Jak X: Combat Racing

"Combat Racing Games: Where Good Franchises Go To Die"

With the exception of Mario Kart, I have found that combat racing games are usually where platforming franchises end up right before being killed off entirely. For some reason developers like to take this route instead of letting their heroes die honorably and fade away into obscurity but nearly always end up besmirching a good record. As one of the franchises that brought a minor revival to the dying platformer breed (Ratchet and Clank being the other), most would have thought Naughty Dog would never disgrace Jak in such a manner. Unfortunately history really does repeat itself as this is the same developer who engineered the same fate for the iconic Crash Bandicoot, a character who was never quite the same afterwards. I'm afraid we may never hear from poor Jak again. Alas, we hardly knew you.

Amazingly Naughty Dog has actually crafted a decent narrative to back up this baffling shakeup of the norm, and it seems pretty natural within the boundaries of franchise fiction. Krew, Jak's former arms-smuggling employer has died. Jak, Daxter and several other familiar faces make their way to Kras City to hear Krew's will. Once they arrive the gang meets Krew's surprisingly attractive and surprisingly not freakishly fat daughter and they all toast his death (as per his wishes). As soon as the will is played, it becomes clear that Krew is still scheming from beyond the grave. He brought the gang to Kras City in order to win the racing championship that he never could in life. In order to motivate them, the wine they drank for the toast was actually laced with a slow acting poison. To receive the antidote all they have to do is win.

Though the story feels right for the franchise, the gameplay leaves the action platforming behind to focus on combat racing. Combat racing is basically what it sounds like; vehicles race around a track while using a variety of weapons to get the one-up on the other racers. As is to be expected, the racing part of the equation follows a fast and loose philosophy which is hindered by the fact that vehicle physics are floaty and unpredictable. Vehicles often do bizarre things during a race such as completely losing traction or spinning around in the air after hitting a big jump.

There are a decent number of vehicles to unlock and use but since they all feel the same, there's really no point to it. Rides can also be customized with performance and cosmetic upgrades, which can make a car faster, give it a greater turbo boost or just alter the appearance. Again, all of this is ultimately pointless as vehicles not only handle the same, but they pretty much have the same capabilities. Though vehicles that are supposed to have higher performance are unlocked through progression there's rarely any noticeable difference. Indeed, if you've spent a lot of money upgraded a lower end ride it might actually be better than one unlocked later down the road.

The combat element is also fundamentally flawed. Each vehicle can get offensive and defensive weapons, which typically either hurt the racers in front of you or behind you. To get a weapon the vehicle must touch one of the many eco icons on the track, at which point a random power-up is handed out. While this randomization sort of keeps a balance, it seems as if the opponent racers get the overpowered weapons on a more regular basis. Defensive weapons typically drop from the back of the car and stay on the track for other racers to encounter. They also play a role by being able to deflect missiles other racers shoot.

While it might seem as if the random weapon and defense power ups would create a sort of equilibrium, they actually introduce an element of unpredictability. While most kart racers exhibit this same problem, it's no less damaging here. Because the weapons typically take out cars with one or two shots, each race is a constant cascade of shifting positions. What it really means is that you can be leading the entire race and get blown up in the final seconds and lose it all. It's also worth noting that there's one weapon which shoots out an electric charge and will track the leader all the way around the track and blow up the vehicle. It never misses, it is unavoidable and for some reason it only ever seems to be deployed when the player in the lead. All these issues ultimately create a game in which success is determined solely on a basis of luck and when the last crash occurs.

This brings up the issue of the rubber band AI and the ridiculous respawn rate. Regardless of the players performance, the atrocious rubber band AI means that opponents will always be close behind. I suspect the developers thought this would add “excitement”. In reality it's just stupid and aggravating. As for the respawn rate, when the player vehicle is destroyed it usually means losing several places. When the other racers go down, they respawn almost instantly. So close in fact that the enemy you just destroyed is now breathing down your neck.

As is to be expected, Jak X doesn't stick solely to real racing (i.e. going around in circles). This is no doubt due to the fact that if it did, the game would be significantly worse than it already is. So Naughty Dog has attempted to spice up things with all sorts of goofy event types. Turbo Dash involves using as much boost as possible to rack up points. Freeze Rally takes place on a track littered with time stopping pickups and tasks the player with getting as low a lap time as possible. Death Race has players trying to wipe out dummy racers for the high score. Deathmatch has players zooming around in a large open arena trying to destroy others for points. Artifact Races put players in an arena, dashing back and forth trying to get to checkpoints and score before opponents do. Admittedly, they have created quite a few so players aren't subjected to the boredom of repetition very often.

Aside from the story, the graphics and sound are really the only things that connect this game to the rest of the franchise. The game retains the same cartoonish style and slick character designs that have always been characteristic of the Jak games, and the racing environments look pretty good as well. The voice acting is as good as always and all the actors reprise their roles. The music is mostly thrashy metal, and the opening track from the Queens of the Stone Age is completely out of place but totally awesome.

THE VERDICT
Jak X is ultimately a slap in the face to everything that made the series great in the first place. As with most kart racing games, I'm left wondering just why this game was made and who the hell it is supposed to appeal to. Not only is the complete shakeup absolutely unnecessary, it doesn't even work properly. I've said it before and I'll say it again; any game that substitutes skill with luck is an utter failure. This game is simply a lousy license cash-in that more than likely signals the end of a once great franchise.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 08/04/09

Game Release: Jak X: Combat Racing (US, 10/18/05)