eveloper Traveler’s Tales became a household name almost overnight when the first Lego Star Wars was released. The company not only had taken two extremely well-known properties and successfully melded them; they were able to add in their own touch of creativity. While creating a game using one license is already a challenge, they managed to do it with two. Now the company is using what they have learned with their previous games and is moving on to one of the greatest adventure icons of all time, Indiana Jones. We had the opportunity to do a Q&A with the game’s associate producer, Kellam Eanes, and get some lingering questions answered before the game’s fast approaching June 3 release day.

Game Informer: We know that Lego Indiana Jones will encapsulate the action from the first three movies—will there be any levels, characters or references to the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?
Kellam Eanes: Right now, the team is focused squarely on making sure that this game is the best that it can be.  However, we are extremely excited about the upcoming release of Indiana Jones: The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but there are no plans at this time to make it into a game.

GI: Indiana Jones is obviously a pretty great character. How did you tailor the other playable characters in the game so they’re fun to play as, too, so player two doesn’t get too jealous?
Eanes: There are going to be a lot of familiar faces around to help Indy get out, each with abilities that Indy doesn’t have. Satipo and Sallah can help dig up buried objects, while Marion Ravenwood and other female characters have a double jump ability which allows them to retrieve hard to reach objects. Willie Scott also gets in on the action and can break glass with her shrill scream. You’ll also be able to play as other characters that can fix broken machinery and decipher codes, too.

GI: In Lego Star Wars, there were distinct character classes, for lack of a better term—Jedi, blaster-wielders, droids, etc. Is there a similar mechanic in Indy?
Eanes: All of Indy’s sidekicks have special abilities that keep the gameplay varied and fun. However, there are also certain levels where any character can pick up shovels, wrenches, and academic books to temporarily perform these special abilities. The signature whip, however, is reserved for Indy alone. As you’ve seen from the classic movies, it’s his all-purpose tool, so only he gets to use it.

GI: Will the game have segments where Indy drives vehicles?
Eanes: Not directly, as you saw in Lego Star Wars. But just like in the movies, Indy battle bad guys on the tops of moving trucks, trains and on motorcycles.

GI: How did the team determine what moments from the movies would make it into the game and which ones would have to be left out? Obviously, things like the boulder-rolling scene had to be included, but how did you distill the events from three movies into iconic moments that would also be fun to play?
Eanes: Developer Traveller’s Tales has done an excellent job of identifying the key iconic moments from the original three Indiana Jones movies and adding the right amount of Lego humor. They’ve included a great number of classical Indiana Jones moments, including the memorable idol scene in the temple, the battle on the bridge with Mola Ram, and the classic motorcycle chase, all complete with the trademark tongue-in-cheek Lego fashion and humor.

Through a delicate balance of narrative game play and cut-scenes, we are re-telling the stories of Indy’s classic adventures in a new way. This will be many young players’ first introduction to Indiana Jones, so we want to make it as memorable as possible. But, it’s also a great way for parents to share their enthusiasm for the movies with their children as a perfect way for older gamers with fond memories of the movies to experience those classic moments in whole new ways.

GI: Even with the Lego makeover, were there any scenes from the films that were too intense to include?
Eanes: Since this title is being created to be family friendly, scenes like Mola Ram pulling out a heart didn’t really add anything to the overall game experience, but you should still be on the lookout for a Lego twist on that infamous scene.  However, there are plenty of other exciting, iconic moments in the original Indiana Jones films that will be included for players to enjoy, such as everyone’s favorite regional cuisine – monkey brains.

GI: Will the college act as a hub in the same way the Cantina did in Lego Star Wars, or will there be gameplay centered around the location, too?
Eanes: Yes, Barnett College will act as a hub in the game. It’s a place for Lego Indy to store the artifacts and relics he uncovers during his adventures. Players can also buy items customize characters, and decide where on the map they might want to return in Freeplay mode, all at Barnett College.

GI: What kinds of things will Indy and company collect on their adventures? The films don’t have much in the way of iconic vehicles, so it doesn’t really make sense to have him finding pieces for them…
Eanes: Lego Indy and his companions will collect artifacts throughout their adventures. Once back in Barnett College, if a player has collected all 10 artifacts from a level, they can view a fully-assembled special Lego object to proudly display in their very own relic room.

GI: Will players be able to beat up Marcus Brody? We hear he really has it coming…
Eanes: Yes, even though he’s a good guy, you will have the opportunity to vent all of your frustrations on Lego Marcus if you so desire.