Highlights

  • LEGO games are in-between projects, making it a prime time for Indiana Jones to shine with revived gameplay mechanics.
  • The evolution of LEGO games' shooting mechanics, particularly in The Skywalker Saga, sets the stage for Indiana Jones 3 to excel.
  • LEGO Indiana Jones 3 can expand on shooting gameplay with unique guns, a third-person shooter experience, and new mechanics like an ammo system.

At the moment, the LEGO games are in-between projects, and there are many directions they could go next. Traveller’s Tales is seemingly finished with LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and while a return to Harry Potter is rumored, it would be a good idea to revive the LEGO Indiana Jones series at some point. The fifth major Indiana Jones film, Dial of Destiny, was released in 2023, and 2024's Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will push the property further, so now is the prime time for the ultimate LEGO Star Wars game to pass the torch to LEGO Indiana Jones again.

Indiana Jones entered the licensed LEGO game franchise in 2008, just after the first six Star Wars Episodes were packaged together in The Complete Saga. One year later, LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues added Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on top of remixing the first game’s trilogy. A third LEGO Indiana Jones would be expected to remake those four films again, alongside Dial of Destiny, with modern LEGO touches like voice acting and a massive, interactive hub. Following up The Skywalker Saga won’t be easy even with fewer films to cover, but at least that game laid an ideal foundation for Indiana Jones’ gunfights.

Lego Star Wars Skywalker Saga Third Person Shooting
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LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's Shooter Sections Prove One Genre Isn't Off Limits

One of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's best additions was its third-person shooter mechanics, which could pave the way for a future LEGO genre.

LEGO Movie Games Have Been Tweaking Guns From The Start

For much of the licensed LEGO series’ life, melee and ranged characters are played in distinct ways. Brawlers and close-range weapon wielders performed simple combos with gadgets or Force abilities sometimes mixed in, while gunners automatically switched between their firearms and fists depending on enemy proximity. Defensive mechanics were often also split between them, with LEGO Star Wars' Jedi able to block and deflect bullets while most other characters had a timed sidestep. These mechanics evolved throughout the LEGO games, with melee growing in complexity as more manual control crept into shooting guns and using gadgets.

Where The Skywalker Saga Last Left LEGO Firearms

Both reached their current peak in The Skywalker Saga, with everyone able to use a developed melee combo system on top of various other tricks. Gunners in particular had a simple third-person shooter system they could activate on command. Different Star Wars characters can have different guns, and some story levels let players find different guns to switch to. All of this modernized ranged combat satisfyingly, but The Skywalker Saga was so packed with like-minded systems that gunplay still ended up feeling like an afterthought. Adapting a property even more concerned with firefights than Star Wars could be necessary for LEGO’s shooting to take its next step.

LEGO Indiana Jones 3 Can Do More With Skywalker Saga’s Shooting

Luckily, LEGO Indiana Jones 3 can do just that. Even though Indy’s iconic whip and fists see plenty of use throughout his movies, there's still a heavy emphasis on mid-1900s guns and shootouts. That also means that there are plenty of iconic moments and setpieces, like Dr. Jones shooting the swordsman in Raiders of the Lost Ark, that could also be placed into the player's hands. Opportunities like that would just be the first way a LEGO Indiana Jones 3 could add variety and polish to The Skywalker Saga's shooting gameplay.

How LEGO Indiana Jones Can Make Its Guns Shine

Besides giving the shooting’s feel another pass, LEGO Indiana Jones 3 could expand it into a full third-person shooter genre experience. Different guns could be found and swapped on the fly, bringing more gameplay variety to a campaign that would almost always feature Indiana Jones himself. An ammo count could also be introduced, though waiving it in the signature LEGO hub areas would be acceptable. Finally, cover and other defensive systems could be developed more, but not to the point where they would overwrite melee combat. With The Skywalker Saga’s lessons in mind, a LEGO Indiana Jones 3 would be the best place to perfect the LEGO series’ gunplay.