Naughty Dog is one of the first developers that come to mind when you mention Sony and its game consoles. On the original Playstation, they created a phenomenon with their smash hit Crash Bandicoot series and then again on the Playstation 2 with Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. The aspect of Naughty Dog that remains the most adored is the company’s vivid imagination. No other developer has created game worlds so vivid and fresh. A main reason why critics and people love Naughty Dog is because their work never becomes repetitious or mediocre. They always present a new idea to the table, just as they have this year with Jak 2. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was a light, fun and sometimes too enjoyable platformer that put many mediocre clones of that year to shame. It starred two best friends on a journey to save their world from an evil tyrant. The twist was that Jak’s friend Daxter had been transformed into a little rodent that became even more annoying than ever before. They spent most of the game searching for a way to turn Daxter back to his human form, but they were forced to put that on hold while they solved the problems of others. Jak and Daxter finally saved the day and seemed to be on route for a well deserved vacation, but Daxter proved once again, that mistake is his middle name.

         Jak, Daxter and their friends are thrown through a portal and fall into a mysterious land that resembles something out of Blade Runner. Jak is immediately captured and thrown into the Krimzon jail, where he is experimented on for the next two years, until Daxter comes to the rescue. The biggest surprise to Daxter after he rescues his best friend is that Jak isn’t the person he remembers. Once a happy and content mute, Jak has become a hard as nails warrior on the trail of revenge. The whole game revolves around Jak’s mission to settle the score with the Baron, who happens to be the corrupt ruler of the land. During the two years of his capture, the Baron experimented on him with a substance called Dark Eco. Due to this abnormal exposure, Jak can suddenly lose control and turn into “Dark” Jak. The game is driven heavily by plot, so I’m going to leave it there in terms of background information. The core of the game is essentially the story, so it is best for me not to spoil it for you.

          The main idea of Jak 2 revolves around a darker tone. Whereas the first game received an E-Rating for subtle violence and comedy, Jak 2 receives a well deserved T-Rating for it’s sometimes risqué sexual innuendo and over the top action. No, you won’t be seeing decapitated heads and gore flying around any time soon, but Naughty Dog certainly makes it clear that this is not your little brother’s game. Is Jak 2 the revolutionary platform game that it’s been hyped to be? Actually, it is and that is what shocked me the most. They delivered on almost every promise and seemed intent on making their fans happy. What you have here is the best platform game since the groundbreaking Mario 64, and that is definitely a compliment worth celebrating.

         Platform games of the past five years have been fairly straightforward and repetitious. Only a few games here and there have introduced new ideas to the genre and none of them were the truly revolutionary games we had made them out to be in pre-release hype. Well of course, what do you expect? People always make something look bigger than it really is and its part of human nature. But when something like Jak 2 comes along, you really aren’t prepared. You turn it on with worn out expectations and when you realize that this is the game you’ve been waiting for, you have already passed out onto the floor. The gameplay is what essentially drives Jak 2 to supremacy. There are so many different types of gameplay mechanics crammed into Jak 2 that almost anyone could find at least one portion that they really enjoyed. From hover boarding, to jet racing, all the way to whacking moles, Jak 2 succeeds at delivering something for everyone. The game is set up with a Grand Theft Auto style hub and mission system. You start out with one contact and you complete various tasks for them. After you finish a few with that contact, you move on to others and for the most part you can choose who you want to go to at certain points. This not only advances the story, but it gives a feeling of freedom in terms of what you can and should do. The city hub is also resembles a homage to that of Grand Theft Auto. You can go anywhere and practically kill anyone you feel like wasting. The vehicle jacking ability is also here and is very vital to the game progression. You can steal many different types of vehicles, small ones that ride fast and break fast, or big jets that drive slow and aren’t crushed that easily. The city map tells you where you need to go and also acts as radar for important mission checkpoints or areas of importance. Once you reach the mission area, you must complete the task assigned to you. Missions range from protecting a sea port, to collecting a certain amount of metal head skulls. They are shuffled enough to make each mission feel diverse and that helps the gameplay go with the flow. Once you complete a mission, you can either go back and get another mission, or sometimes you receive a new item or contact. The mission based gameplay works in Jak 2’s favor, even thought some missions are a tad bit unbalanced. Timed missions seem to be the most frustrating as you are sometimes forced to play the mission over and over just to memorize your path or actions. Trial and error missions are never very fun, but for the most part, you gain satisfaction after finally completing the mission.

         The core area of the gameplay is the action. The game plays almost exactly the same as Jak and Daxter: TPCL, except there are weapons added into the mix. You have all the same moves and abilities as you had from the original with some added perks. You now have the ability to transform into “Dark” Jak whenever your dark eco meter fills up and you can perform numerous attacks that you are taught throughout the course of the main game. It’s not vital to completing the Jak 2, but when you are in a tight spot, the ability comes in handy almost all the time. The weapons are the biggest and most enjoyable addition to the game. After you become tired with the same punches and spins, you can pull out a weapon and unleash havoc among your enemies. Your first weapon resembles a shotgun and fires slow as one naturally would, but you can expect to get a few upgrades for them here and there. The aiming system is very precise so that you don’t struggle much, when attacking your foes. You must be mindful of your ammo at times though, because some spots do not provide enough for you, while others will have it in waves. Practicing in the shooting range is a great way to get better at using your weapons and it will save you from experiencing miserable defeat many times over and over.

         Aside from the punching and shooting, the game’s action is broken up by minigames that seamlessly blend in. You will be skating like a pro and racing like an animal in certain portions of the game, and this makes it even more enjoyable. The hover board and jet physics are quite good for a game based primarily on action and collision detection never seems to be a problem. Sometimes you will use vehicles for missions and other times for basic traveling routines. The vehicles are a nice topping for the overall great gameplay that is provided.

         For a game this size you’d think that it would never end, but unfortunately, it does. The game can last some up to 40 hours if they are really taking their time and enjoying the sites, but hardcore gamers could get it done in about half that time. There are many items for you to collect and extra goodies for you to see, so the game has many reasons to keep you coming back for more. The variety and sheer size of the game is enough of a reason for you to play again, as there are three save slots. A game like this definitely deserves a second look, if not more.

         If you had thought that the Playstation 2 was reaching its technical limits, well then Jak 2 will surprise most of you. Jak 2 expands on the first games graphics engine to create the biggest and most immersive platform game environment ever. The texture detail on the walls and floors of the city makes you wonder how they managed to fit all of the game onto one disc. You can see what seems like miles into the distance and the game’s city is only loaded once, so the whole enviroment is right there for you to see. The only other time you are forced to load is when moving into a new area, like a forest or complex, but even then, the developers find some way to fool you in thinking that it’s not really loading. That in itself is commendable. The texture detail is amazing and the variety is mind blowing. From lush forests to corporate facilities, the diversity of the game’s visuals is enough to make any other developer, pass out. The most impressive aspect of the graphics would have to be the character models. They are simply the best the Playstation 2 has offered so far. From on cue lip movements to full body expressions, Naughty Dog truly outdid themselves this time. Even the generic townspeople look amazing (especially compared to the sometimes poor quality of those in Grand Theft Auto). First an amazing story, and now great character models, they have truly created characters that we can actually care about. Each new character that you meet, presents a distinct and original style that simply can’t be replicated, they are what they are, and they are simply amazing. The only problem that faces Jak 2 in terms of its graphics would be the sometimes inconsistent framerate that plagues some crowded areas of the game. It doesn’t hamper gameplay at all, but is sometimes noticeable.

           The game supports Dolby surround sound and features a stunning soundtrack that could fit with any post apocalyptic Hollywood movie from the last twenty years. The music is haunting at times, but can become booming the next. You will most likely never hear a lighthearted theme though, as Jak 2’s darker tone has affected every aspect of the game, including its sound. The voice work done for the game is superb and that is a rare compliment considering some of the dreck we’ve been given before. The voices match the characters perfectly and each has a personality of their own. Jak’s voice is angry and stern, while Daxter remains the funny man cracking jokes all the time. These are the types of things you must expect from a game of this size and scale and ND has proved that they can deliver. The sound effects blend in perfectly with the intense action and always add to the atmosphere, never taking anything away from it.

          So now that I had pretty much glorified Jak 2 in almost every way, there have to be some faults right? Of course, there are always problems with a game because lets face it, nothing is perfect. The gameplay can be quite unbalanced at points leading to some broken controllers (or gods forbid, bones). Some of the missions just feel too difficult, while others can be completed with no problem. Due to the diversity and nature of the missions, this is of course acceptable, but it would have been nice if there had been a few tweaks to the AI of the Krimzon Guards. They will become your worst enemy after a few missions because they are so relentless and annoying. Just be sure to keep in mind that Jak 2 is a difficult game and is not a walk in the park. Is it worth your money? Hands down, Jak 2 is the best platform game on the market today and it should be in everyone’s game collection. So now all we have to do, is wait and see how Naughty Dog will raise the bar next time. I’ve already got my popcorn saved up. What are you waiting for?