For those unacquainted with the history behind Jak II, it’s the follow up to Naughty Dog’s earlier PS2 platformer hit, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. The original title was a lot of fun and deserved much of the acclaim it received, but Jak II outshines it on all levels. Jak II dissects the greatest platformers we’ve seen thus far and melds the best bits onto its super shiny skin while adding a strong dash of mission-based gameplay.

The storyline picks up shortly after the end of the first game, with Jak and his buddies playing around with Precursor technology better left alone. It’s bad technology, of course, and it sucks Jak and his pal Daxter into another world. Upon their arrival to this wreckage of an industrial world, Jak is captured by the troops of Baron Praxis. Thus begins two years of torturous experimentation by Praxis on Jak. Dark Eco of various forms is pumped through Jak’s veins, which at first seems to have no effect. As the opening progresses, Jak’s old pal Daxter arrives to bust him out of prison and end his torture. The two escape and begin a new adventure in hopes of finding out where they’ve ended up, and hopefully how to get home. There’s just one trick…the Dark Eco has mutated Jak, giving him the ability to transform into Dark Jak, a raging psychotic version of himself. This alter ego offers up some new gameplay elements, and lends a very dark feel to Jak II, as Jak’s other mission is to hunt down Baron Praxis and deliver a little payback.

Jak II’s gameplay will be very familiar to those who’ve played Grand Theft Auto or any other mission-based title. Right after his escape from prison, Jak heads out to the city and starts "jacking" (pardon the pun) hover cars to get from point A to point B. Jak can snag a car from anyone, and he’ll need to as the Baron’s troops are relentless and brutal pursuers. They are more than willing to blow Jak and Daxter out of the sky when given the opportunity. The game’s missions are all pretty much designed around "get to this point and do this" mission-oriented gameplay, with a healthy dose of platforming thrown in. It’s interesting to see how Naughty Dog managed to combine both genres and use them to push the story along.

When it comes to combat, Jak II is a lot more interesting than its predecessor. Taking a page from the Ratchet and Clank playbook, Naughty Dog has introduced weaponry to the game. Now there are shotguns, pistols and other hand-cannons to complement Jak’s mix of  melee attacks. For the purist, Jak still sports his dash punch, spinning and stomping attacks. But this game is a lot more fun when you’re playing with guns. And don’t forget, when you’ve got enough Eco collected, you can become Dark Jak, a whirling dervish of destruction, sure to annihilate any comers.

This game is beautiful to look at, there’s no two ways about it. Naughty Dog must’ve found the "Lost Graphics Chip of the PS2" somewhere, as this game looks like it was published for newer consoles. Character models aren’t just pretty; they are gorgeous, with lifelike details and a visual sense of character long missing from console games. The environments, while often dark and dreary, are dripping with realistic shapes and textures, enough to cause you to lose track of what you’re doing as you take them all in. Even the cut scenes, typically the Achilles’ heel of PlayStation 2 titles, are worth taking the time to watch.

As far as the audio goes, the voice acting is top-notch, and is supported by an excellent effects engine. While the musical score is nothing spectacular, it’s still capable of driving you through the game and holding your attention.

Jak II is a big game, big enough to have you spending more time on it than most other platformers. Some of this comes from forced replay created by levels that have to be played perfectly to be finished. Other times, the replay comes from simply wanting to do better at a level, or looking for an unlockable or power-up.

As a whole, Jak II is an excellent convergence of mission-based gameplay and platformer fun, and it’s sure to please fans of both. With plenty of character, color and graphical wizardry, you really can’t go wrong with Jak II.

See more screens on the Jak II media page