ST Format


Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure
By Lucasfilm
Atari ST

 
Published in ST Format #4

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure

Look, I'm not going to kick off by reminding you that "Indy is back, and this time he's bringing his Dad." OK? Good, I'm glad we've got that straight. Now, if by any chance you've seen the film, you'll already know all about the Holy Grail, Knights, Nazis and all that nonsense. But just in case you've spent the last eighteen months as a hermit, let's briefly recap.

Henry Jones (Indy's father) has disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Venice while trying to locate the body of a knight. The knight's shield has an inscription which leads to the secret resting place of the Holy Grail, the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper which is said to bestow immortality on anyone who drinks from it.

As soon as the action begins, you recognise the style of the game, since it employs exactly the same system as Zak McKraken. All commands are entered with a mouse click on words, and objects are selected from the menu or from the picture. Moving from from one location to another is achieved with a simple "Walk to" command.

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure

Before you even begin your globetrotting activities, however, you need to collect an item or two, including the Grail Diary, from the university and your father's house. Without the Diary, which contains vital information, you're doomed. The first clue is needed in Venice, to find the location of the dead knight's body and his inscribed shield.

At certain points in the game the computer takes over and you're taken through a sequence of text and graphics to explain what's going on. When you leave the university, for example (through a window!), you're greeted by two men and bundled into a car.

You're taken to Walter Donovan, who fills you in on the background to your quest. During this sequence you find out that your father has gone missing looking for the Grail in Venice. If you've already watched the sequence, or seen the movie, you can quit it with the right mouse button.

Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure

Occasionally you get games a little on the overweight side, but Indy, weighing in at six disks (Count 'em!) is certainly the fattest to date. Since every location is loaded from disk, playing from floppies demands a good deal of patience - it takes up a whacking great 2Mbytes on hard disk!

Effects

All the graphics, which are in the same simplistic style as Zak McKracken, have a cartoony quality throughout, which add considerably to one's enjoyment. There are references to Indy's other adventures, and even an occasional snide dig at other films such as The Blob.

Sound effects are fine, but the music, which bears a striking and unfortunate resemblance to the piano-playing technique of the self-styled comedian Mr Lesley "Blankety Blank" Dawson, is appalling.

Verdict

If you liked Zak McKraken, you'll love Indy: the sheer size alone will occupy you for months. Six disks' worth of adventure for 25 quid is cracking value, and the large Grail Diary included in the packaging helps evoke the right atmosphere. Indiana Jones adventures may have come to an end, because the Indy films have, but they're gained immortality too - just like the hero in his last crusade.

Gary Barrett

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