It seems quite a few people enjoyed Jak & Daxter the first time around. The game managed to move to Greatest Hits status just nine months after its release (the minimum amount of time a game can be out before transitioning to the lower price point and red banner of the GH family), and has since been fondly looked back on as one of the PS2's most polished platformers.



With all that hooplah, it's a no-brainer that a sequel was in the works, and after an almost two year labor of love, the crew at Santa Monica-based Naughty Dog have finally shoved their baby out into the real world.



Jak II, it of the Daxter-free moniker (don't worry, though, Dax is still in the game), actually takes place quite a few years after the first game where the pair are tossed hundreds of years into the future and end up in a massive walled city teeming with life, watched over by Baron Praxis, a despotic ruler who captures and tortures Jak for years. The experiments leave Jak changed permanently, has body fused with the same Dark Eco that turned Daxter from his goofy long-eared form into the adorable fuzzball we now know him as.



With Daxter's help, Jak finally escapes the Baron's operating table and escapes into the city, consumed with revenge and altered more my his imprisonment than anyone would suspect.

"In Jak II we set out to create an entirely new gameplay experience that was more than just adding new features to those already present in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Our goal was to introduce a seamlessly integrated style of play that gave players a choice in how they wanted to interact with the game," boasted Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin. "We are extremely proud of the outcome and believe Jak II truly brings modern gameplay and universe ideas together with classic playability -- a magical combination."

Ami Blaire, SCEA's Director of Product Marketing, seems to agree:

"We're kicking off the start of the holiday season with what is one of the biggest titles of the year. Changing the face of character action gaming as we know it, Jak II delivers a deep, compelling storyline full of twists and turns, more than 90 minutes of cinematic movies, perilous exploration and challenging gameplay. Jak II is the perfect choice for any gamer looking for a fun and immersive adventure."

We think they may be onto something, and should have a full review in just a few days. In the mean time, however, be sure to get the full skinny on the game by checking out our hands-on Jak II preview pronto.