Staff of Kings' highest value comes in the form of its sound design. The soundtrack is appropriate and dynamic, the voice actors are pretty much spot-on, and the sound of Indy's meaty fist smacking into a bad guy's jaw is satisfying. Close behind the sound department comes art: while the characters themselves leave much to be desired (mostly due to close-ups and lip syncing required in cutscenes), the backdrops and set pieces are quite detailed and stylish. Areas can be pretty cramped and very linear, but personally I see this as a good thing for this game; Staff of Kings was not meant to be a crawling epic...just a fun romp.
I will say this for Artificial Mind and Movement (A2M), the studio that developed Staff of Kings: they sure know how to find creative ways to use the motion controls! You'll use your Wiimote as a flightstick while navigating canyons; you'll swipe off a swarm of spiders, drive a tank, shoot your way through a burning warehouse, and more. The trademark bullwhip is always handy, as are Indy's naildriver knuckles. Combat is intuitive and fairly complex, and reminded me of a dirty street brawling version of Fight Night's various punch styles and counter-attacks...unfortunately, you tend to get ganged up on, and usually the results of your wild swinging leave you wide open. The best way to endure a one-on-four fight is to find ways to use the environment against your adversaries; this can be pulling furniture down on top of them, grabbing a nearby shovel with which to bludgeon them, or even yanking out scaffold that they are perched upon. Most of these functions work pretty well, thanks partly to the control design, and thanks mostly to slow AI enemies.
As usual, the whip is more than just a gimmick.
Unlike the near-obscene length of the PSP version of Staff of Kings, the Wii version lasts only six segments, each of which is spaced by cutscenes that mark save points. Even with the cutscenes, each chapter doesn't last but about 30-40 minutes. Offsetting this is the co-op mode, in which you and a partner can strap on the Wiimote and nunchuk attachment and work through Indy's adventure with a special playable character: Henry Jones, Sr.
The first thing you'll notice about the co-op mode is that A2M decided to forgo in-engine cutscenes and instead provide original art that moves like an animated graphic novel. Personally, I thought that this was much cooler, and wished the entire game was wrapped around this style. The second thing you'll notice is that the voice actor responsible for Henry Jones, Sr. does a wonderful job recreating Sean Connery's famous accent and overbite. Sadly, the recorded grunts for Henry Sr. are way, way overused, and by the end of the first co-op level (in which you and your co-op partner take turns climbing each side of a waterfall, activating switches for each other along the way), you might just mute the sound. Seriously: it's bad enough when the grunt sounds like Sean Connery on the toilet after a barbecue...but to hear that every time Player 2 chins up to a ledge is ridiculous.
In a nutshell, the co-op mode here is a series of extended mini-games and platforming; co-op at its most basic and simple gameplay. The most in-depth level consists of one player driving a tank while the other utilizes its turret to shoot down an escaping cargo plane. Even then, the tank is limited to a path that is so linear it makes NASCAR's oval tracks look like open world playgrounds. Perhaps the most fun my wife and I had as Indy and Henry were the sequences that locked us into cover positions behind crates and pitted us against waves of enemies, Time Crisis style. Using the Wiimote to aim is natural, but unfortunately too exact: aiming isn't so much a problem until you're aiming at a figure that is literally 1" tall on a 43" screen.
The environments are stylish and well-conceived.
I distinctly remember David Jaffe (God of War director and co-founder of Eat Sleep Play) tweeting about his excitement for all things Indiana Jones, and especially for this game. As a fan myself, I really had hoped to be surprised, but my expectations started low; I wonder if Mr. Jaffe was treated to the experience that he had hoped for. Honestly: A2M has created a good atmosphere that blends classic Indy with a new storyline and soundtrack...but I'm sorry to say that while we appreciate their inclusion of co-op, this particular game is best served as a rental.
I recommend renting Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings if only for the rich presentation and decent gameplay. Don't get too stoked for the local-only co-op, though...at best, it's a simple time-killer for you and your spouse or sibling.