Hi guys
This isn't really an update, but a little notification for. whoever writes about Jak II at the present.
This is a review from IGN.com. Read it all if you want, but I bolded a part of it. Just to let you know what I want you to know, if you know what I mean. (it's a good way down, so just keep scrollin')
Lalalalalala - review
Jak II takes place two years after the first game. Lest you have forgotten or simply never finished the first game, our two heroes jumped into a portal at the end of the first title, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and left the story open for a sequel, plain and simple. Two years later, our co-stars appear in the distant future, a dark, miserable metropolis, ruined and corrupt by several controlling factions, the biggest of course, by a creature simply known as the Baron. Within hours of their arrival, the baron's guards arrest Jak for no particular reason, place him in jail and there they experiment on him using dark eco. He is tortured like an experimental rat in a scientist lab. Finally proving his worth, Daxter springs Jak from jail and onto the streets they go.
Jak is pissed off. No longer the mute, happy elvin dude from the first game ensconced in altruistic purposes, Jak's main raison d'etre is revenge. He's angry and he wants to find the Baron and kick his ass. His physical appearance demonstrates this transformation. His hair has lowered from vertical to laid back; he ears are lowered; he dons a goatee (a green one, dude); he's angry most of the time, and his facial expressions show it and even his body language exerts a similar dark karma. No big deal for most action games, but for a platformer? Remember, this is the house that happy- go-lucky Mario built, a squeaky clean, save-the princess fairy tale that ends with a kiss on the cheek from the princess.
"Jak is motivated by revenge," said co-founder Jason Rubin. "He is angry, and he's been experimented on, and he's unable to control the dark powers that are contained within him. He seeks vengeance. That's a big departure from most platformers."
While in jail, the experiments that were performed on Jak had a profound affect. In the first playable and scripted event in the game, the dark eco within Jak transforms him into a super-powerful, temporarily invulnerable creature that casts electro-static eco bolts upon his sorry enemies and pulverizes them within seconds. Seen with a Marvel Comic lens, he turns into an Eco-inflamed Hulk, a raging, unstoppable beast. And it's fun as all hell to play as Jak while powered up. The standard moves become four or five times more powerful and his thrusting, spin and summersault attacks are all deadly, deadly moves on first impact
The story is all about Jak, thus the simple, focused title. Naughty Dog wanted to strip the sub-name, because most people never even remembered it and most of the testers were just calling the new game in production Jak 2 anyway, so it sort of became Jak II because not only was it the second in the series, but it really is Jak's story. But don't fret; the tiny, obnoxious one still plays up the comic relief. He still hangs onto Jak's shoulder, and for most of the game he pipes in with smart aleck remarks and obnoxious statements, overreacting for comic relief, trying to pick up on women (always unsuccessfully), and showing his undeniable lack of a backbone. The one big difference in this game is that you will indeed play as Daxter later on. Yep, he will be playable, though, Naughty Dog wouldn't show us that part yet. On a side note, I think it's hilarious that of all people (check that, things) to break Jak out of jail, it was Daxter!???! Who would have thought.
Jak and Daxter are thus on the streets. They look around and learn that their world has been all but destroyed, and the metropolis they now reside in is a giant bubble, a Logan's Run distopia of sorts, that protects them from the outside world. They quickly meet an old man on the street, a wise elder that Jak speaks with directly. As players learn, many of the denizens in the city talk and interact with Jak, somewhat in the way the living, breathing denizens of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto III do. Also, the darker, murkier world was created to contrast the previously primary colored world they both inhabited.
Another major pillar in this game is that Jak finds people who send him on missions. Yes, it sounds the same -- he collects 10 widgets and returns for a star, or a big gold coin, or something. But no, that's not what happens. He is set on missions that earn him keys to open other areas of the city, or items that are helpful or he meets people who give him weapons. (More on the weapons in a second.) He meets with an underground group called the Metalheads (no direct reference to Heavy Metal, by the way), who are amassing a powerful underground group attempting to over-throw the baron. Yet another difference in this game is that it's story-driven. Creative director Dan Arey explains it this way: "Jak follows a complete storyline. We have a massive script that drives him forward, and the events in the story coincide with his actions to push it to the next dramatic event."
Unlike the first game, the story is the backbone behind all of the game's actions. His ability to complete missions opens up more areas, which fundamentally changes the game's basis. He no longer moves forward in the chase for more things to collect. "He can indeed collect things, be they items, weapons, eco, ammo, but they aren't crucial for the story to move forward," explained Rubin. "He can collect things is he wants, but he doesn't have to."
After Jak progresses in the game a bit he realizes the old man he first met was walking with a young girl with whom he feels a small connection to, though he's not sure why. She is a prophet of sorts, and her goal is to reach a powerful artifact, which it turns out, the baron is also after. Later on in the game, their relationship is revealed more clearly. The first major half of the game is focused on attaining the artifact, and then the second half targets what its power implies and how to stop the Baron, who gets it, from using it for his own evil ends. Needless to say, the story behind Jak II is deep, involved and crucial to the game's development
Now for some excellent new information that further sets this game apart from its predecessor. Jak II offers approximately 80 missions or thereabouts, giving players about 20-30 hours of gameplay the first time around. And, unlike the first, which could be finished in one day, it's long and not easy. Naughty Dog knows it made the first game too easy, and apparently wants this game to feel different. We could tell right away that it not only played with a harder difficult curve, but that it played differently in its structure. When you completed a mission, you return to the HQ for more missions. You don't just collect more items. Honestly, I kinda kept looking around more things to collect after reaching my first goal and a Naughty Dog employee said, "Yeah, now go back and do another one," and I said, "Oh, right." And then thought, "I do?"
Jak II feels excellent. The same sharp sense of movement and control, intuitive moves and instant reaction guide his motions with an uncanny and apparently difficult set of moves to achieve. Naughty Dog makes it so easy to ignore all of the incredibly difficult technical feats it achieves, and it's only after playing other games do you fully appreciate what they're capable of doing. Jak has about three times the move he previously had. He has all the basic moves from before -- spin attack, summersault, thrust attack, etc. -- plus all of the moves he can perform while in dark eco super form, plus all of the moves he can pull off while using weapons. All of the animations coincide perfectly with these moves even at this early state (the game is due in fall 2003, probably in September or October). Already, Naughty Dog is ahead of the game.
The weapons are entirely new for this game. Jak obtains four weapons in total, a handgun, shotgun, rifle or sorts, and a frickin' all-powerful, kick-butt minigun. The weapons essentially change everything about Jak II. What they do is take the platform game, under the premise of which the game starts, and transforms it into an all-out action-adventure game. The catch is that it never loses its platform roots. With shotgun in hand, serious physical obstacles pose a threat to Jak and Daxter's progress. Moving threaded screws, sinking platforms, hop-skip-and jump sections -- they're all still there; you'll even find the camera locking in and giving you some 2D side-scrolling locales replete with Jak's acrobatic bars, on which he performs double and triple flips.
But when he lands back on the ground, with a weapon in his hand, the trouble starts. Remember in Jak and Daxter the scenario on the island, when Jak was trapped inside the coliseum of sorts, and the thug guys all swarmed out for about two minutes and attacked him non-stop? Naughty Dog had taken that scenario and quadrupled its presence in Jak II. With a weapon in his hand, Jak encounters swarms of enemies, five, 10, 20 enemies at a time, and he must blast them to bits or die trying. The weapons are awesome for at least two good reasons. Once you attain one, you don't lose it afterward. "Once you get a weapon, you have it for good; for the rest of the game," strained Rubin. "It's not like you use it for a particular mission that requires that one weapon, and then you never use it again. You have it for the rest of the game
O-ho-ho-ho yes, my friends. Jak and Daxter transforms into Metal Slug, and it's all-out blasting mayhem. With a quick press of the Dpad, players instantaneously flip out another weapon and start blasting. Jak passes through several weapons testing grounds, which is where you see those 2D characters in the screenshots. That weapons test area challenges players with the shotgun. This shotgun, however, is different. It sends out a powerful bursting pulse that alters the air around it. The effect is similar to the gun blasts in Minority Report, wherein the wave blurs the air around it. The shotgun feels just awesome. It gives you that big blasting sound, and the shot hits your opponent and sends his flying backward with a shock and a jolt. It's equal to using the shotgun in Doom. Big, powerful and very satisfying indeed. Another amazing thing is that Jak can attack with his weapons. When up close, he can kick opponents, or whack them with the weapon, using the butt of the weapon to bludgeon them. The animation is uncannily smooth, but the actual gameplay creates a whole new dynamic, which is the constant and seamless switching between shooting and hand-to-hand combat.
The list of new things, however, goes on. The streets of this new city are bustling with moving vehicles and denizens. It looks like a weird take on Grand Theft Auto III, but substituting in Naughty Dog characters and cities instead. And Naughty Dog doesn't deny that GTA hasn't an effect on its game. So, not only are there people walking around, there are vehicles everywhere, and yes, you can jak (pun intended) any vehicle you can see. That's right, and they all feel more or less like the anti-grav whatever-it- was-called ship from the first game. The vehicles take damage and blow up if you're not careful and you they cast you flying into the streets. The city isn't just bustling with innocents either; it's packed with police, the Baron's Crimson Guards. If you accidentally hit one while in a vehicle, or mistakenly shoot one, an infinite number of them are alerted and they'll swarm you, using powerful tasers to roust your ass.
Another things make this different: You can elevate your vehicle while driving. With a touch of a shoulder pad, you can zoom down to street level or elevate up to a second story level. Chases become particularly harry when you have to switch from high to low while going as fast as possible to escape the guards. It's incredibly fun, and what's more, the framerate rarely takes a hit. This game is so damn fun. Last but not least, Jak also gets another vehicle, a hoverboard. And just like the weapons, once he has it, he owns it for the rest of the game. He can flip it out and perform tricks, flips, ollies, rails; there is a hefty sampling of tricks several of which he'll need to use to get extra eco or items.
Visually Speaking
Technically, Jak II is far more impressive. Jak and Daxter themselves boast about 12,000 to 15,000 polygons per character, which is about three to five times more than previously. If you look up close you can see the smooth qualities on Daxter's face and body. At any time in the game, you'll see dozens of characters moving about the screen, handfuls of vehicles moving about, and the day/night system running independent of your actions. The game is filled with more charcters than before too.
Naughty Dog has added additional lighting sources to create more defined charcters and more shading to enhance the character's looks as well. The characters move with an incredible sense of motion, too, using excellent animations and with the game running at a near constant 60 FPS. Switching weapons is instant, and it looks instant. In general, the game looks bigger, more populated and busier. Having improved its own code from the first game, borrowing Insomniac's improved code, and incorporating Sony's San Diego Studios sound technology, Naughty Dog's code is very, very impressive even at this stage in the game. Jak II may also support Progressive Scan mode as well.
All in all, Jak II may not be a revolutionary game, but at least for the platform genre, it's a break from the norm. Like Rare's Conker's Bad Fur Day, Jak II is a dark, still very funny game that retains its classic platform elements, but adds numerous new dimensions to the fold, pushing and reforming the genre, altering its shape into, well, a demented Mickey Mouse shape of sorts. It's the first game I've seen this year that I can point to and say, "Yes! That's a must-have, Triple-A title."
No longer hiding behind primary colors and simple collecting missions, Naughty Dog is branching out with Jak II and giving gamers a dark, story- driven gem that might very well be remembered years from now. The team that once brought us the cautious 2 1/2D Crash Bandicoot doesn't seem so cautious anymore, and, I think it'll once again push the gaming bar to another level, upon which all other games in the closest genres will be judged
Lalalalalala - end of review
Uh-oh guys. I think we missed out on something there. The metalheads aren't the bad guys. Or are they? We won't know until the game comes out.
Speaking of which, three of us have to finish your stories before then, right Alex and Ish?
Speaking of Alex, GIMME BACK MY CHAPTER!!!! I want to update. Now! It is finished you know.
Lalalalalala
And if you see my brain layin' around in some gutter somewhere, e-mail it back, k? I kinda need it. I'm a bit hyper right now =weird. But who cares anyway? Not me.
-kiz (the-all-in-one-word-woman)
This isn't really an update, but a little notification for. whoever writes about Jak II at the present.
This is a review from IGN.com. Read it all if you want, but I bolded a part of it. Just to let you know what I want you to know, if you know what I mean. (it's a good way down, so just keep scrollin')
Lalalalalala - review
Jak II takes place two years after the first game. Lest you have forgotten or simply never finished the first game, our two heroes jumped into a portal at the end of the first title, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy and left the story open for a sequel, plain and simple. Two years later, our co-stars appear in the distant future, a dark, miserable metropolis, ruined and corrupt by several controlling factions, the biggest of course, by a creature simply known as the Baron. Within hours of their arrival, the baron's guards arrest Jak for no particular reason, place him in jail and there they experiment on him using dark eco. He is tortured like an experimental rat in a scientist lab. Finally proving his worth, Daxter springs Jak from jail and onto the streets they go.
Jak is pissed off. No longer the mute, happy elvin dude from the first game ensconced in altruistic purposes, Jak's main raison d'etre is revenge. He's angry and he wants to find the Baron and kick his ass. His physical appearance demonstrates this transformation. His hair has lowered from vertical to laid back; he ears are lowered; he dons a goatee (a green one, dude); he's angry most of the time, and his facial expressions show it and even his body language exerts a similar dark karma. No big deal for most action games, but for a platformer? Remember, this is the house that happy- go-lucky Mario built, a squeaky clean, save-the princess fairy tale that ends with a kiss on the cheek from the princess.
"Jak is motivated by revenge," said co-founder Jason Rubin. "He is angry, and he's been experimented on, and he's unable to control the dark powers that are contained within him. He seeks vengeance. That's a big departure from most platformers."
While in jail, the experiments that were performed on Jak had a profound affect. In the first playable and scripted event in the game, the dark eco within Jak transforms him into a super-powerful, temporarily invulnerable creature that casts electro-static eco bolts upon his sorry enemies and pulverizes them within seconds. Seen with a Marvel Comic lens, he turns into an Eco-inflamed Hulk, a raging, unstoppable beast. And it's fun as all hell to play as Jak while powered up. The standard moves become four or five times more powerful and his thrusting, spin and summersault attacks are all deadly, deadly moves on first impact
The story is all about Jak, thus the simple, focused title. Naughty Dog wanted to strip the sub-name, because most people never even remembered it and most of the testers were just calling the new game in production Jak 2 anyway, so it sort of became Jak II because not only was it the second in the series, but it really is Jak's story. But don't fret; the tiny, obnoxious one still plays up the comic relief. He still hangs onto Jak's shoulder, and for most of the game he pipes in with smart aleck remarks and obnoxious statements, overreacting for comic relief, trying to pick up on women (always unsuccessfully), and showing his undeniable lack of a backbone. The one big difference in this game is that you will indeed play as Daxter later on. Yep, he will be playable, though, Naughty Dog wouldn't show us that part yet. On a side note, I think it's hilarious that of all people (check that, things) to break Jak out of jail, it was Daxter!???! Who would have thought.
Jak and Daxter are thus on the streets. They look around and learn that their world has been all but destroyed, and the metropolis they now reside in is a giant bubble, a Logan's Run distopia of sorts, that protects them from the outside world. They quickly meet an old man on the street, a wise elder that Jak speaks with directly. As players learn, many of the denizens in the city talk and interact with Jak, somewhat in the way the living, breathing denizens of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto III do. Also, the darker, murkier world was created to contrast the previously primary colored world they both inhabited.
Another major pillar in this game is that Jak finds people who send him on missions. Yes, it sounds the same -- he collects 10 widgets and returns for a star, or a big gold coin, or something. But no, that's not what happens. He is set on missions that earn him keys to open other areas of the city, or items that are helpful or he meets people who give him weapons. (More on the weapons in a second.) He meets with an underground group called the Metalheads (no direct reference to Heavy Metal, by the way), who are amassing a powerful underground group attempting to over-throw the baron. Yet another difference in this game is that it's story-driven. Creative director Dan Arey explains it this way: "Jak follows a complete storyline. We have a massive script that drives him forward, and the events in the story coincide with his actions to push it to the next dramatic event."
Unlike the first game, the story is the backbone behind all of the game's actions. His ability to complete missions opens up more areas, which fundamentally changes the game's basis. He no longer moves forward in the chase for more things to collect. "He can indeed collect things, be they items, weapons, eco, ammo, but they aren't crucial for the story to move forward," explained Rubin. "He can collect things is he wants, but he doesn't have to."
After Jak progresses in the game a bit he realizes the old man he first met was walking with a young girl with whom he feels a small connection to, though he's not sure why. She is a prophet of sorts, and her goal is to reach a powerful artifact, which it turns out, the baron is also after. Later on in the game, their relationship is revealed more clearly. The first major half of the game is focused on attaining the artifact, and then the second half targets what its power implies and how to stop the Baron, who gets it, from using it for his own evil ends. Needless to say, the story behind Jak II is deep, involved and crucial to the game's development
Now for some excellent new information that further sets this game apart from its predecessor. Jak II offers approximately 80 missions or thereabouts, giving players about 20-30 hours of gameplay the first time around. And, unlike the first, which could be finished in one day, it's long and not easy. Naughty Dog knows it made the first game too easy, and apparently wants this game to feel different. We could tell right away that it not only played with a harder difficult curve, but that it played differently in its structure. When you completed a mission, you return to the HQ for more missions. You don't just collect more items. Honestly, I kinda kept looking around more things to collect after reaching my first goal and a Naughty Dog employee said, "Yeah, now go back and do another one," and I said, "Oh, right." And then thought, "I do?"
Jak II feels excellent. The same sharp sense of movement and control, intuitive moves and instant reaction guide his motions with an uncanny and apparently difficult set of moves to achieve. Naughty Dog makes it so easy to ignore all of the incredibly difficult technical feats it achieves, and it's only after playing other games do you fully appreciate what they're capable of doing. Jak has about three times the move he previously had. He has all the basic moves from before -- spin attack, summersault, thrust attack, etc. -- plus all of the moves he can perform while in dark eco super form, plus all of the moves he can pull off while using weapons. All of the animations coincide perfectly with these moves even at this early state (the game is due in fall 2003, probably in September or October). Already, Naughty Dog is ahead of the game.
The weapons are entirely new for this game. Jak obtains four weapons in total, a handgun, shotgun, rifle or sorts, and a frickin' all-powerful, kick-butt minigun. The weapons essentially change everything about Jak II. What they do is take the platform game, under the premise of which the game starts, and transforms it into an all-out action-adventure game. The catch is that it never loses its platform roots. With shotgun in hand, serious physical obstacles pose a threat to Jak and Daxter's progress. Moving threaded screws, sinking platforms, hop-skip-and jump sections -- they're all still there; you'll even find the camera locking in and giving you some 2D side-scrolling locales replete with Jak's acrobatic bars, on which he performs double and triple flips.
But when he lands back on the ground, with a weapon in his hand, the trouble starts. Remember in Jak and Daxter the scenario on the island, when Jak was trapped inside the coliseum of sorts, and the thug guys all swarmed out for about two minutes and attacked him non-stop? Naughty Dog had taken that scenario and quadrupled its presence in Jak II. With a weapon in his hand, Jak encounters swarms of enemies, five, 10, 20 enemies at a time, and he must blast them to bits or die trying. The weapons are awesome for at least two good reasons. Once you attain one, you don't lose it afterward. "Once you get a weapon, you have it for good; for the rest of the game," strained Rubin. "It's not like you use it for a particular mission that requires that one weapon, and then you never use it again. You have it for the rest of the game
O-ho-ho-ho yes, my friends. Jak and Daxter transforms into Metal Slug, and it's all-out blasting mayhem. With a quick press of the Dpad, players instantaneously flip out another weapon and start blasting. Jak passes through several weapons testing grounds, which is where you see those 2D characters in the screenshots. That weapons test area challenges players with the shotgun. This shotgun, however, is different. It sends out a powerful bursting pulse that alters the air around it. The effect is similar to the gun blasts in Minority Report, wherein the wave blurs the air around it. The shotgun feels just awesome. It gives you that big blasting sound, and the shot hits your opponent and sends his flying backward with a shock and a jolt. It's equal to using the shotgun in Doom. Big, powerful and very satisfying indeed. Another amazing thing is that Jak can attack with his weapons. When up close, he can kick opponents, or whack them with the weapon, using the butt of the weapon to bludgeon them. The animation is uncannily smooth, but the actual gameplay creates a whole new dynamic, which is the constant and seamless switching between shooting and hand-to-hand combat.
The list of new things, however, goes on. The streets of this new city are bustling with moving vehicles and denizens. It looks like a weird take on Grand Theft Auto III, but substituting in Naughty Dog characters and cities instead. And Naughty Dog doesn't deny that GTA hasn't an effect on its game. So, not only are there people walking around, there are vehicles everywhere, and yes, you can jak (pun intended) any vehicle you can see. That's right, and they all feel more or less like the anti-grav whatever-it- was-called ship from the first game. The vehicles take damage and blow up if you're not careful and you they cast you flying into the streets. The city isn't just bustling with innocents either; it's packed with police, the Baron's Crimson Guards. If you accidentally hit one while in a vehicle, or mistakenly shoot one, an infinite number of them are alerted and they'll swarm you, using powerful tasers to roust your ass.
Another things make this different: You can elevate your vehicle while driving. With a touch of a shoulder pad, you can zoom down to street level or elevate up to a second story level. Chases become particularly harry when you have to switch from high to low while going as fast as possible to escape the guards. It's incredibly fun, and what's more, the framerate rarely takes a hit. This game is so damn fun. Last but not least, Jak also gets another vehicle, a hoverboard. And just like the weapons, once he has it, he owns it for the rest of the game. He can flip it out and perform tricks, flips, ollies, rails; there is a hefty sampling of tricks several of which he'll need to use to get extra eco or items.
Visually Speaking
Technically, Jak II is far more impressive. Jak and Daxter themselves boast about 12,000 to 15,000 polygons per character, which is about three to five times more than previously. If you look up close you can see the smooth qualities on Daxter's face and body. At any time in the game, you'll see dozens of characters moving about the screen, handfuls of vehicles moving about, and the day/night system running independent of your actions. The game is filled with more charcters than before too.
Naughty Dog has added additional lighting sources to create more defined charcters and more shading to enhance the character's looks as well. The characters move with an incredible sense of motion, too, using excellent animations and with the game running at a near constant 60 FPS. Switching weapons is instant, and it looks instant. In general, the game looks bigger, more populated and busier. Having improved its own code from the first game, borrowing Insomniac's improved code, and incorporating Sony's San Diego Studios sound technology, Naughty Dog's code is very, very impressive even at this stage in the game. Jak II may also support Progressive Scan mode as well.
All in all, Jak II may not be a revolutionary game, but at least for the platform genre, it's a break from the norm. Like Rare's Conker's Bad Fur Day, Jak II is a dark, still very funny game that retains its classic platform elements, but adds numerous new dimensions to the fold, pushing and reforming the genre, altering its shape into, well, a demented Mickey Mouse shape of sorts. It's the first game I've seen this year that I can point to and say, "Yes! That's a must-have, Triple-A title."
No longer hiding behind primary colors and simple collecting missions, Naughty Dog is branching out with Jak II and giving gamers a dark, story- driven gem that might very well be remembered years from now. The team that once brought us the cautious 2 1/2D Crash Bandicoot doesn't seem so cautious anymore, and, I think it'll once again push the gaming bar to another level, upon which all other games in the closest genres will be judged
Lalalalalala - end of review
Uh-oh guys. I think we missed out on something there. The metalheads aren't the bad guys. Or are they? We won't know until the game comes out.
Speaking of which, three of us have to finish your stories before then, right Alex and Ish?
Speaking of Alex, GIMME BACK MY CHAPTER!!!! I want to update. Now! It is finished you know.
Lalalalalala
And if you see my brain layin' around in some gutter somewhere, e-mail it back, k? I kinda need it. I'm a bit hyper right now =weird. But who cares anyway? Not me.
-kiz (the-all-in-one-word-woman)