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No longer is Jak a happy-go-lucky plucky kid. In Jak II, he's meaner,
tougher, darker, and so are the surroundings, in the sequel to the popular
Jak and Daxter.
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If you were a good enough adventurer, you found all 100 of the Precursor
power cells in the first game (actually, 101 of them). Well, if you did, Jak
and friends discover a massive door that, when opened...did absolutely
nothing. The game ends and credits roll. Luckily, I had the opportunity of
playing Jak II immediately after playing the first, because it's a direct
continuation of the story.
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After finding the massive door/portal, Jak somehow brings it back to Samos's
hut, and Samos, Keira, Jak and Daxter all head through it. But things go
wrong, and they all get separated. Well, going through the portal brings
them to a dark city where, within thirty seconds, Jak is captured. For two
years he is tortured while being injected with Dark Eco by a man named Baron
Praxis, until Daxter rescues him and they escape the fortress Jak was held
in and enter Haven City.
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Now, if the first game was called Crash Bandicoot meets Mario 64, then this
game is Crash Bandicoot meets Grand Theft Auto. It's so unbelievably obvious
that it made me want to shake my head. To get around this large city, you
steal vehicles from others to get to your missions faster (vehicles which handle
terribly. Just terribly.). If you crash into a Crimson Guard (the police of
the city), the alarm starts, and they start looking for you, but unlike GTA, they just want to kill you, not arrest you.
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The atmosphere of the game is much, much darker than the first. Jak actually
talks, and he talks rough. Many sexual references are made, and Daxter takes
full advantage (like staring down the cleavage of a barmaid). There are even
lines of spoken dialogue that involve the occasional profanity, and while
this isn't too suprising in the world of video games, it sure is in a Jak
and Daxter sequel. Now, while this new, darker approach may have won over
some older audiences, I can't help but think Naughty Dog has lost some fans
over this. However, true to the first, there are conversations (mainly with
Daxter involved) that made me laugh.
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While it may appear to be non-linear, Jak II actually is quite a linear
game, forcing you to go from one mission to the next, one after the other.
Occasionally you will get a side mission, but more often than not, you'll
have one choice of destination. What's aggravating about this is that often
the missions are way on the other side of the city, which in my opinion,
really seems pointless and just too big. If the city of Haven had been
smaller, I would've enjoyed it much more than spending precious time going
back and forth across it.
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Jak II, while it does have the old spin/kick moves from the first, adds
more ways to destroy your enemies. The first of these ways is the addition
of Dark Eco. All the infusion of Dark Eco has made Jak able to turn into a
"Dark Jak", as I call him, and use more powerful moves to attack opponents.
While this is neat, I found it kind of pointless, due to the addition of:
GUNS. The biggest additions to Jak II are guns. That's right, guns! Now Jak
can draw four different types of weapons (as they are acquired) to blow the
enemies away. Because of these, Dark Eco is rendered near useless, and while
it could've been a neat side-story of the game, except for the beginning,
Jak's struggle with the controlling Dark Eco is not mentioned through most
of the game, and that was disappointing. Also, with guns, Dark Jak really
isn't needed at all. I mean, who's gonna challenge you when you're holding
"The Peacemaker"?
Another addition to the game is the hoverboard, which seems to borrow from
Tony Hawk, as you can use it to go around the city quicker, attack enemies,
and yes, rack up points in the skate park arena.
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The story of the game seems much deeper than the original Jak and Daxter.
There are tales of rebellion, backstabbing, revenge, the war against the
Metal Heads, a rampaging army of monsters, and a little surpise of what the
city of Haven really is. It was interesting enough to keep me playing, I'll
say that, but it wasn't "Oh my god! That's the truth? Gasp!". But, ah well,
few games have that quality. There were, however, a few interesting points
in the game that had me excited. Then again, there were a few points in the
game where there was absolutely no connection with the story whatsoever,
making me wonder why I needed to go free six lurkers from prison and
rush them back to one spot, one after the other, without dying, while
everybody shoots at me.
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And now, my biggest problem with Jak II: I expect life isn't fair, but I
expect my games to be, and that's where Jak II definately falls short. The
game gives you unlimited lives, which is good, because otherwise it would be
impossible. I'm not exaggerating, the game is impossible otherwise. You're
expected to perform superhuman feats, such as racing across the city in
three minutes (which will, ironically, take you an hour, retrying it over
and over), while guards take shots at you, traffic gets in the way, kamikaze
pilots ram into you, and bumps have you sliding right into the wall. Or
taking miraculous leaps X times in a row, where if you fall once, you have to do it all
over again. Or trying to take down patrol vehicles that, when you fire your
first shot, will have dozens of guards firing at you, rendering your aim
near-useless. This game is HARD, make no mistake, and there are many areas
that would make the casual gamer scream in protest and cry like a little
girl.
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Oh, one thing I must mention, but I feel it's overlooked quite a bit. There
were parts in the game where the music was just excellent, adding just the
right amount of atmosphere to the game (one part I remember, if anyone
cares, is when you're way above the city, crossing some catwalk while
avoiding electrical coils and other hazards. Great music). Just thought I'd
mention that.
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The game has so much potential, and I feel that it's fulfilled a lot of it.
However, there are many areas that have fallen short, like the redundancy of
the city, which seems less of a city and more of a maze. It's a
Jak-of-all-trades game that borrows from many others, and while this formula
has gone to pot in many games past, Jak II has made driving, platforming,
shooting, and racing all come together relatively seamlessly. It's a fun
game, definitely worth a buy, but remember, don't expect any Jak and Daxter
cuteness. This game is for mature audiences.
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Pros:
- Adds many new things
- Well-written dialogue
- Well-designed platform areas
- Excellent atmosphere
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Cons:
- Boring, near-pointless city
- Story becomes stale at times
- Vehicles handle like boats- broken boats at that
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