Hands-on: Jak 2

At a press event earlier this month, Sony took the wraps off the sequel to Jak and Daxter, the Naughty Dog-developed platformer for the PlayStation 2 released in 2001. The game, slated to ship in the fall of this year and simply called Jak 2, has been in development at Naughty Dog's Southern California offices for the past two years. We had a chance to hear from the Naughty Dog crew and check out an early build of the game that features a darker look, tighter gameplay, and the next generation of Naughty's Dog's impressive graphics engine.

The game's story initially picks up just after the ending of Jak and Daxter, as the pair investigates a strange energy portal that propels them 500 years into the future. Unfortunately, the future isn't the fun place you'd think it would be after the events of the first game. Jak is promptly attacked and captured by a mysterious group that puts him in prison. Daxter, in true form, saves his own furry butt and avoids being caught. The game then jumps ahead two years and follows Jak's Daxter-aided prison break. Apparently it's taken the furry chatterbox that long to get around to springing his friend. During the break, we get a taste of what life in prison, and two years' worth of unpleasant scientific experimentation, has done to young Jak, as he transforms into a Dark Jak, a feral incarnation that feeds on dark eco. Following the prison break, the pair meets an old man and a mysterious young boy, who proceed to fill them in on current events. Apparently, the future--in a rather unsurprising revelation, given Jak's experiences so far--kind of sucks as a whole. The people are ruled by a shadowy figure called Baron Praxis, who was responsible for the experimentation done on Jak during his prison stay, and a mechanical menace called the metal heads looms over everyone. An underground resistance has formed to combat the Baron's rule and figure out a way to keep safe from the metal heads. But, whereas most platform heroes would nobly plan to help out the locals with their various problems, Jak is pretty unfazed and remains focused on two simple goals: revenge on the Baron for the two years of experimentation and imprisonment and a return ticket to his time.

Now, if the game's story sounds like a bit of a departure from the tone of the previous one, it is. Although the game's rating has yet to be finalized, Jak 2's darker tone and more mature approach to storytelling will likely make it the first T-rated release in Naughty Dog's game catalog in quite some time. Jak 2 features a darker tone that is reflected in every aspect of the game. Jak's character model has been redesigned and sports a sleeker look. The various characters you'll encounter in the game, good and bad, feature a mature design that skews older. Along the same lines, the world you'll be exploring will feature a darker tone overall and have a far colder feel to it. While many of the environments in the game will be much colder and more sterile than the ones in the previous game, even the more natural locales will be far less inviting, thanks to a color palette that leans toward a darker look overall.

While Jak 2's darker look is conveyed by the game's more mature designs and darker color scheme, Naughty Dog's impressive graphics engine pumps out a rich visual experience that blows the original Jak and Daxter completely out of the water. Thanks to a combination of Naughty Dog's own tinkering and some new technology courtesy of its collaboration with Insomniac, Jak 2's graphics look as though they may well set new standards on the PlayStation 2. The characters in the game are incredibly detailed and made up of 10,000-15,000 polygons, and they move much more fluidly than in the original game. The massive environments in the game, which are much larger than those found in the original game, sport a higher level of detail and a host of new special effects, such as lighting and a subtle but impressive technique to simulate eye moisture, to name just a few. Couple all the above with cleverly streamed loading to provide a seamless experience and you have a title that is shaping up to be quite a showcase for the PlayStation 2.

As far as gameplay goes, Jak 2 sticks closely to what worked in the original game and tweaks what didn't. Jak's core move set has come over intact and has been beefed up with the addition of unique weapons and vehicles. Jak 2 will arm you with four guns that you can upgrade over the course of your adventures. You'll also be able to ride a hoverboard that will be integral to some segments in the game and a nice option to use in others. Additionally, you'll be able to make use of local vehicles for transportation if you're in a pinch. Jak's Dark Jak incarnation also adds a new element to the game, thanks to its powerful attacks and invulnerability effect.

In terms of its structure, Jak 2 makes some radical but welcome changes to its predecessor. Essentially, the game will offer a less linear experience overall. Although the game's main narrative will require certain linear elements to tell its story, you'll find those instances limited to key points in the game. The rest of the time, you'll be exploring a number of open-ended options as you make your way through the game. You'll still have a mission-based structure to adhere to, but the amount of collection you'll be doing has been seriously cut back and simplified. Mandatory collection in the game is limited to one item--other items are optional. You'll also find a broader degree of freedom in the game thanks to the number of vehicles and weapons you'll be able to use.

The game's audio is coming together pretty well. Gamers unnerved by Jak's near-homicidal silence in the first game will find him to be one chatty dude in Jak 2. Unfortunately, given his desire for revenge and time spent in prison, he's not exactly a very happy guy. Daxter, on the other hand, is still his chatty self, although thankfully he's far more tolerable in this outing. Thanks to the game's T rating, the furry critter will be spouting some saucy one-liners that would have been impossible to do in an E-rated game.

Based on our time with the game, we have to say we're quite impressed by the promising state Jak 2 is in. The game handles great, moves smoothly, and has some pretty polished gameplay. There are a few rough spots, mostly concerning the camera and frame rate, but nothing that can't be fixed in time for the game's anticipated fall release. Look for more on Jak 2 in the coming weeks.