Press release:

If Family Adventure Has a Name, It Must Be LEGO® Indiana Jones: The Videogame LucasArts and TT Games Don Their Fedoras for the Next Great LEGO Gaming Experience

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- July 27, 2007 -- LucasArts and TT Games today announced that LEGO® Indiana Jones®: The Videogame [working title] will whip onto game consoles everywhere in summer 2008. Developed by the same team at Traveller's Tales that created the LEGO Star Wars™ series, LEGO Indiana Jones presents a tongue-in-cheek take on the first three cinematic adventures of pop culture's most iconic archaeologist, including Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

"LucasArts and TT Games are setting the bar for next-generation family entertainment with the LEGO Star Wars franchise, and our incredible relationship continues with LEGO Indiana Jones," said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. "In addition to providing the quality bonding time inspired by any good family game, LEGO Indiana Jones delivers something a little different for everyone. Parents will enjoy the humorous take on some of their favorite movies, and their kids get some rousing action/adventure gameplay that may also introduce them to Indy's original adventures for the first time."

"It has been a real joy to work with LucasArts on the LEGO Star Wars games. Indiana Jones is the perfect character for the next LEGO-based videogame adventure," said Tom Stone, director at TT Games. "Indy also presents us with wonderful and memorable cinematic moments. The boulder scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark in LEGO is hilarious!"

Lucasfilm Ltd. recently announced that the LEGO Group will begin releasing LEGO Indiana Jones playsets in January 2008. Meanwhile, LucasArts remains hard at work on its revolutionary, internally developed Indiana Jones videogame, which takes place a year after The Last Crusade in an original story overseen by George Lucas.

Facts:

The game is due out June 3rd-6th depending on country, not long after the release of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The game will be based on the first three Indiana Jones films, and not Indy IV. There may be some references to it however...

The full official title is now Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures, presumably so no one will complain about the lack of Indy IV content.

The game's broken down into three chapters and 18 levels. Details of these can now be found on the game's official site.

The same team that worked on Lego Star Wars are also working on this game, so expect similar gameplay: fun, platform action adventure. It is also very likely that there will similarly be no voices in the game, but strong visual comedy and facial expressions instead.

New, physical, Lego Indiana Jones sets are out now in the shops. As predicted, they include Indiana Jones motorcycle hunt (Indy and father being chased on motorbike), Indiana Jones and the lost grave (Well of the Souls), the hunt for the stolen treasure (the Truck Chase, although the Ark has been replaced with a generic treasure chest), the escape from the temple (the Raiders opening Idol temple, the biggest set). The Indy IV sets are just coming out now, including Jungle Duel, Jungle Cutter and the Temple of Akator.

The game will be Nazi free. Instead, they will be replaced with something more generic. "Lego having already replaced them with an anonymous genocidal, occultist, trenchcoat-wearing master-race" - Edge magazine.

Indy's iconic whip is used to attack enemies and latch onto scenery, but it's a spade that's described as a key 'weapon', as digging yields weapons and bonuses.

It has taken a long time for TT Games to decide on the path to go with guns in the game. Unlike Lego Star Wars, Lego Indy is more focused on brawling rather than shooting, akin to Emperor's Tomb. While guns do feature, they all have ammo limits and extra ammo can't be picked up. Strangely enough the closest comparison now is to Xbox 360 launch game Condemned!

When facing snakes Indy will start cowering, leaving it down to the secondary character to help out. And the phobia mechanic won't be exclusive to Indy, either. For example, Henry Senior will be scared of rats and Willie Scott will be scared of bugs.

Rumours:

The Tingler is betting there'll be an Indy IV bonus level, in the same way that LSW had an unlockable A New Hope bonus level. If not, it is likely Traveller's Tales will get in some sort of Indy IV reference.

With the game being retitled "The Original Adventures" and Lego releasing Crystal Skull Lego sets alongside the film, it is entirely possible that Lego Indy II is already being considered. Another, perhaps stronger, possibility is Lego Indiana Jones: The Complete Adventures.