June 27, 2006 - Video games, in some cases, are very much like Hollywood movies. For one; when successful, they both net into the millions of dollars. Secondly, they each feature readily identifiable faces (and bodies) that people will pay to see again and again. And finally, like many actors and actresses who try their hand at singing and other failed forms of over-exposure, videogame makers believe that they can cross genres without repercussions. Or to be more specific, from a platforming game into a racing game. And as is the case in Hollywood, some of these moves are laughable, some are obnoxious and others are just plain fun. This is where Jak X Combat Racing comes into play.

Developed by Sony, Jak X Combat Racing is the 4th installment in the Jak and Daxter franchise. Although the style of gameplay has changed greatly from the first three games to this one (platformer to racer) the characters and universes are still intact and connected within this game. With that said, while the game in and of itself is fun and entertaining, there are elements that keep it from truly being a “must buy”.

Before explaining the game mechanics, there is one suggestion I have: play at least the beginning of the adventure mode before playing any of the other types of games. The reason for this is because before actually starting the missions, there is a very well executed training mode which explains what each item does and how to actually drive. This is coming from a person who usually discards the manual and jumps right into the game.

The game mechanics for the most part are like any other combat racing game, although the ones found in this game do take time to become adjusted to. A positive for the game is the turbo/boost mechanics. Essentially, there are two ways to generate and regenerate your boost meter: the first is by simply driving over boost items laid out on the track (these are blue orb-like things), the second method, which in my opinion is neat, is that you can regenerate boost by power sliding. This gives the player another reason to want to learn how to power slide effectively. This is relatively easy to do, but hard to master when time matters. Another aspect of the game that is well done, for the most part, is the execution of weaponry. Basically, there are two types of weapons; those that you shoot in front of you (yellow icons), and those that you shoot behind you (red icons). Each weapon has its own controls via the trigger buttons. In order to become equipped with weapons, you have to drive over them. Once equipped, you can hold on to the weapon for as long as you like; this is very useful at preventing attacks from opponents since you can use rear weapons to counter attacks. The type of forward attacks includes machine guns and rockets, whereas the type of back attacks includes rear machine guns and proximity mines.

While there are many pros that are present within the game, there are unfortunately cons that also cripple it. One of these cons pertains to the unforgivable nature of the game. For one, it is easy to crash your car via hitting a wall. At first this would seem good because it gives the game a realistic attribute (well…considering drivers are shooting rockets and mines at each other), but when you add in the fact that this game plays very fast, you’ll become frustrated by the tenth time you crash in a three lap race. The frustration grows to another level when you factor in the fact that, while you may be in first place, the competition is closely behind you. This means that you could drive a flawless race, be in first place, randomly crash near the end, and have four drivers pass you by at the finish line as you wait for your car to respawn. In some cases adding crash realism takes the fun away from the game. The gameplay allows for aggressive driving and use of strategy, but can lead to sheer frustration due to almost relying on dumb luck in order to finish well in a race.

This game has the standard combat racing options: Circuit Race, Time Trial, and Deathmatch. However, aside from the story mode (which is needed to earn new cars, parts, and options), there are a slew of options that are very innovative.

Turbo Dash – a personal favorite. In this event, the objective is to pick up rock orb items and use them to boost. When you have acquired a “rock”, a gauge will appear at the top of the screen. When you boost, the gauge starts to fill up by percentages. When it reaches 100%, the “rock” will automatically fire at the nearest opponent, and you gain a point. For each lap you do, the amount of points earned increases by one. The objective, therefore, is to get as many points as possible within the time allowed (you race against others). Due to the nature of this event, prepare to drive fast and crash a lot.