Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures

There's something loveable about Lego games. I wasn't even a Lego fan as a kid, but seeing characters and moments from films play out as if performed by a group of seven-year-olds is something special. Although many might claim that this is simply Lego Star Wars in new skin, everybody will find something enjoyable about it.

As with the original Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures features the first three classic movies - there's no Crystal Skull here. The game begins with the Lost Ark. After dodging a number of traps Jones recovers an ancient gold statue, triggering a cave collapse in the process. This is all played out with the kind of mime comedy the Lego games have become known for, resulting in Jones running like Seabiscuit.

After Jones escapes, he runs into French archaeologist Dr. Rene Belloq. - cue a Lego figure acting about as French as a plastic figure can. Belloq takes the statue and Jones flees on a plane, only to come face to face with the pilot's pet snake, a nice excuse for some light comedy. It's here that the game opens up, allowing you to visit Barnett College. Here you can access all three movies, playing them however you want.

A big part of Lego Star Wars' appeal was how it allowed you to play as numerous characters from the movies. It’s fair to say that the characters from the Indiana Jones movies aren't quite so well known. Of course, Jones is the main man. His whip allows him to latch onto things from distance and attack enemies, this means he's perfect for getting across perilous gaps and can grab items without having to run up to them.

The best part about the game by far is still the multiplayer mode. A second player is always active, with the AI doing a decent job of following you around and completing tasks, but playing with a real player is far better. A second player can hop in and out as they please.

Essentially gameplay is as it was in Lego Star Wars, with plenty of button bashing to turn your enemies into tiny Lego pieces. But there are loads of puzzles too, with the difficulty and thought required raised over those in Lego Star Wars. New to the game is a phobia system, making characters freeze if they encounter something that scares them. In Jones' case it’s snakes, so if he encounters any you'll need to take control of another character until the threat is gone. There is the occasional tricky platforming section and from time to time the camera doesn't behave itself, causing one player to die. This isn’t much of a problem, as your player is just reassembled, but annoying nonetheless.

Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures doesn't quite live up to its Star Wars cousins, mostly because Star Wars is simply a more memorable series, but it's still a fun adventure. Although the gameplay is quite familiar, the settings and puzzles make for a game that feels quite different to Lego Star Wars.