimes your own character will get hung up in the same place. Most of the puzzles are still painfully easy, also, which is probably less of a problem for the game's target audience than it is for us.

Whatever its flaws, this game does a decent enough job of walking the line between sticking to the formula and mixing things up. The developers will need to refine some of the changes in future installments; in particular, the "where do I go now?" problem is serious, especially for very young children with short attention spans. Regardless, it's refreshing to see them try something new for a change, and given the constant stream of LEGO-themed games, the franchise has aged surprisingly well.

By Robert VerBruggen
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.5

Graphics
The slapstick comedy of the cutscenes has never looked more lifelike, and the in-game contrast between the realistic backgrounds and the LEGO constructions on them has never been more stark.

3.0

Control
Basic navigation is a breeze, but driving and fighting feel really clunky.

4.8

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The soundtrack still features the well-known music from the films in question, not to mention that indescribably heartwarming sound of LEGO blocks clinking off each other.

3.5

Play Value
There's simply a ton of stuff to do here, though the game's problems get in the way of enjoying some of it.

3.7

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Build Your Own Adventure mode: Create your own levels and environments and share them with your friends. You can even combine them with the existing levels in the game.

New characters: Play all new Kingdom of the Crystal Skull characters such as Mutt Williams on his motorcycle and use special abilities, including Oxley's Crystal Skull Power.

New vehicles: Jump into all new vehicles to help Indy get through all the new levels including planes, boats, and mine carts -- but watch out for the quicksand!

Weapons and abilities: Indy can now grab an enemy with his whip then throw him over his shoulder. Use Indy's enhanced whip to interact with LEGO objects and help unlock iconic puzzles. Use a variety of weapons from the environment to fight enemies (e.g., chairs, guns, swords, bottles).

Collectibles: Collect artifacts through the game to unlock more than 60 playable characters, including villains and supporting characters (Marion Ravenwood, Mutt Williams, Short Round, Rene Belloq, Willie Scott, Marcus Brody, Dr. Henry Jones Sr., and Irina Spalko).

Co-op gameplay: Two-player drop-in, drop-out cooperative gameplay encourages parents to share the legacy of Indiana Jones with their children in a fun and humorous way.