You move Indy with the left stick, and make him jump with B or punch and kick with A and X. Indy uses his whip to good effect, both as a weapon (you can whip enemies' weapons out of their hands) and to swing across what look like impassable gaps and ravines. The L trigger switches to a first person view to aid aiming, and the R trigger blocks incoming punches or other attacks. Indy is well animated and performs lots of different moves, but he seems to do it all too quickly and it spoils the look a bit. Fights can be great fun, as you can use a variety of weapons apart from Indy's own whip and revolver; swords, throwing knives, guns rifles, machine pistols, shovels and you can even break a table and use the leg as a club. Indy can satisfyingly grab enemies and pummel them, before throwing them off of balconies or high ledges. You can also do a cool whip/punch combo to knock an enemy on his arse. You'll often be surrounded by several enemies and a twitchy camera means that the combat becomes panicky and confusing - but it somehow suits the subject matter.

The levels are just as much about exploration and discovery as fisticuffs, and some are huge and complex, but they tend to be broken down into smallish sections which means you can't retread your path and explore to find the secret relics that are hidden on each level. Levers have to be pulled and sometimes even explosives are used to open up a new path. Some have you manning anti-aircraft guns and others see you as a gun-toting passenger during a chase sequence. The game is never less than entertaining and the levels are seldom confusing enough to get stuck on.

   

For some reason Indy never feels quite as slick as the Buffy game and there are a lot of dodgy disappearances into walls, poor collision detection and a truly awful camera that makes the platform sections a lot more difficult than they need have been. The excellent music and voice acting (including a brilliant Indy by David Esch) give the game atmosphere and an authentic feel. The fact that Indy can lose his famous hat and that he drinks from his canteen to recover health just make the game feel more 'right'.

Good but not great, The Emperor's Tomb will provide some real entertainment but lacks the polished gameplay that would make it a 'must buy'.