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Daxter Review
Written by Robert Falcon on Monday, March 20, 2006
User Score
Concentrated gameplay; nice presentation; hardly any loading time.
Multiplayer could've used a bit more oomph.
The PSP has been pretty much in dire need of a good platforming game. I suppose one could make mention of Konami's Death Jr., and, in a sense, Crash Tag Team Racing could easily fall into the platforming category with its sub-stages. But neither of them really failed to stick with gamers very long, lacking that certain oomph to make them continue to play on for hours at a time. Maybe it was the camera system, or just the whole idea behind why you were platforming to begin with. I dunno.
I thought Daxter would run amidst the same trap. After all, the previous Jak releases on the PS2, following the first game, weren't really as good, despite their ambition-filled design and spreading of the story scope. And when I heard this game was in development, I feared that it too would run into the same problems. But, surprise, it actually has some spark behind it, and the PSP has its first great platformer as a result.
The game follows the nefarious sidekick as he looks for side-work while Jak sits locked away by the government. (He never really visits the main game, but he's not totally missed.) He gets hired on to do a little bug eliminating, but soon finds he's in over his head with a few complications, especially involving a beauty whom he quickly grows to care about...all while annoying the living hell out of her. You probably have a good idea how Daxter gets, especially if you caught wind of the PS2 games.
The main thing that really keeps the gamer involved with Daxter's separate adventure is how the gameplay keeps changing around with new tricks. Daxter basically starts off with something along the lines of an electrical fly-swatter, but soon moves up in the world, gaining access to new tools and devices that allow him not only to get the upper edge on some of these buggy opponents, but allow him to travel around in style as well. Most of the game takes place in underground or brief overground environments, but it all manages to move along quite well, without even a hint of loading time. Yes, you read that correctly. NO LOADING TIME.
Along with the great controls and the involving adventure that will keep you playing for hours at a time, the game also benefits from beautiful visuals that really bring out the best in the PSP. Despite the fact that Ready At Dawn took over for development over Naughty Dog, the team really has the atmosphere and comic look of Daxter firmly in place, all while keeping level designs high in innovation. The sound is backed up well also, complete with some wise-cracking voice acting that's similar in tone to previous Jak games, as well as well-sounding music and sound effects. I also experienced very few problems with the game's camera system, another plus.
If I was annoyed by anything, I would have to say that the area of multiplayer is mildly explored at best. Sure, a game like this thrives on single-player insanity, but it never hurts to have a friend in the fray. The multiplayer is made up of a rock-paper-scissiors-style contest involving the catching of bugs. I would've liked to have seen something a bit more interactive, like more versus contests or racing competitions, but I suppose that's just a bit too wishful on the thinking. Maybe with a sequel, we'll see Daxter gain a little more speed.
Right now, though, Daxter remains a high-quality product for the PSP well worth your attention. The fact that it's managed to rise above other titles of this sort is great to see, and maybe it's a bit more fun than the previous Jak games as well. I hope there's more adventures where this came from.
posted March 21, 2006