Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (Xbox 360)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Tom Shea
• Reviewed on: 11/25/2009
• Released on: 11/17/2009
• Originally published on GameSpot: Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (Xbox 360) Review

Every so often, a movie director inexplicably decides to remake a film, tampering with the fine balance that made the original work and tarnishing the memories fans held so near to their hearts. Remaking an already-entertaining experience is a risky proposition because it is so difficult to capture the magic the original exuded while including enough new material to warrant a rerelease. Luckily, Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues avoids these deadly pitfalls, crafting an all-new adventure that is a step up in almost every way from its forbearer. The joyful exuberance emanating from these miniature Lego figurines is once again on full display here, but it's the freedom the levels offer that keeps things moving at a better pace and makes it even harder to put this great adventure down. Though the flaws that have haunted every Lego game thus far still exist, they have been carefully shunted to the side, ensuring the laughable AI and overly simplistic combat never hinder your fun. Lego Indiana Jones 2 is the best entry yet in the long-running Lego franchise.

6233167>Lave monsters bleed lava. Seems logical enough.None

Unlike the previous game in which only the original trilogy was covered, Lego Indiana Jones 2 encompasses all four movies in the Indiana Jones tetralogy. The focus is placed on The Crystal Skull, on which half of the game is based, but don't let the uneven reception to Indy's latest film taint your view of this game. The Crystal Skull-themed levels succeed where the movie failed, taking full advantage of the roll-your-eyes nature of the film to create a silly experience that doesn't have any problem taking shots at the source material. There are three acts based on the movie that introduced the world to the crazy concept of using a refrigerator as a one-person bomb shelter, whereas the other three movies have just one act each. However, the top-notch quality exists across the board, and the all-new adventures constructed around the original trilogy are deeper and more varied than those offered in the original game.

The most immediate difference between the first and second Lego Indy games has to do with how the levels are structured. Previously, you made you way through a series of stages--solving puzzles and fighting goons--until you reached the mythical macguffin waiting for you at the end. Although those levels still exist, they are embedded within an open-world structure. Each act has its own hub world in which to roam around, and these wide-open environments contain a number of unique puzzles and obstacles to conquer. This sandbox structure lets you tackle objectives in whatever order you wish, so you can spend time trying to find every last stud buried in the sprawling oasis or quickly leap from one level to the next to progress through the story. This freedom ensures that even the trickiest puzzles won't stand in your way for too long because you can always go off and tackle another problem if you can't figure out how to advance.

Currency is also far more important this time around. Previously, you could spend whatever studs you collected during the course of your adventuring to buy fabulous prizes outside of levels, but now, you must use your earnings to solve puzzles. There are vehicles to find, unbury, and purchase; enemies to defeat and then give coin to in order to take control of them; and special packages that drop from the sky when you reach a certain goal that are just waiting to be opened after you plunk down your hard-earned cash. These purchasable goods give you a reason to bash every block and smash every tree as you continually build your ever-expanding bankroll.

Finally, a Lego game that lets you build something.

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