Can't Jak get a break? Despite having saved the world in Jak 2, our long-eared hero finds himself banished to the wasteland. But if you think he's going to take that sitting down, then you don't know Jak.
The final chapter of the Jak trilogy takes us from the increasingly war-torn streets of Haven City to a Road Warrior-on-Tatooine-style wasteland, solving the mysteries of the Precursors while throwing us a few more twists. Of course, Daxter is back in comic form, still lamenting the loss of his pants.
Though not as revolutionary as Jak 2, Jak 3's winning combination of platforming and shooting, and a greater emphasis on vehicular combat, makes for one rousing finish ... with or without pants.
Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (T) (4 stars)
Electronic Arts
PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube
Tired of Aragorn, Legolas and Frodo? Well, little did you know there was an alternate band of heroes—not quite important enough for Tolkien to mention—getting the familiar Fellowship's sloppy seconds during the War of the Ring. If you can forgive this RPG's lame premise, you can enjoy some superb turn-based orc slaying.
Eyetoy: Antigrav (E) (3 stars)
Sony Computer Entertainment
PlayStation 2
I have seen the future of video games—and we have a long way to go. Antigrav lets you toss aside your archaic controller, freeing you to jump around in front of the EyeToy and watch your hoverboarding counterpart mimic you. It's awesome when it works, but often, your virtual friend seems to be waiting for you to say, "Simon says."
Rumble Roses (M) (3.5 stars)
Konami
PlayStation 2
Though striving to be nothing more than an excuse for girl-on-girl action, Rumble Roses manages to have solid wrestling controls and incredibly detailed character models. And I imagine we all have an academic curiosity about whether a naughty schoolgirl could beat an S&M bondage devil in a mud match.
Guilty Gear Isuka (T) (3.5 stars)
Sammy Studios
PlayStation 2
Whether you like this game depends on your affinity for chaos. Button-mashing through a four-player brawl leads to a mesmerizing display of incomprehensible moving colors. But if you're the last one standing when the dust clears, it feels like you earned it.
Matthew Scott Hunter has been known to mumble, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start" in his sleep. E-mail him at
[email protected].