Review: Daxter (PSP)
Review: Daxter [PSP]Platform: PSPDeveloper: Ready at Dawn Studio
Publisher: Sony
After Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was released for the PlayStation 2, Daxter's name mysteriously disappeared from the two later titles in the trilogy. Perhaps to appease a sulking Daxter, Ready at Dawn Studios, in collaboration with Naughty Dog, has developed Daxter for the PlayStation Portable. The game lives up to its name by presenting the same humor and antics that fans of the series know Jak's furry sidekick for coupled with the solid platforming action we've come to know and love. For its first foray into the industry, Ready at Dawn has not only created one of the most visually stunning PSP games, but also a game with smooth gameplay and an overall level of polish that should please anyone who enjoys playing video games in general.
Daxter takes place in between the first and second Jak games from the console series. The story begins where the Precursor Legacy left off, with Jak and Daxter arriving in Haven city only to have Jak arrested by guards and thrown in prison. Two years later, Daxter is given a job by a local exterminator by the name of Osmo. Throughout the game you'll take up various pest-control missions from Osmo and move through the game's story. The storyline in Daxter isn't quite as strong as that in the console games, but a series of well crafted, and often humorous, cutscences help to establish the existing plot while maintaining the light-hearted nature of the game.
Daxter isn't too lengthy of a title, clocking in at about 8 hours to finish the main story mode, but there is a reasonable amount of replay value to be found in the game. Each of the areas Daxter visits throughout his travels can be revisited and feature plenty of collectable items such as caged bugs to be unlocked for the game's Bug Combat mode, more on that later. As it stands, Daxter's story mode is long enough to require multiple gaming sessions to complete, but not so long as to consume too much of your time. For a handheld title, Daxter feels just about right in terms of its length.
Bug Combat, which can be played competitively through a wi-fi connection, is a Pokemon-esque minigame which pits two rival bugs against one another. Each turn, you choose one of three basic attacks for your bug to use against its opponent. There is an added level of depth to Bug Combat in that you're able to apply various special attacks and power-ups to your bug before the match. If anything, Bug Combat is a simple diversion from Daxter's main mode and could take up a few hours of time should you become involved in what it has to offer.Aside from Bug Combat, Daxter also features several "dream" sequences which play out as simple minigames. These minigames consist of timing button presses with the appropriate on-screen indicators and are another fun little way to kill time. Each dream parodies a memorable movie moment from films such as Braveheart and The Matrix, all of which should be instantly recognizable. After completing each of the dream minigames Daxter will learn a new move which can be used in the game. This gives the player extra incentive to collect the eggs strewn throughout each environment in order to unlock all of the dream sequences.
By far the most impressive aspect of Daxter and one which should become apparent within the first minutes of gameplay is that there are no visible loading times in the game. As soon as the opening movie has finished you are immediately thrust into the world without any hesitation whatsoever. The lack of loading times in itself is a true testament to the skill and ability of those behind the development of Daxter. Equally impressive is the fact that Daxter takes place in one continuous, streaming world. While you may be transported through portals to reach some of the areas in the game, there is no break in the action. As soon as Daxter jumps through a portal gate, he almost immediately emerges on the other side in a new area. Not even Liberty City Stories, as technically impressive as that game was, could accomplish such a feat.
Visually, Daxter is a treat. The textures are sharp and crisp, the lighting in the game is fantastic, and the level of detail throughout the environments is unbelievable. Daxter himself is immaculately animated. Details such as the character bounce slightly when he jumps on a chair or sofa highlight just how intricate the detail in Daxter is. Most satisfying about the graphical beauty of Daxter is the fact that it does not come at the cost of gameplay. The framerate remains smooth throughout and rarely chokes up, which is even more of a feat considering the lack of load times and the enormity of many of the game's environments.
In terms of control, Daxter handles itself well. Movement feels tight and responsive while jumping, attacking, and crawling should come as second nature to anyone who has played a platformer recently. Camera control is fairly simplistic yet incredibly well designed with the right and left shoulder buttons panning the camera from side to side. While such a system is nothing new to PSP games, Ready at Dawn has perfected the responsiveness and speed of camera movement. As with all great platform games, the camera is paramount to Daxter’s success.In terms of difficulty, Daxter isn’t an especially challenging game although things can become a bit tricky in certain spots. Thankfully, checkpoints are placed intelligently throughout each of the levels and prevent the game from ever becoming truly frustrating. There are also several puzzle sequences throughout Daxter. These puzzles usually occur towards the end of the level and must be completed in order for Daxter to unlock a door or disable some sort of device. The puzzles use the same button press system as the dream minigames and will take several attempts to complete, but won't generate frustration on the level of a game like Smart Bomb. All in all Daxter does a good job of keeping the game enjoyable yet challenging for players of all ages.
The voice acting in Daxter is masterful. During the game’s many cutscenes, all of the characters, which should be recognizable from the cast in the Jak series, add a level of immersiveness to the story. As mentioned earlier, Daxter maintains the light heartedness of the game with his many witty remarks. The musical score is also well put together although there isn’t anything especially memorable about the music and you mightnot even notice it unless you stop and listen. Daxter is a game designed from the ground up for the PSP and it shows. The handy save anywhere feature allows for gaming on the go while the length of each of Daxter's levels is suitable for a bus ride to school or work. Daxter’s graphics and gameplay are unmatched on the PSP and contribute to what is a truly exceptional game.
Gameplay: [9] Graphics: [10] Audio: [8] Replay: [7] Overall: [90%]
