'Lego Indiana Jones 2' Review - Bad Dates? Not This Time!

I have to admit that back in 2005, I laughed at the idea of "Lego Star Wars." The whole concept seemed too kid-friendly and too corporate at the same time. But I was quickly swept up in the game's quirky sense of humor, refreshingly tight game play and surprising depth. I enthusiastically embraced all the "Lego" games that followed ("Lego Batman" still gets plenty of mileage, and the new "Lego Rock Band" is amazing if only for the presence of Lego David Bowie). But I was disappointed with "Lego Indiana Jones," which felt too loose and not as sharply whimsical as the other games in the series.

Now comes "Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues," which incorporates elements from the first three "Indiana Jones" movies and augments it with a healthy dose of 2008's middling "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

The Highs

Tag Team Back Again!
One of the greatest joys of the "Lego" games is the co-op mode, which forces you to cast a perfect problem-solving duo for the games various puzzles and obstacles. It's the same sort of program this time around, except that the characters involved feel a bit more balanced and work together more efficiently. Plus, the slightly tighter controls and the new split screen feature — which allows you to wander away from your partner for more serious free-roaming — make it less likely for me to whip my girlfriend into a crevace (which she appreciates profoundly). This game is best experienced in the co-op mode, mostly because playing with Short Round by himself is pretty useless.

Hey! Look! Colors!
I'm not normally one to notice the way a game looks (quite frankly, I'm still sort of blow away by the graphics of "Earthworm Jim," so my bar isn't very high), but "The Adventure Continues" is pretty stunning. These games don't need to look amazing (after all, you're essentially playing with virtual building blocks), but the levels are all lush and the colors extra-sharp, giving the game a sometimes hallucinogenic feel (which matches the game's cheeky humor completely). Seriously, I never pay attention to colors in a video game, but I was totally blown away.

Just Drive
There's more emphasis on vehicles in this game (including two super-cool planes), which adds another welcome game play element that keep the action varied. Plus, the vehicles are surprisingly lively and versatile — they're involved in races, as weapons, as a part of puzzles and as unlockables in free play mode. The only thing more fun than using a Lego whip? Driving a Lego hot rod!

The Lows

More Like Kingdom of the Crystal DULL
The biggest thing working against "The Adventure Continues" is the heavy emphasis on "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which was a terrible movie that nobody liked (I may be overstating this). If you're playing through the main story, you have to start in the "Crystal Skull" levels before you can unlock the older games. I may just hold too much resentment over the movie, but the "Crystal Skull" levels feel tedious and boring. Plus, the Lego Shia LaBeouf is about the only chracter who doesn't really look like his human counterpart.

Size Does Matter
As a gamer, I get overwhelmed easily, so the vast expanses of the "Lego" games have usually thrown me off. "Lego Indiana Jones" seemed to have a never-ending parade of bonus levels and hidden items. But "The Adventure Continues" compensates too far in the opposite direction. There are times when the game feels narrow and small (which is not a complaint from me, but anybody looking for the sprawl of the other "Lego" games may be disappointed).

Level Builder: Brick By Boring Brick
I've never been totally convinced of level-building modes in games (though I'm totally in love with the options on "Little Big Planet"), and "The Adventure Continues" doesn't do much to change my mind. It's an interesting idea, I suppose, but feels both too limited and difficult to execute well. It's a nice try, but I would have rather seen them use that mental capacity to build in more secret levels or to re-shoot scenes from "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" to make it not suck.

Final Word

Make no bones about it: "Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues" is easy to pick up and super-fun, especially if you've got somebody to team up with. Its biggest albatross is the fact that "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" was a bad movie, but if you just stick to the fact that it's a fun game (or if you happen to like "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull"), it's a fitting and satisfying extension to the franchise. It won't get any "Game of the Year" votes, but it'll keep me stupidly entertained for the time being.

Tags indiana jones, lego, lego indiana jones 2, lucasarts, traveller's tales