Indiana Jones and Emperor's Tomb (PS2)
[ARCHIVE: This video game review follows the OldSchoolGamers website formatting.]
Content:
This game features hand-to-hand combat, gun shootouts and the typical Indiana Jones flirting-with-the-ladies(tm). As far as explicitness of violence there's no real blood, although one of the cutscenes implies men getting ripped to shreds by a giant crocodile. There is more objectionable material to be had in one of the films than in this game.
Suggested Age Level: 13+
Rating: 7.0 out of 10
Review:
Calling Dr. Jones
If ever there was a great American hero, Indiana Jones was he. Let's face it, Superman's an alien, the G.I. Joes are army stooges and MacGuyver... okay, maybe him, but Indiana Jones simply exudes cool. Unfortunately his gaming history has been much spottier than his movie and television careers. Fate of Atlantis, a PC adventure puzzler was a great but The Infernal Machine, the console adventure entry did not see such success. The third time seems to be the charm as the oft delayed Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb lives up to the franchise.
Gameplay
The year is actually 1935. The keys to an ancient Chinese tomb are being collected by the up-and-coming Nazis and to stop their obviously evil schemes (as well as defend your treasure-hunter pride) you must beat them to it. You control Indiana Jones directly, running, jumping and, yes, whip-swinging through archeological ruins and urban period settings. As mentioned above, you get Indy’s trademark whip along with an assortment of firearms, maps, and whatever debris you can swing at Nazi scum. Indy will also don different outfits depending on the setting, from his traditional coffee colored shit, to his leather jacket and even the snazzy white-jacket tuxedo, seen in the beginning of Temple of Doom. You also get a couple health items, including medikits and the miraculous canteen. Yes, by drinking regular water you heal damage from multiple bullet wounds in the chest. Maybe it's Holy Grail water.
Graphics and sound
The visuals for the game are very good, many of them too good. There are so many details and mapping textures occupying the screen that at times the game suffers from slow down. While this would not be a problem if it ran at a constant frame rate, the PS2 becomes very fluid when the space is limited to a few close walls, you and a baddie. This only makes the slowdown more noticable when it does occurs. Not much attention has been spent on blurring effects so the game can look jaggy quite often. But the character models are all decently smooth and well proportioned. The animals especially look very good. The first time I saw the rats I panicked, although not as much as when the great white crocodile filled my screen.
The sound, like in many LucasArts games is superb. The familiar themes from the Indiana Jones movies are back and placed in appropriate times. The music swells when enemies ambush you and strike a triumphant refrain when you successfully dispatch them. The score also adds tension when you’re faced with ancient booby traps. Voice acting is top notch as well. The actor playing Indiana Jones mayb not be Harrison Ford but I would be hard pressed to tell them apart just from listening. The script is also quite fun as Jones throws off-handed quips. "This oughta even things up a bit..."
Control
Moving Indiana around takes some getting used to. You have quite a number of actions and the game manages to map them all out, utilizing every button and stick for some purpose. Sorry, digital pad lovers, but you can only use the analogue stick to move and control the camera. The rest of the buttons are pretty standard. You have an action button, a jump button, and two different attack buttons, so you can choose whether to pop a cap or pistol whip Hans and Rolph. If you've played Tomb Raider, you have an idea of what to expect.
Flaws
The game can be hard to control. Hit detection, say when jumping from vine to vine is especially unforgiving. The camera is pretty good for the most part but slow to pick up the slack. You'll find youself shifting the camera just to keep Indy on screen. And the horizontal control is direct rather than inverted, which can cause some confusion at first. But once you get into the groove of things you'll have no problem getting around.
Lasting appeal
It’s an Indy game, it rocks. The atmosphere from the movies is carried across extremely well, making the game as fun to play as it is to watch the movies. A huge part of the appeal is that yes, this is one of the beloved movie icon and you get to guide him through an all-new adventure. The game is pretty lengthly as well, so you'll get your money's worth out of it.
Kiddie play
Unfortunately, this is where the game falls short. It is obviously a game meant for somebody who knows and appreciates the Indiana Jones Character. As such, younger kids might not get as much fun out of it as older kids. But your teens and college students should remember the character and have fun with the game. Since it's single player, there's not much you can do in terms of co-play, but it's not a game you should have any worries handing to your pubescent children.
