Jak & Daxter is one of the best looking games ever, with a graphics engine that is a pure showcase of the system capabilities. Locked at 60 rock-solid frames per second, the graphics engine renders a portentous, continue game world, with no loading times - data is continuously streamed off the disk, thus making loading times nonexistent. 60 frames per second, and with an amount of on-screen details and a draw distance that are just unmatched by any current action game on the market. In Jak & Daxter, if you see a far away mountain, it means you can go there, it means that is a true fully rendered place that you can actually visit. And this doesn't seem to affect at all the quality of the textures, which look always brilliant and well crafted.

The amount of visual and light effects that make the shiny tropical world of Jak & Daxter so beautiful is equally stunning. The day and night cycle is a pure digital spectacle, that will leave even the less impressionable players in awe. Particle effects used for rain or snow are impressive, among the most advanced seen on a gaming console, and the visual strength of explosions, flames, and heat waves is as remarkable as the more peaceful, delicate effects, like those used for water.

With all this marvel, one would expect characters made with a below the average amount of polygons. Wrong. Character models in Jak & Daxter are superbly built and animated with a care and a style - with exaggerated movements and expressiveness - worthy of a good animated film. From the dynamic duo to the secondary character, Jak & Daxter is populated by memorable fellows that perfectly express themselves - first with their bodies, then with their voices.

And voice acting is very good - the cast of professional actors hired for the game adds a lot to the overall lighthearted tone of the adventure. Ambient sounds and noises add the background tissue that, working in synergy with the wonders worked by the graphics engine, make the in-game fantasy world absolutely believable.

The soundtrack is made of epic themes and cheerful tunes, that perfectly fit the atmosphere of each area - and that honestly give the whole adventure a feeling that the thin storyline, alone, isn't able to offer.

Jak & Daxter isn't a long game. It takes about 15 hours to complete the game collecting all the items, and since the game never puts you in the condition of being stuck, I doubt you'll play it for much longer than that. Anyhow, these will be 15 of the most amusing hours you have ever spent playing a video game: smart, challenging without being frustrating, visually stunning, Jak & Daxter is an experience that is worth playing - maybe even more than once, if you like the genre.