Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb (EA PC, M15)

By PETER ELEY

(Herald rating: * * * * )

Archaeological escapades have been fertile ground for computer gamers.

Not only have we seen a couple of other Indy games, The Fate of Atlantis and The Infernal Machine, but there is the whole Lara Croft Tomb Raider series, too.

Our male hero never quite got to foot it with the statuesque Ms Croft in terms of gaming quality but the Emperor's Tomb is the best Indiana Jones title yet, and Lucas Arts has dished up a nice-looking and exciting action-adventure game which is evocative of the movies.

It is set in the mid 1930s, just before the start of World War II. Hitler wants to acquire an artefact called Heart of the Dragon which he believes will give him occult powers.

A triad gang also wants it, and much of the action involves fighting Nazis or Chinese characters. Indy has a good selection of kung-fu combat moves to master, as well as his trusty whip.

At times it seems much like a console beat-'em-up and, of course, it was first released for the Xbox. The action is set in a series of exotic locations, mostly in pre-war Eastern Europe and the Far East, and there are plenty of characters to interact with.

The game is mission-based and moves along in an A-Z fashion, unlocking more secrets and elements of the plot as more puzzles are solved and more bad guys beaten up.

Movie-based games are aimed at casual players, and Emperor's Tomb would probably be too easy for hard-core players but its mix of adventure and action, sharp graphics and the Indiana Jones brand make it highly playable.


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