One of the PlayStation 2’s dynamic duos, Jak and Daxter, has been an inseparable combination for several years, but even in the world of videogames, all good things must come to an end. Fortunately, with the forthcoming PSP game Daxter, the creativity behind the series still appears to have some life in it.
Daxter for the PSP is the first game to feature Jak’s sidekick as its solitary star, but it fits into the combined story of the characters by serving as the prequel to Jak II. In the game, players will see how Jak’s mischievous sidekick came to rescue him at the beginning of Jak II, as the title takes place during the two years Daxter is searching for Jak. Working as a pest exterminator, and with the little guy’s unique set of moves, players also get a chance to explore parts of Haven City that otherwise might never have been touched upon in the series.
Daxter features a mix of platforming and puzzle-solving gameplay, but the platforming is broken up by some very cool dream sequences, one of which is a fight sequence that seems ripped straight from The Matrix: Reloaded. These sequences, since they’re minigames, play out much differently than the main game. For instance, in the Matrix fight scene, when Daxter confronts a bad guy, players are prompted to push a series of buttons that, if done correctly, let Daxter unleash some Neo-like kung fu moves. Essentially, if you have played Resident Evil 4 or Fahrenheit, you will be very familiar with this type of gameplay.
Because of his job as a pest exterminator, Daxter has the use of an exterminating gas gun that was given to him by a mad scientist to kill the critters infesting the local tavern. The gas gun will become your main weapon throughout the game and has many functions: it can stun enemies, shoot flames when ignited by a nearby flame, and enable Daxter to hover in mid-air for a short amount of time. When you combine the flamethrower with the hover function it allows Daxter to hover even higher, letting gamers reach ledges that are otherwise too high.
The game looks great so far, with bright and colorful levels and silky smooth character animations. And even in the preview version we played, the framerate was still solid and didn’t have so much as a stutter. Stylistically, the game sticks pretty close to the series’ classic cartoony appearance, but amazingly, it looks just as good or better than the previous PS2 games.
With the impressive visuals and varied gameplay, Daxter is looking very promising, and we can’t wait to get our hands on the finished game.
— Randie Kilgore
