Jak is back after Jak 3 and this time it’s up to him (and you!) to save the world once again through racing! Surprisingly a rather satisfying adventure in single player mode with a bulky storyline, Jak X takes to the track in a groovy style with really solid gameplay and a lovely racing engine.
My first thought as a fan of the series was that I would not get into this as it leaves the world that you are used to (being primarily on foot) and throws you in a vehicle. It is different but at the same time the franchise continues on in a fashion that is highly enjoyable and extremely competitive.
The idea is to win races (duh) and powerup your vehicles and weapons along the way. It’s interesting in how the games AI is very accurate in making sure you are shot out of first place if you are thundering along, making sure that there is a real sense of competition.
Mastering your own weapons in the game can be critical at times if you are well ahead in a race. There are a number of rear mounted weapons that can be used to make sure that you do not get hit when you least expect it. Strategic defence is the name of the game, and you need to make sure you maintain a solid amount of weapons on you at all time.
There are powerups to pick up and kills in game will allow you to build up Dark Eco that can be used to very good effect like extra damage and weapons etc. It’s a case of grab as you can, whilst rocketing around the track.
Graphically the game runs smoothly and is nice to look at. Naughty Dog have brought their usual quirky sense of humour to the game and the in game and cutscenes will have you giggling. As you pick up speed you will get blur effects that enhance the whole experience, sort of the way you got slight blurs in the Burnout series of games.
The music score during the game is appropriate and welcome to this game. The tunes add to the sense of speed and make the entire experience just that much more fun.
I think this is a really cool game, whether you are new to the Jak universe or an old hand. There is simply something here for everyone and very little to fault.