|
Is it a coincidence that Naughty Dog’s fourth game in the Jak franchise is a racing game? This is the same formula that the developers followed with Crash Bandicoot when they developed the games for the original PlayStation. The Jak series has consistently been one of the more promising games for the PlayStation 2 so surely Naughty Dog had good reason to step away from the wildly successful formula. They certainly succeeded since Jak X is a solid, well, combat racing game.
Jak X continues the story from previous games in the series. The duo is called to Kras City to participate in the reading of Krew’s will, one of the main characters from Jak II. All is going well until you realize that the celebration wine was poisoned and the only way to get the antidote is to win a race in Krew’s name, which was his dying wish. The game’s story is pretty well thought out, providing a lot of consistency with previous entries in the franchise. If you’re new to the Jak series, don’t worry you’ll still be able to follow the storyline though you’ll miss the references to previous games.
In Jak X’s Adventure mode, you’ll have to compete in about 80 different competitions spread out in four different cups. You’ll accumulate points and medals as you place in the top three of each race, unlocking additional tracks and challenges as you progress. You can gain points from running into enemies as well. You’ll use these weapons to purchase a number of unlockables including vehicle upgrades and new vehicles, which have better statistics.
The game’s gameplay is pretty solid. You’ll race around 24 different and well-designed tracks and seven arenas (in addition to the possible mirrored tracks which need to be unlocked). As you race, you’ll need to avoid the other racers and some environmental hazards including lava or rolling snowballs. You’ll also have to collect some eco. Green eco is used to replenish health, blue eco is used for turbo, red eco gives weapons, and yellow econ is used to get projectiles. Aside from straight races, you’ll encounter a number of different game types. These modes include capture, capture-the-flag, sport hunt (where you need to kill more than your opponents), turbo dash (where you’ll need to collect more turbo than opponents), and Death Race (where you’ll need to destroy as many environmental cars as possible).
The game supports both offline and online multiplayer. Offline multiplayer is the typical two-player split-screen multiplayer. Online multiplayer is playable with up to five other players. Both modes feature the same game types, which are the same as the single player except that human players are replacing the AI. The game’s online tracking system lets you have clans, buddy lists and keeps track of your stats. The replay value is also furthered by some neat single-player unlockables. You’ll be able to use the points to purchase pretty much everything in the shop. In addition, if you obtain 100 percent completion you’ll unlock a new difficulty setting. Lastly, playing the game with a save from a previous Jak game or Ratchet: Deadlocked will unlock an additional racer. We’re also told that the same will apply to the upcoming Daxter game for PSP.
The game’s visuals are top-notch as usual. The characters all look great, with plenty of detail and solid animation accompanying them. The different tracks all look very different yet feature rich detail. The cars are excellently modeled as well. They can be painted and customized which makes them a bit prettier than they were when they begun. The game throws a lot at the PlayStation 2 but does so without sacrificing the frame rate. The team at Naughty Dog has always managed to squeeze the most out of the PS2 and Jak X is no different.
The game’s audio is similarly impressive. The game’s soundtrack is largely compromised of standard rock music, though the game features some Queens of the Stone Age music in the introduction. The sound effects are pretty good. You’ll hear the vehicles move around and weapons going by with rich sound. The voice acting is also impressive. You’ll hear excellent voice overs and solid dialogue.
Jak X: Combat Racing does a good job of moving an existing franchise into an entirely new genre. Though there are some problems with the single-player artificial intelligence in the later levels, there is an overwhelming amount of value from the multiplayer modes and unlockable options. Fans of the series will be treated to a continuation of the story, including memorable sound bites like Daxter's "Dude that was sooo last adventure (in stores now)!" Chances are that you'll get more out of the combat modes than the racing ones, but there is enough variety to keep you appeased for quite some time. Though it may have once seemed like an unlikely pairing to move such a strong platforming duo into the racing genre, for the most part, it has turned out to be a memorable compilation. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Oct 22, 2005
|
