The gameplay is basic but fun.
The game is mostly a typical platformer with some good Lego themed puzzles thrown in. Many of these puzzles are good head scratchers but won't leave you stumped for too long. There are many different character types who have unique abilities. Indy, obviously, is the only one that can use the whip while others start with tools that the rest don't, like shovels or wrenches. Children characters are tiny enough to sneak into small hatches that lead to secret areas. Bad characters can get into areas that good ones don't have access too. Female character can jump higher than male ones.The first time through a level you have to play with the people that are from that particular scene, but the next time through you can choose from all unlocked characters. Most levels need to be played multiple times with several different characters in order to access all the secrets. Because of this, the game has a ton of replay value.
The gameplay itself is rather basic. The shoulder buttons don't need to be used for anything. This makes the game very easy to pick up and play. The biggest frustration with the game is the awkward camera angles, especially when playing two player co-op. There are a ton of jumps that will plummet you to your death if you miss by even a bit and the camera is so far out that it is hard to see if you are really lined up properly. Death isn't too traumatic in this game since you never actually lose. You always reappear on the last stable ground you were on and lose some coins. Sometimes this doesn't work so well and the game will put me on the edge of a cliff that I slid off of several times in a row before I stopped dying. Most of the curved surfaces are far more slippery than they should be, which leads to many deaths from spots that you swore were safe. If your goal is to just beat the game, then this won't be too bad, but if you are trying to save coins to buy unlocks this can be endlessly frustrating.
No one is going to expect greatness from the graphics, but they look good enough. I thought they were a bit more cartoony than I liked and wished they looked more like real Legos would. Most everything is made out of actual Legos and it's cool to be able to look at an object and say, "Hey, I could make that."
Even though it is basically the same as Lego Star Wars, I enjoyed this game more. The gameplay seems to be built on the experience from making the last Lego game. Hopefully this means the Lego Batman game will be even better.