Indiana Jones And The Emperor’s Tomb Review

Gamers impatient for Indy’s fourth cinema adventure (due in cinemas on July 4, 2005, so they tell us) can get their whip-crackin’ kicks in the good doctor’s Xbox debut, as the chisel-chinned charmer chases dusty relics across the globe while being pestered by Nazis, Chinese

gangsters and a virtual menagerie of hostile wildlife.

The game expertly captures the style and mood of Steven Spielberg’s swashbuckling series, with John Williams’ classic score punctuating the action and familiar visual devices such as red lines travelling across world maps to represent Indy’s movements between the continents. A vocal artist does a fine job of mimicking Harrison Ford’s gravelly tones, while the character model of Indy himself is thoroughly convincing, right down to his five o’clock shadow and battered fedora.

But, while it all looks fabulous, the action is bland and uninspiring, and anyone who’s played Tomb Raider will be familiar with the lever-pulling, platform-hopping, treasure-grabbing puzzles.