Exterminate This! No... Wait.... It's Good!

This was one of those games that I wanted to get to satisfy my platforming needs. Yes, I get those... the desire to play a good platforming game and run amok in a free-form universe jumping from ledge to ledge and driving random vehicles.

I was a huge fan of the first Jak and Daxter game, so naturally, when this came out for the PSP, I had high hopes. And thus far, I am not disappointed.

Gameplay

This game handles like all of the Jak and Daxter titles. That is, the running and controls are tight, the vehicles handle quirky (not badly, but in a challenging, adds dimension to the game kinda way), and the combat is intuitive. While the early levels involve button mashing to a certain extent (you have a flyswatter as your weapon), the animations of Daxter as he bashes the snot out of the creepy-crawlies in the game make it easy to forgive the straightforward combat. Also, the camera is mapped to the PSP's shoulder buttons, so maneuvering through the title is not painful at all.

In terms of difficulty, as with any Naughty Dog title, there is a challenge involved. This is no Mario Brothers title. You will find yourself replaying some areas over and over until you get it right. The first real boss of the game, this giant ant thing, took me several tries to kill, as you have a small life bar and he hits HARD.

With huge environments, you will find yourself exploring a lot, trying to find all of the little pick-ups each area has. Plus, you want to improve your completion ranking as well. The game does link to Jak X Combat Racing, however, since I do not own that title, I cannot elaborate on how. Also, there is a two player bug combat zone too, which you collect the various creatures throughout the story mode. This of course, makes replayability very high, as you will want to revisit old areas each time you gain a new ability to see what you may have missed.

The trademark humor of the series is also fully intact, with the crass, rude little Daxter in full form. The story, since I have not really elaborated, focuses on the time between the first and second Jak titles. Since Daxter has to fend for himself, he is soon hired by an exterminator, and is tasked with various missions to kill the nasty bug denizens of the city. Small cutscenes and interactions with the various NPCs offer a lot of enjoyment, even when Daxter is being obnoxious.

Sound and Visuals

The music is nothing to write home about, being standard, but much clearer than say, a Gameboy game. It is very true to the Jak series, and while not annoying, you could probably turn the sound off and not miss anything. The voiceacting is great, and comes across quite clearly on the PSP. There is no distortion of the voices from the PS2 version to the PSP port.

Visually, this game is impressive. The fur on Daxter was painstakingly rendered, and it looks every bit as good as the PS2 version. The game is colorful and the buildings and lighting effects are gorgeous. Between the controls, the animations, the voiceacting, and the comedy, you will find yourself playing this game as much as you can.

Overall

The easiest comparison to this game would be to tell you it is unlike any other PSP platformer to date. There is practically no load time to the game whatsoever, no load screens, it autosaves, and I have had virtually no lag when there are multiple enemies onscreen. The challenge of all of the Jak games is present, and with bite-sized missions, you don't have to worry about long gaming sessions if you are on the go.

The control scheme is beautiful, between the camera control and a great use of the analog nub. Replayability is very, very high, with so many things to explore and find. The graphics are gorgeous and the music is good. If you are like me, and have been waiting for a good, fun game for your PSP, to try and justify your $250 purchase, this is the game you have been waiting for.

My recommendation? Run out and buy this title. If you love platformers, quirky humor, beautiful gaming environments and a funny story, this is the game to get. For on the go... or just parking your butt on the sofa and sitting there until your PSP battery dies.