LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures puts you behind a brick-built version of Indiana Jones and asks you to build, battle and brawl your way out of trouble. It is a platformer, a puzzle game and an adventure title rolled into one, taking on Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade across three chapters, each with six stages. The game was developed by Traveller’s Tales and Robosoft Technologies, published by LucasArts and Feral Interactive, and appeared on PS3, Wii, PC, Mac, PSP, Xbox 360 and PS2. It arrived in 2008, and it remains a solid if uneven entry in the LEGO game series.
Trailer, via CtrlAltDltVids.
The Three Films, One Brick World
The game’s premise is simple. You guide Indiana Jones through familiar set pieces from the first three films, collecting studs, solving puzzles and fighting enemies along the way. The humor is present throughout, with the game taking a lighthearted approach that fits the family-friendly LEGO brand. The game’s hub is Barnett College, which serves as Indiana Jones’s teaching location from The Last Crusade. From there, you pick a stage and watch a cutscene that sets up the film segment you are about to play.
The game’s chapters are structured around the films’ plots. Raiders of the Lost Ark opens with the search for the Ark of the Covenant, Temple of Doom covers the journey to the mines, and The Last Crusade sends Jones on a quest for the Holy Grail. Each chapter is broken into six stages, and the game’s hub lets you move between them freely once you have cleared the required missions.
Two Players, One Boulder Escape
The primary mode is two-player local co-op, with 84 playable characters available across the campaign. You can choose who plays alongside you, and the game’s AI takes over the second character if you play alone. That means you can team up with a friend or let the game handle the second slot, though the AI’s timing in combat can feel off when the stakes are high.
The game also includes a freeplay mode where you can use any unlocked figure to replay stages. This is where the game’s replay value comes from, letting you explore parts of levels you might have missed the first time through. You can also buy characters and personalize them in Barnett College, giving you a reason to return to the hub between missions.
Studs, Traps and New Tricks
The core loop of LEGO Indiana Jones is familiar to anyone who has played a Traveller’s Tales LEGO game before. You gather studs, avoid traps, assemble LEGO constructions and fight enemies. What sets this game apart is the inclusion of new mechanics. Climbing, swinging and throwing objects as weapons were new additions not seen in previous LEGO titles by Traveller’s Tales, and they give the game a distinct feel compared to its predecessors.
Puzzles are altered to fit the Indiana Jones franchise, though the game’s family-friendly approach means some elements of the source material get smoothed over. Any mentions of Nazism from the franchise were removed, with LEGO replacing the figures with characters that resemble them visually in its Indiana Jones sets. This makes sense for a children’s product, but it also means the game loses some of the darker edges that made the films memorable.
The Hub and Its Rewards
Barnett College is more than a map screen. It is a living space where you can examine your accolades and statistics in various classrooms, unlock additional content and enable cheats. You can also buy characters and personalize them here, making the hub a central part of the experience rather than a simple menu. The game’s presentation is bright and colorful, with the LEGO aesthetic carried through every scene.
The game’s sound design leans into the comedy, with exaggerated sound effects and a score that matches the cartoonish tone of the visuals. Voice acting is minimal, with most dialogue delivered through text boxes, though the cutscenes feature full voice work that captures the spirit of the films.
Where It Falls Short
Not everything holds together. The pacing across the three chapters is uneven, with some stages feeling longer than they need to be and others rushing past key moments. The combat can also feel repetitive, especially when you are playing alone against the AI-controlled second character. The game’s difficulty curve is gentle, which suits its family-friendly aim but may frustrate players looking for a bigger challenge.
The removal of Nazi references is a notable omission, and it shows in the game’s overall tone. The films were built on tension and danger, and the LEGO version softens that considerably. This is a deliberate choice, but it means the game loses some of the edge that made the original films compelling.
A Solid, If Uneven, Entry
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is a competent but unremarkable entry in the LEGO game series. It does a good job of bringing the first three Indiana Jones films to life in a way that is accessible to younger players, and the addition of new mechanics like climbing and throwing weapons gives it a fresh feel. The co-op mode is a strong draw, and the ability to replay levels with any unlocked character adds replay value.
But the game’s uneven pacing and softened tone keep it from reaching the heights of its predecessors. It is a fun game, but it is not a standout one. The best way to enjoy it is with a friend, splitting the screen and working through the stages together.
The game’s score reflects this middle ground. It is a solid effort that delivers on its promise but falls short of greatness.
| Chapter | Film Basis | Stages |
|---|---|---|
| Raiders of the Lost Ark | Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) | 6 |
| Temple of Doom | Temple of Doom (1984) | 6 |
| The Last Crusade | The Last Crusade (1989) | 6 |
Final Word
LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is a decent game that does not reinvent the wheel. It is a solid, if unremarkable, entry in the LEGO game series, best enjoyed with a friend. The new mechanics and the ability to replay levels with any unlocked character give it replay value, even if the pacing and softened tone keep it from reaching the heights of its predecessors. It is a game that delivers on its promise but falls short of greatness.
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