Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings Review for Nintendo DS

Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings box art

System: DS, PSP, WIi, PS2	Review Rating Legend
Dev: LucasArts	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: LucasArts	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Jun. 26, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

In addition to the combat facets of the game, there are also puzzle elements too. The puzzles in the game take the shape of a water puzzle where your main task will be to get a droplet of water from one end of a maze to the other by pressing switches, avoiding traps, and breaking doors. The puzzle mode is actually pretty interesting, as you don’t directly control the bead of water. Instead, you have to tilt the maze itself in order to control the action on-screen. You can also play with a friend with a DS in special two-player puzzles that you can unlock.

Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings screenshot

As far as production value is concerned, this game just doesn’t look like it was produced with the attention the franchise deserves. The visuals are very basic, and the look of the game is reminiscent of launch titles for the DS. The character models are very blocky, and they don’t include large details like facial features. The animations are also very jagged. The game does have plot scenes, but instead of being nicely animated, the plot points are delivered slide-show style, which honestly makes the game feel boring. Truly, the game’s visuals look like an early Nintendo 64 game, and it has to be one of the poorest-looking titles on the DS that I have seen this year.

Sound is also very underwhelming in this title. Background music is ok, but the already boring slide show plot scenes are absent of any voiceover, which just reduces them to the level of a power point presentation. Although I wasn’t expecting amazing things from the sound scheme, it is just one more facet of this title that contributes to the poor overall package.

Although the Indiana Jones franchise is loved by millions, including myself, there isn’t much to love about the DS version of Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings. I was really hoping that this title would be good, as Indiana Jones is a naturally action-packed franchise, and it seemed to be a perfect launching pad for a new series of current-gen titles. But, poor production values, a boring story, and rigid gameplay make this an adventure best left alone. If there is ever a sequel on the DS, it will need a lot of polish before cracking its whip again.

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

2.1

Graphics
Character models and environments lack detail, animations are not fluid, and the overall design feels bland.

2.5

Control
Running and jumping is easy enough, but combat controls are barely responsive and hard to deal with.

3.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Level music is inoffensive, but the lack of voiceover is regrettable.

2.2

Play Value
The game is a little too linear for any replay value, and the puzzles have singular solutions which makes them too repetitive.

2.3

Overall Rating - Poor
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Step into the shoes of the legendary hero, Indiana Jones, in an all new epic adventure! Set in the year 1939, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings follows the rogue archaeologist on an all-new globe-trotting quest.

From San Francisco's Chinatown to the lush jungles of Panama, Indy must use his whip, fists and wits to fight through ruthless opposition as he spars with his nemesis, Magnus Völler, in a race for a relic of biblical proportions – the Staff of Moses. Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings features completely interactive environments, where players need to call upon their wits and daring to make each spring-loaded environment a weapon in order to dispense of foes in clever and unexpected ways.

Also, embark upon thrilling action sequences that remain true to the spirit established in scenes such as Indy's pursuit of the motorcade in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the mine-cart scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the free-for-all aboard the tank in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.