This sequel to the classic PS2 game Jak & Daxter marks a complete change for the series, abandoning most of the crash bandicoot influence and instead adopting a more serious Cyberpunk / Industrial feel. Because of this those who were expecting this game to be just more of the same will definitely feel disappointed, but gamers who are willing to avoid that are in for a treat. This has to be one of the best and hardest games I've ever played on Playstation 2. Unlike the previous game this is more of a sandbox game, with the player being able to freely wander around various parts of Haven City while doing missions for rebels and criminals in the town. The graphics certainly get their job done and each location looks interesting (even the sewers!). Jak is able to use various weapons and drive vehicles to accomplish these tasks, and he now also has some dark powers that allow him to turn into Dark Jak, who is able to use many devastating attacks including one which is able to wipe out all enemies on screen. Pretty cool. The main strength of the game is how varied it is. Many of the missions are very different from eachothers and range from delivering a package on a hovering bike while being chased by the city's guards, exploring abandoned ruins outside of the city, infiltrating the sewers to plant bombs, ranking first place in various over-the-top races, destroying huge robots on a rampage, various mini-games and much, much more. The game is also much more linear than most other sandbox games and other than doing missions and some optional mini games (some of which are pretty stupid to be honest) there is little else to do, but this might be for the better. If you've heard of this game, chances are you already heard of how incredibly difficult it is, and it's true. Many of the missions can become frustrating due to the insane amount of enemies and projectiles coming from everywhere but in my opinion this adds to the fun: there is always a clear strategy to win a level and you never have to rely on pure dumb luck. The amount of satisfaction that comes from completing a mission easily beats the amount of frustration involved. I had mixed opinions on this game at first, but the more I played the more I liked it, and it stands as one of the best adventures I've played on the PS2 so far. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a challenging and memorable action adventure.
Grade: A+