Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings

The PSP release of Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings is a trimmed-down rendition of the PS2/Wii versions and also different from the Nintendo DS release. The general storyline is the same, as it is set in 1939 just before World War II begins. Indiana Jones is in search of the Staff of Moses, even though that is not the main quest until halfway through the game. It starts in a Mayan ruin where Charles Kingston takes Jones to the resting place of the jade sphere, a Mayan astronomy guide. Another colleague, Magnus Völler, strikes out on his own and quickly runs into trouble. The sphere becomes a bone of contention when the story picks up a few years later when Jones is in San Francisco. He receives a call from Archie Tan who is hunted down by the Chinese who also hold his granddaughter Suzy captive. Jones has to infiltrate Chinatown and rescue both. The sphere then brings him to Panama and eventually also Nepal. The importance of the Staff of Moses is only gradually revealed, as well as Magnus Völler as the main villain.

The game consists of a series of very different action sequences with scripted events, a lot of fighting and minor elements of puzzle solving. Generally Indy is able to fight melee combat using a number of punches and combos, use a pistol and a whip, and manipulate the environment. Many items such as bottles, spears or chairs can be picked up to be used as weapons, while certain items also need to be manipulated to retrieve clues, open valves or lower platforms. Often there are maze-like level layouts and a limited time frame to complete them.

There are hidden artifacts to collect, and a number of primary and secondary goals that provide Glory and Fortune points. These can be spent to upgrade Indy’s abilities (such as additional health, stronger defence or tougher punches) or to unlock concept art or cheats.