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I had high expectations for this game. I don't know why. The last two Indiana Jones action games (Infernal Machine and Emperor's Tomb) were fun, but not great. That is what this game is: fun, but not great...just good.
The first problem is the story, which moves along without much context, logic, or narrative. Indy just moves from place to place following the mystery. The story is all bones, but no meat, which is disappointing for an Indiana Jones story, as well as one from LucasArts, which used to tell amazing stories through their games.
Another thing that really annoyed me was the controls, specifically, the fighting controls. A quick swing of the remote is a quick jab, that works fine. But a hard swing is a full on left or right hook (depending on which you swing, the nunchuk or the wiimote). This should have been a lot more intuitive, I found myself often swinging really hard with Indy not moving, which resulted in me getting pummeled from the 4 different enemies who were attacking me. This is the same control mechanic that is necessary for swinging one of the many weapons you can have in your hand, which means that swinging the weapon hardly works, and never worked when I wanted it to. I found myself dying during many of these brawls, and heading back to a checkpoint (you regenerate with full health), but there is no way to skip a cut scene (Really? This is game programmer 101!), so you could find yourself watching the same scene over and over if you die often. Also...I would have liked the puzzles to be challenging. They weren't challenging, and to be honest I never really felt like there were any actual puzzles to solve. This is an action game, pure and simple.
On the plus side, the voice acting is great. The actor who plays Indy really sounds pretty close to Harrison Ford. When saying one-liners he is nearly indistinguishable. No matter what flaws there are in this game, it is still fun, even through the frustration. Oh, did I mention it has Fate of Atlantis, LucasArts' classic adventure game, bundled in? (You don't have to finish the whole game to unlock it Fate of Atlantis can be unlocked within 30 minutes of Staff of Kings game play).I doubt I'll replay Staff of Kings anytime soon, but I'll spend a lot of time on Fate of Atlantis, which plays beautifully (in all it's talkie glory) with the wiimote.
Threadbare story, unintuitive controls, and a very heavy focus on action over puzzles bring the game down. Good voice acting, pure fun, and one of the greatest adventure games ever made bundled in make the package still worthy of buying. Who am I kidding? LucasArts should have sold this as Fate of Atlantis with Staff of Kings bundled in.
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Indiana Jones is back in a really good way.The Wii is a natural fit for the adventurer, allowing you not only to crack the whip, but to crack it in interesting ways (grab your enemy by the neck, waist, feet!). Also, the controls for fist fights, while being explained to you in detail during your first fight, still is a natural fit that doesn't bear repeating nor consulting the manual during "pause" to figure out what's what.
I have read some reviews on gaming sites that complain about "autosaves" being few and far between and that the controls didn't always respond as expected. I, for one, can definitively say that I encountered NO SUCH PROBLEMS. My controls work just fine and I have had no mis-cues so far.
If there was ever a complaint that I could have for this game, it would be his facial expressions. They are definitely comical and cartoonish...and not in a good way. That, and the graphics are toned down...which is expected for a Wii game, but after seeing the beautiful colors and sharpness in Super Mario Galaxy, the game developers clearly were not giving the Wii enough credit.
That said, the graphics aren't THAT bad; I'm simply pointing out that they could have done better. Apart from that minor quip, the gameplay more than makes up for it.
There might be other complaints that the game might be too easy. Keep in mind, however, that the game is targeted to a broader age group and therefore is intended to be enjoyable by all ages. I won't say who it's made easier for, but you gamers know who I'm talking about. ;)
It's a fun ride that will get your nunchuck and wiimote moving. The multi-player game mode is also fun.
And, if game reviews are to be believed, the original Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis is an unlockable reward for this game...2 for the price of 1!
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I have to start off by saying that I'm an Indiana Jones fanboy. `Raiders of the Lost Ark' is one of my "Five Desert Island Movies". That along with the idea of using the Wii-mote as the whip and being able to pummel Nazis using the Wii sensor controls was too good to pass up. There was no way I was not going to pick this game up the day it came out.I can't say this game surpassed any expectations I had but I will say that I was not disappointed. The graphics don't set any new standards but are good for the Wii. The sound is pretty good and the soundtrack is dominated by well placed cues from the legendary scores of all four films. Some new music is thrown in as well but the newer cuts are few and far between. The voice acting is as good as one could hope for without having any of the original cast. Indy is well done as is Henry Sr. in the multiplayer co-op mode. The dialog has the tendency to be drowned out on occasion by music or other sound effects but no key plot points are missed. Also, a staple of the Indy film series, the "Wilhelm Scream" is featured a couple of times, for those who know what I'm talking about.
The story is okay. There's no scene that really sets up plot and tells you what the ultimate artifact is that you are after. It could have been developed better but I honestly didn't buy an Indiana Jones game for the Wii to experience and award winning story. There's an artifact the Nazi's are out to get, you need to get it first. Save the better developed stories for the movies.
The controls are good but may take a bit of time to get used to. Using your six-shooter takes some practice but taking out the bad guys is easy once you get it down. Sometimes the only way to defeat an enemy is to shoot objects around where they are taking cover. Throwing punches and using your whip to swing across pits is easy enough but things can get a bit more difficult when you are facing multiple enemies. There is a simple strategy that I employ when I find myself outnumbered; stay near a wall, grapple your enemy, ram them into the wall. This will either kill them or take away 90% of their health. If there are no walls nearby then stay on the move, whip a baddie around the neck, reel him in and deliver a knee to the face. The brutes are easy; just wait until they rear back to throw a punch and simply dodge.
One difficult spot I ran into was in the Istanbul level. There comes a part when you need to throw a skull into a gear to jam it so Indy can move on without being flattened. I must have thrown hundreds of skulls and was almost ready to throw my Wii-mote through the wall but I found out the solution was amazingly simple. When you come to this part just pick up a skull, go to the gear, and make a throwing motion. Don't push the `A' button.
The levels are well designed and definitely add to the "Indy" feel of the game. The first level is pretty much just a tutorial on how to use the controls. It's capped off by Indy having to make his escape by flying a German plane through a narrow canyon. My favorite level has to be the one in Panama, especially when Indy gets to the temple. That entire part of the level completely captures the spirit and inventiveness of the opening temple scene of `Raiders'.
I have completed the game on both the Wii and PS2 and the versions are nearly identical. Pretty much the only difference is that the combat tutorials on the Wii are narrated by Indy and therefore take a bit longer. The Wii also serves up slightly better graphics. Shooting is obviously easier on the Wii but controlling vehicles and other modes of transport is easier on the PS2. Taking on multiple bad guys is also a bit easier on the PS2 but once you get your strategy down on the Wii, it's nearly as simple.
I have to say I prefer the Wii version for the fact that it serves up a more authentic Indy experience with the use of the motion controls. Also, having the ability to unlock 1992's `Fate of Atlantis' is a huge selling point. It is presented exclusively on the Wii platform in all of its talkie glory which makes for a great trip down memory lane. The co-op levels on the Wii are neat if for no other reason than it features Indy and Henry Sr. on an adventure together. I've actually been able to complete the first two co-op levels on my own, with a controller in each hand, and they were pretty fun.
In all honesty, this is a pretty short game but I, and I imagine most other Indiana Jones fans, will find reason to go back for more. Hardcore and more experienced gamers may not find it all that challenging. It's a great introduction to the Wii for Indiana Jones and hopefully just the first of more adventures to come.
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