Ah, the good
old days of Jak and Daxter games, when you had to take part in a lot of
adventures in order to finish the game. It seems as long as there have been Jak
games, racing has been part of the scenario.
Naughty Dog
is taking that one step further. Jak X is all about the racing, and it is about
racing online against a host of other players. After all, this is Jak X: Combat
Racing, and that means SCEA is availing use of servers for some rip-roaring
free-wheelin’ smackdown. And yes, voice is supported so you can even talk the
trash while you are racing.
The beta
came with several ways to play – quick play, create or find a game, a game room,
a buddies’ list, clans, stats, and a garage. You can also change your password
and run through some screen options, if you so desire. Four race styles were
available – circuit race, death race, deathmatch, and artifact race. There were
only a total of four courses available; for the straight-out races, you had Kras
City and the Forbidden Jungle, while the battles took place on the clifftop
battlegrounds or the dirt stadiums.
There are 10
avatars to choose from and approximately five starting vehicles.
Pick an
avatar, pick a race and course and head off for a whole lot of fun. And that is
what this game is. This is not rocket science, no deep involved puzzles that
must be solved – this is arcade-style racking with solid audio and terrific
three-dimensional graphical elements.
You can
squeeze up to six players into a race, and it is just a matter of finding a race
or picking your own. It really is quite simple to not only hook up online
(broadband needed), but to race. Of course, if you are idle for too long, the
server will disconnect you.
There are
powerups you can collect along the way, both for speed boosts, weapons or
health. You race, target a foe – if you have the weapons loaded – and take out
the leaders. You can also drop bombs if you are the leader to discourage anyone
from getting too close.
The courses
ran from tight turns through winding streets and paths to wide-open arenas. You
will need to use the brake, and then hit the acceleration booster to blast out
of the corners. The controls on a PS2 gamepad are very straightforward and
intuitive.
What really
makes this game shine are the graphics. Rich, and lushly colorful, this game is
a treat for the eyes, and the graphics fairly scream fun.
Jak X:
Combat Racing is a delightful online racing exercise that will treat fans of the
Jak and Daxter series as well as those looking for some challenging online
racing fun.
