I am a big fan of the third movie and this computer game. Still today! The release was in 1989 on PC, Amiga, and Atari ST. Just in time for the start of the 5th adventure of Indiana Jones in the cinemas, I watched my favorite adventure again: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Based on the adventure system of Maniac Mansion and Zak McKracken, you can slip into the role of Indiana Jones on the computer screen.
Here's a quick synopsis of the plot: Indiana Jones has just returned from a dangerous research expedition to his local university and the extremely wealthy Walter Donovan wants to persuade him to go in search of the Holy Grail. Indy initially refuses, after all his father Henry Jones is considered the most experienced Grail researcher in the world. But dad has disappeared in Venice without a trace. Indy quickly packs his whip and rushes off to get on with it. General game instructions and a translation table can be found in a 60-page booklet in the pack, it is the Grails Diary, in which Indy's father Henry Jones recorded important sketches about the Grail. This information is an important tool without which the game cannot be solved. In this adventure game, you don't have to tap a single word. Similar to ZakMcKraken, all the commands you can type are displayed in a menu bar. You can click on these commands as well as objects and people. For example, to open a window, you first get the verb "Open" and then the window. Indiana Jones is already darting around the computer screen to carry out the command.
Most will be familiar with previous Lucasfilm Adventures. "Travel" and "Talk" are new, then change the scene. Conversations with other characters are held in the middle. If there is a dialogue, several sentences appear where you can choose one. Depending on whether a polite or very rough formulation is chosen, the course of the conversation changes. The Grail Diary also appears in the program. By "look diary" you get additional information in some rooms. There are also boxing matches. The Game can also be completed without fighting a single battle, but this is the most difficult solution. In addition, there is an escape by plane in the game, you control the plane while Henry Jones tries to get the pursuers out of the sky with Weapons. Indiana Jones has to explore some extensive mazes that open into many rooms. Fortunately, the graphic is shown here from above.
A score tells you how far you've come in the game so far. It is called IQ "IndyQuotient", you can reach a maximum of 800 points if you solve the game optimally, there are different ways to solve some puzzles. The control takes place either via mouse joystick or keyboard. In my opinion, the Amiga version had the best sound. No question, Indiana Jones is the best Lucasfilm adventure game. (Still today) The graphics are fine, the animations look wonderfully real and the game comfort has been significantly improved. And the most important thing: the flair of the film can also be felt in the game. For example: if you sneak through the catacombs in Venice, you get a gentle shudder. The game is like the movie: adventure, humor, and suspense. The idea with the Indy Quotient is cool: if you want to finish the game quickly, you stick to the normal ways to solve the puzzles. However, if you come up with an unusual solution to a puzzle, you get more points.
The game has surpassed the success of the two predecessors, technically the PC version leaves nothing to be desired also on the Amiga we are dealing with a masterpiece, I really liked the gameplay innovations, but they also have disadvantages. Impatient natures will not particularly love the labyrinth exploration. There is a bit of luck involved in the fighting. Game logic, user guidance, and story are definitely fantastically good.
Give it a try if you can get it!