Crack That Whip!
Bullwhip.
Now you're talkin'.
Let's face it: we love the whip. We can't get enough of it. And, any game that tries to carry the torch for the Indiana Jones saga has got to deal with that. Well, this one does. I spent my first few minutes just standing there (on giant stone steps, overlooking a deep, deadly drop into a misting, jungle canyon) swinging my bullwhip and enjoying each sharp snap. Swish … CRACK! Oh, yeah.
This is one of the main features that Lucas Arts Entertainment promised, and they came through—not just with the whip, but with a brawling-style, close-up-and-personal combat system that is so Indiana Jones you'll be seeing Harrison Ford when you look in the mirror after a few hours of play. Standing toe to toe with the bad guys (and there are plenty, from knife-wielding Nazis to Asian underworld thugs), you can deliver punches, elbows, backfists, and knees. Kick 'em where it hurts; then, kick 'em when they're down. Improvise your weaponry with chairs, whiskey bottles, pole arms, and shovels. (wa-PANG! Man, I love the shovel.) If you're unsure of the purpose of an item in the game, try using it as a weapon. Oh, and don't forget to pick your hat back up and tug it back into place afterward. That's important, too, you know.
Beautiful setting. Big gun. Sometimes, it's paying attention to details like this—the hat, the whip—that makesIndiana Jones® and the Emperor's Tomb™ such a knock-down, drag-out, great-just-to-be-here ride. It's the little things … like Indy's one-line deliveries, teetering landings on the edge of a deep chasms, and finger-tip catches when the jump comes up short. He also massages his shoulder if he stands in one place long enough, easing those many aches and bruises that we all know he collects with those ancient treasures. Sneaking along narrow stone ledges, he watches for treacherous footing as he approaches a rope that will drop a stack of crates on the heads of some rough-faced mercs. Now, that's what it's all about.
And, if all that isn't enough to get you jonesing for The Emperor's Tomb, just think about that musical score cutting in right after you've swung over a formidable drop off, using your bullwhip. Pray you don't get shot by the bad guys on the other side, as you hum along to the music and go racing up the corridor to deliver some leather-tipped satisfaction.
Swish … CRACK!
Nazis. We hate these guys.
Of course, even with his whip and the revolver—and the shotgun and shovel and 20-cal machine gun nest—Indiana Jones wouldn't be the same without a harrowing race for magnificent treasure.
In The Emperor's Tomb your adventure may start with the jungles of Ceylon and a quick grab-and-run job for Baba Yaga's idol, but it quickly moves on to the underwater palaces of Istanbul and through the dark, deadly streets of Hong Kong. Your ultimate prize is the "Heart of the Dragon," a mysterious artifact that the Nazis want, of course, and you have to get it first. Helping you on your way (quite possibly in more than one definition) will be your alluring and mysterious partner, Mei Ying. Rallied against you are the usual array of suspects, from German mercenaries and Nazi soldiers to Asian martial artists and all the dark forces that always seem to conspire against Indiana Jones. Remember that when you seem closest to your goal, that is usually when the floor falls out from beneath you. Watch your ammo, and watch your back. And, as the race for the Heart of the Dragon heats up—and trust me, it will—remember that you've got to stay on top of your game and keep the bullwhip handy, if you hope to make it out alive.
Swish … CRACK! By Loren Coleman |
