Jak II
Jak II[a] is an action-adventure video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 in 2003. It is the second game of the Jak and Daxter series and a sequel to Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. It was followed by Jak 3, released the next year. The game features a darker tone and puts higher emphasis on combat than its predecessor; new weapons, devices and playable areas are available. The player takes on the dual role of protagonists Jak and Daxter. Jak II received critical acclaim upon release. Critics applauded the game for being very polished in nearly every department, with many agreeing it was one of the best PlayStation 2 games released at the time. Some criticism, however, was directed at the checkpoint systems, darker tone, and high difficulty. GameplayJak II is an open world 3D platformer with elements of action-adventure.[1] The player controls Jak, who must navigate the dystopian Haven City on a quest for vengeance against the tyrannical Baron Praxis, who subjected Jak to torturous experiments for two years.[2] The game's world is seamless, allowing free exploration across interconnected areas.[3] Jak's basic actions include running, jumping, double-jumping, crouching, and a rolling jump to reach distant platforms. Jak's combat moves include a spin attack, a dash-punch, a dive attack, and an uppercut.[4][5] Jak's melee skills are complemented by the Morph-Gun, a firearm that can be upgraded and modified for different firepower capabilities.[6] Jak has unlimited lives; when his health is depleted, he respawns in the beginning of the last section of the area he was located in.[7][8] A quarter of Jak's health can be replenished by collecting Health Packs.[9] The Jet-Board enables faster travel and a variety of tricks. Carjacking Zoomers (hovering cars) of varying speed and durability also provides transportation around Haven City, and is sometimes required to complete an objective.[10] Due to Baron Praxis's experiments, Jak can absorb a substance known as Dark Eco in small concentrated amounts;[9] the amount of collected Dark Eco is indicated by a meter circling a picture of Jak on the lower-left corner of the screen.[7] When the meter is full, Jak can transform into Dark Jak, a powerful form capable of massive melee abilities than can clear out multiple enemies.[10] New abilities for Dark Jak can be obtained by exchanging Metal Head Skull Gems (gemstones collected from enemies known as Metal Heads) with a mysterious teacher.[3][9] The game features a mission-based structure in which the player can choose tasks non-linearly.[11] Missions are diverse, encompassing platforming, racing, mech suit operations, and protection tasks.[12][13] Precursor Orbs, which unlock special options and features, can be found hidden within the game's environments or earned by completing certain tasks.[3][9][14] PlotSettingJak II takes place in the same fictional universe created by Naughty Dog for Jak and Daxter, though three hundred years after the events of the first game. The game largely revolves around Haven City, a dystopia ruled by Baron Praxis and his Krimzon Guard law enforcers. Haven City serves as the game's hub location, although the player is frequently given tasks that must be fulfilled outside of the city. CharactersJak (voiced by Mike Erwin) is the game's protagonist, along with his sidekick Daxter (voiced by Max Casella), an otter-weasel hybrid (known as an ottsel) and the game's comic relief. When they first arrive in Haven City, Jak is captured by Krimzon Guards and becomes the subject of Baron Praxis's (voiced by Clancy Brown) "Dark Warrior" project. He is subjected to several experiments, ultimately giving him the ability to become "Dark Jak", a beastly version of himself which is unleashed when Jak has gathered enough Dark Eco. After two years of searching for him, Daxter finally sneaks into the prison holding Jak and rescues him. This is also the first time Jak is heard speaking in the series, which is heavily lampshaded by other returning characters throughout the story. Other important characters include Torn (voiced by Cutter Garcia), the second-in-command of the resistance movement known as the Underground; Sig (voiced by Phil LaMarr), a Metal Head hunter/Wastelander who gathers artifacts from outside the city; Krew (voiced by Bill Minkin), a vastly overweight gang lord; Tess (voiced by Britton A. Hill), a barmaid; Errol (voiced by David Herman), the Baron's right-hand man and commander of the Krimzon Guard; and Ashelin (voiced by Susan Eisenberg), the daughter of Baron Praxis who helps the Underground behind her father's back. Baron Praxis and the Metal Heads' leader Kor are the story's antagonists. StoryFollowing Gol and Maia's defeat and discovering the mysterious object,[b] Jak and Daxter join Samos the Green Sage to witness his daughter Kiera's efforts at testing an ancient artifact known as the Rift Rider: a mechanical device linked to an ancient portal called a Rift Gate. Upon Jak activating the device, the gate opens and allows strange creatures to flood the world, before the rider sucks the group within it. Jak and Daxter become separated from the others during the ride and eventually land in Haven City—a dystopia ruled by the tyrannical Baron Praxis, and guarded by the Krimzon Guard, a paramilitary force led by Praxis's right-hand man Errol. While Daxter is forced to run away, Jak is arrested by Errol and imprisoned. Jak is put through a series of experiments for two years by Praxis involving Dark Eco, in an attempt to create a new soldier for the so-called "Dark Warrior Program". During a prison break-in, Daxter finds Jak and breaks him out of the facility, though the pair discover that Praxis' experiments have left Jak with the ability to transform into a Dark Eco version of himself with increased strength, reflexes, stamina and aggression. In escaping the prison and accessing the city, the pair encounter an elderly man named Kor, protecting a young boy known only as The Kid. Kor sends them to make contact with the Underground, a resistance movement led by the mysterious figure known as the Shadow, seeking to bring down Praxis and replace him with the city's rightful heir, The Kid. Meeting with the Shadow's lieutenant, Torn, the pair learn that Praxis is seeking to protect the city and its eco reserves from creatures known as Metal Heads, an evil biomechanical race dating back from Precursor times. Working for the Underground, the pair eventually discover that they have been flung nearly 300 years into the future, after finding the remains of Samos' hut in the city's borders. To further complicate the matter, the pair also learn that the Shadow is none other than Samos—albeit, a younger version, unaware of the ruins significance. Learning that Praxis is seeking an item within a tomb of the city's founder, Jak and Daxter continue working for the Underground, along the way taking work for the crime lord Krew, and reuniting with Kiera, who works as a mechanic in the city's arena. In the process, the pair discover Praxis, unable to outright defeat the Metal Heads, is bribing them with eco. The agreement entails the Metal Heads attacking the city just enough to warrant Praxis' rule, but not enough to actually topple the army. Working with Young Samos, the pair eventually help the Underground find and access the tomb, but become separated when it closes shut on them. With no choice, the pair search the tomb and discover an ancient artifact within called the Precursor Stone, which Praxis steals in hopes of cracking it open and use its destruction that can destroy the Metal Heads, despite it having the potential to wipe out Haven City. Seeking to rescue the Underground, after its chief members were kidnapped in their absence, Jak and Daxter reunite with the older version of Samos, who warns the group that The Kid must be found urgently, despite Young Samos contradicting his instructions. However, Jak and Daxter soon find they must, after preventing Praxis from completing his bomb with the assistance of Krew, whom the pair kill. Shortly after Krew's death, Metal Heads swarm into the city, forcing the Underground and Krimzon Guard to join forces to resist the invasion. At the same time, Jak and Daxter track down Praxis and find him meeting with Kor, who transpires to be the Metal Heads' leader in disguise and had been seeking to use The Kid in order to bring the world into ruin. Departing to complete a ritual he had been working, Kor kills Praxis, who entrusts the Precursor Stone to Jak and Daxter. The pair swiftly pursue after Kor, killing him and finding the very Rift Gate they used to travel through time, and ending the Metal Heads threat. The Kid, whom Jak had discovered was his younger self, touches the Stone, reawakening the Precursor entity within, which flies through the gate. As Kiera arrives with a new Rift Rider she had created, Samos reveals that they cannot return to the past—instead, Jak's younger self and Young Samos must go, in order to ensure Jak will fulfill the destiny he completed with Kor's defeat. In the aftermath of the conflict, Daxter takes over Krew's bar, as he, Jak, Samos and Kiera prepare to enjoy their new lives in Haven City. Development and releaseJak II began development in 2001, as soon as the original shipped.[15][16] Director Jason Rubin confirmed the sequel's existence during a roundtable discussion at D.I.C.E. 2003.[17] Sony Computer Entertainment then officially announced Jak II on March 18, 2003.[18] The game took two years to make, with 52 people, 140 voice actors, two musicians, and three sound engineers, plus Sony's internal staff,[19] with a budget of $15 million.[20] Noting the success of mature titles such as Grand Theft Auto III and the lower sales of The Precursor Legacy compared to Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot games, Rubin decided that the sequel should react to the market, as their demographic grew older and younger players preferred adult games.[16][21][22] Thus, Naughty Dog gave the game a darker tone and a plot about Jak seeking vengeance, and increased the difficulty in response to complaints of the first game being too easy.[23][22] The addition of the hoverboard was inspired by Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.[22] Naughty Dog wanted to emphasize storytelling even more than the first game while still integrating it into the gameplay, so they made much of the collecting optional and eschewed full-motion videos in favor of in-engine cutscenes.[16][23] Unlike its predecessor, which uses the same character models for gameplay and cutscenes, Jak II uses unique high-resolution models for its cutscenes, done in response to early screenshots of Kingdom Hearts.[24] The voice-acting was jointly recorded in the Los Angeles-based Pop Sound and the New York City-based Howard Schwartz Recording.[25] ReceptionReception
Jak II received "generally positive reviews", according to review aggregator Metacritic.[26] The gameplay was celebrated for its ambitious blend of diverse mechanics, expanding beyond traditional platforming to incorporate elements inspired by Grand Theft Auto, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and other genres.[c] Reviewers praised the game's non-linear mission-based structure for enhancing replayability and engagement.[d] The range of missions was described as a dynamic experience that keeps players engaged.[e] The addition of guns was welcomed for adding depth to combat and seamlessly integrating with Jak's traditional melee moves.[f] The Jet-Board was appreciated for its functionality, though some noted its controls lack the precision of dedicated skateboarding games.[3][12][27][28] Navigating Haven City's crowded streets was a common pain point, with sluggish vehicle handling and repetitive travel between missions detracting from the open-world experience.[g] Steven Petite and Jon Bitner of Digital Trends consider Jak II to be the best in the series and one of the PlayStation 2's best platformers.[38] Kotaku's Luke Plunkett called Jak II one of the best PlayStation 2 games, highlighting the game's scale and characters.[39] Criticisms were given to Jak II's shortage of mission checkpoints and overall difficulty. As Naughty Dog developer Josh Scherr once admitted: "One thing that everybody can agree on though, is that the game is just way too fucking hard."[40] IGN named Jak II the #8 hardest PlayStation 2 game, citing its combat, platforming, city navigation, and instant death scenarios.[41] Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine remarked: "It isn't proper to expect us to be perfect in order to make up for your game's many imbalances… Life might not be fair, but I certainly expect my games to be."[32] However, some saw the challenge as a positive, such as Adam Pavlacka of PlayStation Magazine, who said: "I appreciate a good challenge in today's games, and JAK II offers it."[8] AccoladesJak II won Editor's Choice from IGN[35] and GameSpot,[36] and was followed by a nomination for Best PlayStation 2 Game by GameSpot as well.[42] GameSpot named it the best PlayStation 2 game of October 2003.[43] During the AIAS' 7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Jak II received nominations for "Console Platform Action/Adventure Game of the Year" and outstanding achievements in "Animation", "Art Direction", "Gameplay Engineering", "Visual Engineering", and "Character Performance - Female" for Anna Garduño's vocal portrayal of Keira.[44] Jak II was added to Sony's Greatest Hits lineup on September 8, 2004, signifying at least 400,000 copies sold in its first 11 months.[45] Jak II received a "Platinum Prize" in Japan for sales of over one million units.[15] Worldwide, the game sold more than 1.6 million units by April 2004.[46] RemastersIn 2012, Jak II was remastered in the Jak and Daxter Collection on the PlayStation 3,[47] with the collection releasing on the PlayStation Vita a year later.[48] In 2017, Jak II was made available to play on the PlayStation 4 via emulation, featuring high-definition graphics and trophy support,[49] and later became available on PlayStation 5 through backward compatibility. Like its predecessor, the game was unofficially ported to PC by fans in 2023 as part of the OpenGOAL project.[50] NotesReferencesCitations
BibliographyExternal links Wikiquote has quotations related to Jak II.
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