Indy at the Gates of the Lost City **MANY SPOILERS**

Posted by James from cae26-117-201.sc.rr.com (66.26.117.201) on Tuesday, February 25, 2003 at 5:27pm :

I've just played through the first level of Emperor's Tomb, so I thought I'd share some spoilers. You may not want to read on if you'd prefer to keep the feeling of exploration alive! (Personally, I didn't even crack the manual or strategy guide beforehand.)

For starters, the opening in Ceylon is pretty long- it took about 90 minutes to complete. (If you've played the demo, that level is 2 of 9.)

The fighting has already been discussed, but I did perform a move I didn't catch in the demo. Indy can grab his opponent and deliver several hits, then shove him several feet backwards (ideally into a wall). Also, the machete- which I cowardly used to easily defeat foes in the demo- didn't seem to do the same amount of damage. (Perhaps the demo was set at the Easy difficulty?)

A nice feature of the game is collecting bonus artifacts. There are 3 in each 'chapter', and finding all of them will unlock an art gallery. (Again, if you've played the demo, this is what Indy collected from the falling crate.)

The levels are big, but not so massive that you have to waste time figuring out where to go. You fight quite a few poachers and throw lots of switches/levers, but the best part is the number of traps you encounter. I can honestly say I think I walked right into every one of them. Also, certain traps will switch the game perspective to something called 'Adventure Mode'- basically an overhead view to help you navigate spikes, darts, etc.

Indy has a map at the beginning, and I was most excited to see a rope bridge on it- and no, you don't make it all the way across...

...which leads me to the crocodiles in the game. After swimming past several, I thought their threat was more for looks...until one of them grabbed Indy and slung him around, depleting almost all of my health. To help get around them, or to distract guards, you can pick up skulls and toss them in another direction.

Eventually, you enter the trap-filled resting place of the heart of Kouru Watu. Indy must survive the 'Trial of the Three Guardians'- which are giant bat statues that are sensitive to sound.

The final challenge is to retrieve the idol, which is protected by a giant crocodile. Indy must swing around on chains, throw switches, then survive a final encounter with the poachers before flying back to New York.

Cue the familiar scene of Indy's plane passing over the map...

PS. My only complaint so far is the sound. Even though it is VERY satisfying to hear the Indy theme match the action as you pummel someone, there were several times when a 'stutter' was noticable in the soundtrack. Also, the voice acting is sometimes difficult to hear, although I'm sure adjusting the in-game sound levels should fix it.

Follow Ups: Oh no! - Steppenwolf 2:33pm 02/26/2003 Re: Oh no! - James 5:22pm 02/26/2003 Post a Followup Name: E-Mail: ( default ) Subject: Message: : I've just played through the first level of Emperor's Tomb, so I thought I'd share some spoilers. You may not want to read on if you'd prefer to keep the feeling of exploration alive! (Personally, I didn't even crack the manual or strategy guide beforehand.) : For starters, the opening in Ceylon is pretty long- it took about 90 minutes to complete. (If you've played the demo, that level is 2 of 9.) : The fighting has already been discussed, but I did perform a move I didn't catch in the demo. Indy can grab his opponent and deliver several hits, then shove him several feet backwards (ideally into a wall). Also, the machete- which I cowardly used to easily defeat foes in the demo- didn't seem to do the same amount of damage. (Perhaps the demo was set at the Easy difficulty?) : A nice feature of the game is collecting bonus artifacts. There are 3 in each 'chapter', and finding all of them will unlock an art gallery. (Again, if you've played the demo, this is what Indy collected from the falling crate.) : The levels are big, but not so massive that you have to waste time figuring out where to go. You fight quite a few poachers and throw lots of switches/levers, but the best part is the number of traps you encounter. I can honestly say I think I walked right into every one of them. Also, certain traps will switch the game perspective to something called 'Adventure Mode'- basically an overhead view to help you navigate spikes, darts, etc. : Indy has a map at the beginning, and I was most excited to see a rope bridge on it- and no, you don't make it all the way across... : ...which leads me to the crocodiles in the game. After swimming past several, I thought their threat was more for looks...until one of them grabbed Indy and slung him around, depleting almost all of my health. To help get around them, or to distract guards, you can pick up skulls and toss them in another direction. : Eventually, you enter the trap-filled resting place of the heart of Kouru Watu. Indy must survive the 'Trial of the Three Guardians'- which are giant bat statues that are sensitive to sound. : The final challenge is to retrieve the idol, which is protected by a giant crocodile. Indy must swing around on chains, throw switches, then survive a final encounter with the poachers before flying back to New York. : Cue the familiar scene of Indy's plane passing over the map... : : PS. My only complaint so far is the sound. Even though it is VERY satisfying to hear the Indy theme match the action as you pummel someone, there were several times when a 'stutter' was noticable in the soundtrack. Also, the voice acting is sometimes difficult to hear, although I'm sure adjusting the in-game sound levels should fix it. Optional Link ( default ) URL: Title: Optional Image Link ( default ) URL: This board is powered by the Mr. Fong Device from Cyberarmy.com