Like GTA but...
Jak 2 or Jak 2 Renegade for us Europeans carries the story flame directly after the events of the first title. Jak (the elf like thing) and Daxter (an orange weasel that's called an Ottsel), Kiera and Samos The Sage are thrown through a portal and are seperated from one another. They all end up in this strange futuristic city and Jak is immediately arrested and Daxter runs off, promising Jak he'll save him before he knows it. Two years later Daxter manages to find Jak and breaks him out of prison. Not before saying the very first expletive word in the series to just show the gamers how more grown up this sequel is. Thus, begins a quest through the dark under belly of Haven and to start the chain of events that begin an odyssey that spans three games.
Jak and Daxter The Precursor Legacy was a run of the mill platformer. It was open ended and the big selling point of the game was the lack of ANY loading screen once you started playing the game. The game was a massive success and it's one of my favourite platforming games to date. Though it was a predictable gameplay romp, the polish and sheen the game got was second to none. At some point Naughty Dog played Grand Theft Auto 3 and deemed necessary to add elements of that game into the sequel. Though the game is a game that ticks all the boxes for the consumer and markets itself as a more mature game, it's still a platformer so it's still about collecting things. Despite the overuse of saying mission structure and open city. I do have to say though that because of this new structure for the game there's far more things to do and see. Something that was completely lacking in the first title. You now use vehicles when you want to in the hub world, you eventually get your hands on a cool but sometimes annoying hoverboard and weapons.
Yep, four weapons but weapons none the less. It's not in the same league as the all blowing **** up stuff in the Ratchet and Clank. It's far more tactical and far more practical if anything else. Though there's not much in the way of variety, there's certainly plenty to keep the fighting and puzzle solving interesting. And they do certainly help in boss battles. What I also like is how the guns don't become the centre stage for the game and they don't feel out of place in the world of Jak And Daxter.
There's so many side distractions to the main story, which is a really good story by the way, that there's simply no way you can see everything within a couple of days of playing it. There's racing, collecting the precursor orbs for cheats, moves to learn, Dark Jak to master, the hoverboard and using it to discover grindable cables to access hidden areas . The list is endless and each one fits in well within the context of the game.
I have to say, Jak 2 is easily one of the best looking Playstation 2 titles around. They still stand strong to this day. It's a gorgeous looking beast and there's so much variety in way of enemies, environments and all the little details that it simply stands as a labour of love. What's all so impressive is the animation that has gone into everything. The graphics really shine in the cut scenes, which are some of the finest in any videogame. The lip syncing is absolutely incredible and everything just looks amazing. It really is that good to look at. And it's also the same with the superb audio treatment. The voice acting is as cool as ever, with every character having the perfect voice to them. The soundtrack though ambient and a tad quiet is effective at conveying mood and atmosphere and the sound effects are crisp. One particular stan out is the voom sound of the scatter gun. You feel and hear every kick of the gun. Incredible. Course you can hook it to a HD cable and Dolby Surround setup and everything will be ten times better. Trust me on this, the game definitely needs the setup to get the absolute possible experience.
If you take out the side quests and merely followed the main story mode the game will last you a good 20 hours. However, if you want to discover everything be prepared to put in the time and dedication. The rewards for doing so are great.
Jak 2 Renegade for the Playstation 2 is one of the best Playstation 2 games you buy. There's something for everyone and although the series has now lost its purity and innocence of the first title, that doesn't detract the quality of the whole package. This is essential for platformer fans and for fans of the series and stands as the best title in the franchise.