Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures is an action-adventure game played from the third-person perspective, in which the player controls a Lego figurine in areas inspired by Indiana Jones film scenes.[1][2] The game also incorporates aspects of the puzzle and platformer game genres.[3][4] It is a humorous retelling of Indiana Jones' first three films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and the Last Crusade.[1][5] The game consists of three chapters, each with six stages,[6][7] which are accessible from the game's hub, Barnett College. The location serves as Indiana Jones's teaching location in the Last Crusade.[8][9] The player can also unlock additional content, enable cheats, and examine their own accolades and statistics in various classrooms of the game's hub.[10][11] Upon selecting a stage, a cutscene appears which introduces the player to the segment of the film being played,[12][13] such as the boulder escape from Raiders of the Lost Ark and the minecart escape from Temple of Doom.[1][14]
The game's primary mode is a two-player local co-op game, with a total of 84 characters, and in the absence of a human partner, the game's artificial intelligence controls the second character.[2][15][16] While playing for the first time, the player can only use preselected figures to complete missions; after that, the player can use any other unlocked figure when replaying the game in the freeplay mode.[8][11][14] Characters can also be bought in Barnett College, where the player can also personalise characters and make their own creations.[16][17][18] These figures can then interact with the environment in ways that others cannot do during the story mode, allowing the player to obtain new items or find new puzzles and collectibles.[3][6][19]
As the player progresses through Lego Indiana Jones, they must gather Studs, the currency of Lego games, assemble Lego constructions to make specific items, avoid traps, and partake in combat with enemies.[3][6][20] The game's mechanics and engine are similar to the Lego Star Wars video games.[3][16] Players respawn indefinitely upon death.[12][21][22] Through certain stages, the player can also use vehicles and animals to navigate.[3] Additionally, the player can collect Extras (a bonus that boosts their Studs total) by collecting parcels and mailing them to Barnett College,[3][19] and unlock the three bonus levels by collecting treasure in each stage.[23]: 2
Lego Indiana Jones features special abilities for characters to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.[3][17] For example, Indy can wield his whip to attack or tie up enemies, manipulate objects, or swing from the ceiling;[1][14] the Wii version of the whip is controlled physically by the player.[20] When Indy is near snakes, his fear prevents him from being productive, forcing the second player to assist him out.[1] The same effect applies to other characters, such as Willie Scott.[3][8] The game features a variety of characters, including shovel-carrying, wrench-using, high-jumping, and crawlable ones. Thuggee characters can communicate with ancient statues and characters who hold books, such as Henry Jones Sr., can decode hieroglyphs.[3][14][22] The abilities to carry a shovel, use a wrench, or decode hieroglyphs can be obtained by any figure who acquires the required item.[3][23] The player can also obtain weapons and rewards by excavating in certain areas or killing foes, however the weapons have limited ammunition.[1][3][19] The ability to climb, swing, and throw objects as weapons was a new addition to the Lego video game series.[16][18]
