Below are user reviews of Jak II and on the right are links to professionally written reviews.
The summary of review scores shows the distribution of scores given by the professional reviewers for Jak II.
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Higher scores (columns further towards the right) are better.
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User Reviews (1 - 11 of 259)
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Has Naughty Dog done it again?
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 56 / 62
Date: October 18, 2003
Author: Amazon User
First and foremost, dont buy this game expecting to play the original on a different world. While some of the controls are the same and the characters are the same, the gameplay is very different. This may turn some people off, and it may make others look at this game is a very different light.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was a great game, and so is the sequal, Jak II. One of the first things that you will notice is that the "hub" world, Haven City, is HUGE! There are numerous alleys, shops, buildings, caverns and dark places for you to explore. The city is massive and covers a lot of ground. The setting has been darkened up a bit as well, Jak has gone through some...interesting changes since we saw him last. His powers have increased...as well as his attitude.
The majority of gameplay is taken up by mission structured objectives. You need to go to point A and do B and your reward is C. The missions range in scope from racing to escort missions. The game developers have obviously taken a hint from the Grand Theft Auto series in terms of gameplay. Virtually every vehicle can be hijacked and ridden around the city. Guards are patrolling the streets, and if you make trouble, they will chase you down and shoot some pretty wicked weapons in your general direction- to avoid them you need to either hide or outrun them.
The camera is great, and can be repositioned to help you out with the trouble spots. As expected, the graphics are smooth and lush, with a great style of animation incorporated into the final product. There are no load times and the scenery flows together nicely. As I mentioned earlier, the world on which we find outselves is massive and there are many objectives to accomplish before we can unlock all its secrets. The addition of a map option is a great help as the size of Jak II's world(s) can sometimes be overwhelming and confusing.
The only thing that detracts from the game is the difficulty level on some of the missions. I have found myself trying for over an hour at times to clear one objective or another. The game can be downright brutal, cruel, sadistic and even petty...yet I always find myself going back into the fray for more. This game is unique and by all means shoud be rented before you go and buy it. Naughty Dog has tried something new, they have tried to grow with the times and create something that stands on its own. As mentioned earlier, some might be put off by the new direction that Jak and Daxter have taken, others will applaud the developers for the fresh new look.
Its a mixed bag...some like it, some hate it...the best advice: rent before you buy...its safer that way.
DRIVING ME CRAZY
3
Rating: 3,
Useful: 66 / 101
Date: November 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User
I bought this title because I love action/adventure games. I have read reviews (customer and editorial) and decided to give it a try.
Here is the good stuff:
1. The sound and sound effects are top notch.
2. The colors are stimulating and fun.
3. The set designs are explicit and very detailed.
4. The action is intense and fun.
5. The voice overs are Hollywood caliber.
Now here is what gives this game 3 stars:
1. I don't like hearing swear words in my video game.
2. If Jak loses his life next to a wall, half his body disappears into the wall.
3. Too much air traffic!!!
4. Difficulty level raised too high.
5. If you spend 20 minutes into a level, and you lose your life, the damn system shoots you all the way back to the beginning of the level.
6. The gun takes too long to reload. If you fire a shot, you have to wait at least .5 of a second to recock the gun and the enemy can pounce.
7. The accuracy of the "lock on light" upgrade for the gun needs some serious tweeking.
8. You have very little to no control over the camera.
I have spent so many days on the same levels that it is driving me crazy. I have found myself just dropping the control stick and just walking away. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I don't even bother to save. You find yourself making 10 or 20 or even 30 attempts to get through one level and sometimes you just make it. And sometimes you don't. I also have had the same problem with certain skill levels like the "circle challenge" or getting to the floating fat man's bar.
This game is fun but not for those who have low levels of patience.
They're back!
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 23 / 25
Date: October 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User
I'm gonna start off by saying i loved the first Jak & Dexter game, i thought it was the BEST platformer of the PS2 until this one came out (yes, i thought it was better than Ratchet & Clank). When i heard the confirmation of Jak II i was the first to pre-order it at my local Gamestop store. I thought immediately that it would be like the first one until i heard and saw the commercial trailers for the game. Jak II borrows from several different current game titles, but for the most part it is mainly influenced by Grand Theft Auto. I'm not even sure if you can still consider this a 'platformer' game. The game is consistant of Jak and Dexter running around this town trying to do missions for people who will help them overthrow the ruler of the kingdom (or at least that's what i'm getting from where i'm at in the game). The game starts out (i guess) where the last one left off (but according to Dexter when he finds Jak he says "i've been looking for you for 2 years" so i'm not sure). Jak was captured by the ruler of the kingdom (forget his name) as his 'secret weapon' to destroy the creatures threatening his town, he pumped Jak full of Dark Eco to make him a powerful threat, unfortunately, Jak resisted. The ruler wants Jak dead by the night so he and his men leave Jak alone in the prison where he is being kept. Dexter finds Jak and sort of helps him out of the prison, afterwards you must find different people and do different missions to earn the respect of the slums and an underground figure named 'The Shadow' who will help overthrow the evil ruler.
Gameplay, as i said before, is completely different from the first JAD. Forget about seeing the bright, colorful islands and hearing the tropical drum beats on the background music, that is now replaced by a depressing, ominous sounding music. The bright, colorful islands are replaced with a dingy, grimy looking city with very repulsive monsters. Instead of doing what is normally required in a platformer, you instead can now do almost everything available in the GTA series (minus blood, hookers, gangs, etc.). Instead of an on-foot journey, you are equipped with a choice of hovercrafts (only after you steal them from unexpecting people in the town) and a new selection of weapons. You can now have the option of killing innocent pedestrians, outrunning the local authorities and roaming about the very large town (once again, the basics of the GTA series). This game is not the 'child-friendly' game JAD was, it is more hardcore, like another reviewer said, most things turn very harsh in this game (Example: "Kick some butt" turns into "kick some ass", borrowed from another reviewer). If your looking for a family game, don't look here.
My overall reaction to Jak II is mostly positive, i enjoy the 'cartoonish' GTA experience very much and find the graphics very much improved from the original JAD. I think i prefer Jak like he was in the first one, however, instead of the now 'hardcore' Jak. Overall, this is a fun 'platformer?' game that you can enjoy for under $40.
(Also, i didn't understand why this game is titled Jak II when it still features an equil amount of Dexter? Maybe because it revolves more around Jak, not Dexter? I'm not sure, i would've been happy with Jak & Dexter II.)
one of the best
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 22 / 26
Date: October 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User
Jak 2 is one of the greatest games ever made. The gameplay is great, the graphics are stunning, and the characters are awsome. The dark eco flooded through jak really did wonders to his physical self, along with giving him a new atitude. I have completed about 60 percent of the game, and I know I am going to start a new game once I beat it. The challenges are hard, but worth it. If you are someone who wants a game to beat within 2 days, don't get Jak 2. Otherwise, any gamer should consider adding this to their game collection.
Wow! Sony didn't rest on their laurels.
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 14 / 15
Date: October 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User
Jak II is leaps and bounds above its predecessor. The first Jak and Daxter, while beautiful, was simplistic, short, and way too focused on 'collection'. Jak II feels like an entirely different game, and nearly an entirely different genre.
There's almost no collecting to be found here. Instead, you have a huge, dynamic city to explore, populated with vehicles that you can steal (a'la GTA3), guards to fight, and civilians that you can run over and mow down. Yes, mow down - Jak is packing heat this time around, with four different guns (plus upgrades) that you receive as the game progresses. Add a hoverboard to the mix, with the abilities to do Tony Hawk-esque tricks and grinds, and you have a game that is always interesting and fresh.
There are dozens of missions that take place both inside the city and its environs, combining both traditional platforming goodness, gunplay, and puzzle elements. The storyline gives a strong sense of purpose and is brilliantly told through gorgeous in-game cutscenes that themselves are nearly worth the price of admission. The game is much darker in tone than the original, eschewing the original Jak & Daxter's 'kiddy' feel for a gritty setting and more mature content.
The game is long, too. The core game takes can take over 20 hours to complete, and there's dozens of extra missions and secrets to unlock that will keep you entertained for a long time.
And certainly, the game is a graphical tour-de-force, and the best showcase of the PS2's abilities to date. Given JakII's pedigree, this does not come as much as a surprise. But it's about the only thing in this superb game that won't shock people who played the original.
My only complaints: it can be tedious navigating through the city to get to the next mission, and the game is difficult, sometimes frustratingly so. Still, these are minor points at best.
If you like any of the genres that Jak II blends together so seamlessly, you owe it to yourself to pick up a copy. Jak II is, quite simply, the best action-platformer to date.
Not as good as the first
4
Rating: 4,
Useful: 14 / 16
Date: October 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User
My family was looking forward to this sequel to Jak and Daxter. THe first game was colorful, fun, and a nice change of pace from all of the games where you run around and shoot people. Unfortunately, the sequel is simply a game where you run around and shoot people. The biggest dissappointment is the lack of color- almost the whole game is set in a dark and futuristic world. Parents- they have also added some mild profanity, probably to make the game seem "cool" and "edgy". All it does is take away the charm of the first one. The things we enjoyed about the first one- colelcting power cells, scout flies, etc. are all gone. Now you hijack cars and shoot people with your gun. All of this is also more difficult, and you usually cannot move on to anything else until completing your mission. The first game gave you plenty to do, and then come back to tough spots later. All in all, Jak 2 is a frustrating game.
breathtaking
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 14 / 16
Date: October 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User
Jak II is the kind of game that rocks your gaming world to the foundations! It takes a couple of levels to get rolling, but after about 30 minutes it is a juggernaut of intense action and gameplay. The graphics are simply astounding, you can't believe the detail of the world Naughty Dog has created. The game is centered around this giant city and it just teams with life and detail. The story is really awesome too, which is not very common for games. And the game is huge. Pretty much, you would have to be dead not to love this game!
Shooting, Driving, Killer Story...Oh MY!
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 11 / 12
Date: October 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User
I just bought this game and I must say WOW! what a ride!!! This has to be the best platform adventure game I have ever played! (And I play everything, trust me!) The story is cool, the characters are great (I want an Ashelin game all by her sexy self!) Daxter and Jak are cool too! This game has me missing dinner and much needed sleep it is so much fun! The racing alone will keep me busy for the next month. I must say the dudes at Naughty Dog hit a home run on this one. And people say the platformer is dead!!! I think Naughty Dog just gave that genre a Cardiac Shock treatment!
Parents, don't buy this game for your children!!!
1
Rating: 1,
Useful: 12 / 15
Date: December 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User
It is "Grand Theft Auto" in disguise. It features stealing, killing, vandalism... The only thing missing are the prostitutes! You can't complete a gun mission in the city without hitting innocent people, most missions require you to steal a vehicle (oh, I'm sorry, all you GTA purists -- Commandeer)and the difficulty is way out of wack: The platforming levels are way too easy and the city missions are way too hard.
What could have been a great game for all members of the family is now unsuitable for children.
Jak II is a lot better then the original
5
Rating: 5,
Useful: 8 / 8
Date: September 28, 2004
Author: Amazon User
Jak and Daxter did not top Crash Bandicoot, but this one can. Packed with better graphics, better music, better sound effects, better voices, better gameplay and just plain better everything. This game contains an little bit from the first game but in a darker style. You can slam enemies with your weapon, you can punch and spin like in the fist game and you can hi-jack Zoomers. This game is great and all the bad reviews are NOT true. This game is maybe only for hardcore gamers but it' s really fun. You need this game. Really.
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