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| Jak II PS2 review | |
| developer | Naughty Dog |
| publisher | SCEA |
| author | Marcin |
| date | Nov. 11, 2003 |
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| sound |  |
| gameplay | |
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| reviewer's toast | |
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Chromehounds
NA Review by Marcin
Oblivion-The First 3 Hours
PC Quicktake by walTer
Comic Quick Takes January 25, 2006
Feature by Mike
Jak & Daxter was a well-executed, pleasant platformer with a few cool twists, like completely freeform mission structure (go anywhere, do anything) and a completely zero loadtime world. On top of that, it looked good, sounded good, and the controls were so good, it set a new standard for platformers. By changing the "E for Everyone" tag into a "T for teen" and taking a few cues from other freeform mission-based games like Grand Theft Auto III, Naughty Dog creates a game experience that expands on the original in nearly every way imaginable. Pardon me for dropping into a slightly advert blurb mode here - I assure you it's short lived.
Explore
By now, everyone will know that Jak II is rated T for Teen, Jak actually speaks, and there is a plot (a sort of loose get-the-bad-guy story) to justify the massive randomness that are the missions. In the first Jak, I never really felt as if I was working towards a goal (at least through most of the game), but simply visiting areas and checking off objectives - this is no longer the case. Set up like Grand Theft Auto's mission structure, Jak II will only allow you to obtain new missions once you've accomplished the previous one, and you only run missions for a handful of characters at a time. Through the missions, the story moves forward in leaps and bounds.
The missions are obtained within the city, and they take you on errands throughout the city and outside of it. As you obtain passes to new parts of the city, it becomes obvious how the town is laid out, and that its grunge and depression are quite deliberate - by comparison, DeadTown (right outside the city walls) is even more depressing and hostile, and the last few remnants of resistance (like Samos' forest or the shrine areas) are vividly green and serene, making the contrast stronger. At first, Jak can only get around on foot, but soon enough....
Race / Ride
What would a huge, sprawling town with cops and pedestrians be without the ability to ride through it on a jetbike? Well ... I'm not sure, but it wouldn't be Jak II. In another move borrowed from GTA, Jak can carjack any vehicle moving about, and use it to get around. Only a few models exist, from the zippy zoomer (much like the first game) to the stately 2 seater, or the police heavy cruiser (although you probably won't hang on to that one for very long). You can cruise at ground level where pedestrians are a minor obstacle - worse are the potholes - or hover up to "street" level which weaves at about second story height. The streets of Haven City are extremely congested however, and the best pilot will be changing flight levels constantly to avoid crashing - the vehicles blow up very easily (but you don't take much damage). Once you get the hang of it, there are quite a few exhilirating moments - and there are a few "race" type missions strewn about the city, like little trinkets of adrenaline. Just remember - zoomers, not cars. Less friction, more inertia - start leaning into your turns early.
There is a stadium in Haven City as well. Stadiums are usually used for sporting events, and this one's no sloucher. You have a choice of a zoomer race (a modified zoomer, faster, tighter and turbo-enabled), or a hoverboard stunt arena where you can perform tricks and earn points galore. One of the missions has you attempting to convince the race manager that you're worth the effort, and soon after you're given the hoverboard permanently - you can whip it out anywhere from now on, which is a phenomenal improvement in your maneuverability (as it hovers over water and Dark Eco, areas previously off-limits - it won't hover over lava though, so don't try it!) and enables new ways of accomplishing objectives. The board picks up speed slowly, but surely, and some of the most excellent levels are purely hoverboard challenges. Fun.
Fight / Smash
Playtime is over - Jak II features tougher, more aware enemies with uncanny targeting skills for their guns and lobbed projectiles alike (grenades and fireballs). Fortunately, Jak receives an adaptable weapon for his own use, with upgrades coming as rewards for missions completed. The weapon starts out as a slow-firing, wide-blast shotgun, and is excellent for clearing out the smaller, swarming enemies - it will also knock any enemy back or even down, buying you precious seconds to get in there and finish them, or run away and regroup. There are other modes for the gun, but I won't spoil it for you - suffice to say, the enemies are varied enough to give you a new challenge everytime you receive an upgrade, and each mission will have you swapping modes quite a lot. Needless to say, such enemy variety would not have been possible withouth Jak having some ordinance of his own.
In a pinch (and if you've collected enough Dark Eco), Jak can transform to Dark Jak, a stronger, faster version of himself - a few special moves are available as well. By default, Dark Jak homes in on the nearest enemy, so once transformed, all you need to do is keep punching - he'll take them out automagically. As you get further into the game, you will receive further Dark powers, enabling you to unleash fury into your surroundings. Once you use up all of Jak's Dark Eco, he regains his normal appearance and demeanor, and you will have to fill up again. I personally found the weaponry to be more useful, but don't underestimate Dark Jak's fury when you're hard pressed - it just might give you that edge.
Graphics / Sound
While the game mostly maintains the zero-load technology, the exit/entry gates in the city walls take a lengthy time to open - a nice way to masquerade the loadtimes. In either case, they're not very long, and serve as a nice pause between safety and danger.
Overall, the graphics in Jak II push more visual goodness towards the player than the first one. Most levels are large, expansive and fun to play in, especially later in the game (saving the best for last sort of thing). The city feels crowded, its one open space feels like a breath of fresh air, and the forests feel tremendously refresing - all effects that fit into the game's mood.
As mentioned, Jak speaks now; all voice talents are top notch and convincing, with not a single phrase out of place. Weapons, zoomers and the city overall are also on par, although nobody seems to be having conversations - the only things you'll hear are the cops' barks such as "THIS IS A NO HOVER ZONE!" A little more variety there would not have been amiss - the city feels a bit prop-like because of this.
Overall
What else is there to say? Lots of varied challenges, some easy, some tough, all fun. A very interesting (if a little more gritty than the first) world that sets up the missions in a more linear, yet still fairly freeform way. Tight controls and new mission types (races, hoverboard, shoot'em ups) aplenty, along with the freedom to do a few missions any way you like. Secrets aplenty, including the ability to play a mirror version of the game. Finally, worry-free gameplay, as saves are performed automagically on each mission completion or cutscene. This is a fine platformer to add to your collection, with a few nice tweaks and only a very few "too bad they didn't to this" occasions.
Note: I apologize for using stock screens - as we've been moving this week, the capture doohickey is packed away quite well. Rest assured that these screens are genuine, although I would say a little crisper than what you would see in the game. The draw distance and detail is right on though.