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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, November 19, 2003

Sony's 'Jak II' is far darker, more difficult than original

By William Schiffmann
Associated Press

A few years in prison will change anybody.

Look what happened to Jak.

Sony once dreamed that Jak would be their Mario. In Naughty Dog's "Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy" two years ago, Sony seemed to be on the right track with a cheerful, platform-hopping young hero with big ears named Jak and his furry orange weasel sidekick, Daxter.

In "Jak II," however, things take a decidedly darker turn. Daxter busts Jak out of jail after two years of torture by Baron Praxis' flunkies, who used the evil substance known as Dark Eco to change him in a bizarre way.

They emerge in Haven City, a bleak, expansive hub jammed with the Baron's vicious Krimzon Guard and his downtrodden subjects.

The hub leads Jak and Daxter off on a multitude of missions, where they get back somewhat to their platformer roots.

However, this isn't your father's platform game, not by a long shot.

In "Jak II," in addition to the cartoony spin moves he uses to batter foes, Jak is now packing. He has the nifty Morph-Gun, which can change into a variety of weapons. The biggest and baddest is the Peace Maker, which launches charged particles of electricity and is capable of multiple mayhem.

Jak also collects Dark Eco, the substance used by his jailers. Pile up a big enough supply and you can transform him to Dark Jak, a mad, hugely powerful creature capable of massive attacks on several enemies at once.

Jak does things no E-rated platform hero would even imagine, including tossing the good citizens out of their floating vehicles in a page right out of "Grand Theft Auto."

"Jak II" is a stunning game to watch, with beautifully shaded and colored graphics and gorgeous detail everywhere. The beauty almost makes up for the game's difficulty — but not quite. Flinging the controller at the TV sets a bad example, but you'll be tempted. The high level of difficulty is exacerbated by occasional problems with the camera.

However, keep at it. "Jak II" could be the future of platform titles — and it's one of the best games I've played this year.

"Jak II" is a game that is beautiful visually, a treat aurally and a joy to play. It's not easy, but nothing this good ever is.

It's rated T, for 13 and older.

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