I\'ll just start this thread so people can post their own reviews of the game once they\'ve completed it.
Well, I made it...I have completed one of the most frustrating games I\'ve ever bothered to play through in my life. Normally I would return a game like Jak II without thinking twice, however I felt I owed something to the game for absolutely adoring its\' predecessor.
I\'ll start with the good stuff. The game is a graphic marvel plain and simple. Draw distances to tomorrow, an almost steady 60 fps (it hiccuped rarely), and great artistic style have lended themselves to create a great piece of eye candy.
The controls are much like the first, perfect. Naughty Dog managed to incorporate weapons and the hover board so that the player would never be hindered in the sometimes hectic gameplay.
Grapics, check. Controls, check. Now on to my gripes about the game.
First of all, I want to remind everyone of the original Jak & Daxter. Remember how easy it was to play this game? Collecting precursor stones was never a hassle, the enemies were scattered enough so they were never a bother to the focus of the game...platforming perfection. Solving puzzles, making jumps, navigating floating platforms, collecting various items, etc. Jak & Daxter got it right on the first try.
One could only assume that the sequel would follow suit and deliver a more amazing experience...guess it depends who you are and what you like to play.
Jak II no doubt dropped the conventional platform approach and decided to go for something more trendy, weapons. This is likely due to the overwhelming popularity of games like Halo and Grand Theft Auto, but I\'m only guessing. :rolleyes: Like I said, the weapons were integrated without a hitch. The downside is that the gameplay shifted from a platformer to something else...even after investing 20 hours in to the game I still don\'t know what to call it. All I know is that I don\'t like it.
The level (sewer, temple, waterplant, powerplant, drill mine, etc.) sizes are mostly small feeling as though they were created more suitable for hordes of enemies than platform elements. You spend more time clearing enemies than doing anything else, and before you know it the mission is over. There is the occasional outskirt mission like hoverboarding to blow up wells which are quite fun, however they are few and far between.
You\'ll spend FAR more time traversing the city to get information, then head to your next objective. Avoid pissing off the guards and you can add more to that time. Speaking of the city, the humongous size is only equaled by its\' lack of necessity. Overworlds should only act as a hub to the meat of the game, its\' numerous levels. Not only is the city a pain in the ass to navigate, you will also have to deal with the most annoying missions while inside the city walls. Numerous they are, hours you will spend doing them over, and over, and over until you get it exactly right.
There is hardly any leniency(sp?) in Jak II and that, IMO, is its\' greatest flaw. This game is not nearly as accessible as the first and as a result the missions end up feeling like a chore. Whether it be too many enemies, down to the second timed events, or the lack of check points within levels...Jak II managed to incorporate them all.
I know Naughty Dog caught some criticism for Jak & Daxter being "easy" and only 10-15 hours long, but there are better ways of enhancing longevity than cheap tactics and demanding gameplay.
Those are MY gripes of the game. I have chatted with some people who think it\'s the best PS2 game available and for the very reasons I despise it. I just have to say that I\'m not happy with the direction Jak II was taken in and I can only hope the next game is something different...anything different. I\'ll be sure to rent before I buy just to make sure:)
