Jak II

Featuring more complex subject matter and a much grittier feel than virtually every other platformer out there, Naughty Dog has fully capitalised on the popularity of 'mature' games by producing a similar title that younger players will legally be allowed to play. But there's something about the GTA-cum-platform gameplay that just doesn't gel. [Nov 2003, p.112]

Despite what Naughty Dog's crack programmers might think, you can't encode fun-ness into a videogame. Yes, there's lots of 'fun' to be had here, but is it really more fun than the original? Probably not. [Nov 2003, p.96]

Its charms, however, such as they are, are mostly lost on me.

It isn't proper to expect us to be perfect in order to make up for your game's many imbalances... Life might not be fair, but I certainly expect my games to be. [Nov 2003, p.128]

I personally could have done without the majority of the hovercar and weapon-based missions, but overall the game works well, looks and sounds fantastic, and provides many hours of mostly enjoyable gaming.

These new elements seem to have been thrown in merely for the sake of being different, and the result is a confused mishmash of ideas that is more banal and frustrating than fresh or exciting.