Yet another Jak and Daxter installment and it is great!
Daxter is definitely top notch when going over gameplay. Daxter is basically set around the time between Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and Jak II, the story depicts Daxter trying to save Jak and helping many others during the process. The mission system is back and better than ever in Daxter and many of you who have played Jak II and Jak 3 will be familiarized with this concept. Similar to previous games in the series, you collect various types of weapons during these missions and the more challenging the game gets, you are always set up with the appropriate weapon to help you defeat a certain task. I felt Daxter was challenging at times similar to Jak II and it got me frustrated at some points since it would be hard to get past a certain point or I would die multiple times because of one thing but it all played out well in the end.
The controls are top notch as well and play out well. The camera controls with the L and R buttons but before you guys get any ideas, it is a great way to control the camera. You will get used to it after a while but ultimately I wish there was a second analog stick to operate a camera. Have to be thankful that they have included one as well, eh? Anyway, moving Daxter with the Analog stick may seem sensitive, it is appropriate for this type of game and you will come to enjoy it in time. In the dream sequences, it is easy to control although in some games, they don't give you the proper direction needed so you may have to play the dream a few times to get the overall gist of it.
Weapons in Daxter consist of a Bug Spray device which will be upgraded with different attachments (such as the Hover technique you can use in the game) and your trusty fly swatter which will get the job done for you, no matter the type of bug. Special moves could be unlocked by initiating Dream Sequences where Daxter will dream about an adventure involving a movie-related plot. Mainly these sequences involved Lord of the Rings and The Matrix and the best part about it was that you would unlock something at the end of each dream. Vehicles in this game are a plenty for sure and they control fantasticly. Although in a level that is vehicle-exclusive, there are limitations for exploration in the level since some heights are unreachable. I also found it difficult to gather Precursor Orbs in a vehicle-exclusive level but there are only a couple levels like that so I am not one to gripe much about that fact.
Bug Combat is a fun and great addition to the game. It basically plays out where you select an attack and you compare attacks with the enemy and one gets hurt more. I haven't had the chance to play Multiplayer but I am sure the CPU battles are enough to give me a generalization of the Combat feature. You can collect certain things during the adventure in Daxter such as Masks and other extras. Cheats can be unlocked by collecting Precursor Orbs and you will want to collect all of them to get 100% in the adventure. You can also connect to Jak X: Combat Racing (PlayStation 2) and unlock extras in both games, even more if you have 100% in Daxter and Jak X both. Finally, after you have finished the game, you may replay a level or a movie by selecting it in the "Secrets" menu.
Daxter features the absolute best graphics on a handheld, let alone PSP. Personally, there is no game like this on PSP after playing so many games and reviewing so many. Ready at Dawn has proven that a PS2 looking game like Daxter can be done on the PSP and other developers should stop making excuses for producing a badly done job on graphics and they should try to make it look like a PS2 title. Seriously, playing Daxter for hours on end, can get you confused to whether you were playing PS2 or not. That is mainly the effect on what the graphics in Daxter gave me. Daxter features many graphical cutscenes that do justice to the PS2 series and the game is littered with very colorful environments. Character Models are top notch, even in-game, such as the Krimson Guard which are huge and intimidating when you catch sight of one.
Daxter definitely has the upperhand in graphics and I really enjoyed viewing the detailed models and so much color, it is a beautiful sight.
The musical score in Daxter is worth listening to rather than leaving the music off. The score is exquisite and definitely details the levels through the music which is surprising for me to say since I don't usually see this much. The composer of the score surely acknowledged the game's lighter feel side and incorporated that into the music. Sound effects aren't bad either and really give a feel to the game. The best part of the sound in this game, is that the environment matches the music always in the game and they did a good job giving the background a sound to make it stand out more. Whether the music plays or not, Daxter is the best game on PSP to date.
Daxter is one of the finest games I have seen both on a handheld or a console. I heavily suggest that you play the trilogy first then start on Daxter because Daxter gives away a few spoilers to determine a few things in Jak II. The story in Daxter does its justice and you will see that it weaves in perfectly between Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and Jak II. In a way, Daxter fills in that missing piece of the puzzle perfectly and everything in Daxter is spot on. Despite a few technical difficulties such as my game freezing once because of too many items on the screen at once, Daxter is the best game I have played in a while. That is saying a lot since I tend to judge games pretty harshly, I would say. Now, go get Daxter and play it for yourself! Get a PSP if you don't have one since it is worth getting one just to play this game.