Daxter is hands down the best PSP offering to date. Some critics of the system may think this is not that big of a compliment, even they would have to admit that this is high quality title that opens up a whole new set of possibilities for the system.
In terms of graphics, it is safe to say that this is the best handheld game ever developed. Not only do the extensive use of color and shading make still shots look visually impressive, but there is next to no visible slowdown and all character motion is seamless. Haven City looks as good on the PSP as it has in any console version of the series.
The sound is perfect. The music and dialogue are high quality with professional voice actors being used. Max Cassella of Doogie Houser fame voices the title character, and the lesser-known talent also gives a great performance. All sound effects are high quality and perfectly synched with the action, which is sometimes a rarity even for console games.
Controls are highly responsive, and the camera control is executed better in this game than on any other PSP offering. Any difficulty in performing jumps can be attributed to the platforming gameplay, and not due to poor depth perception or camera angles.
The gameplay is also executed perfectly. The platforming levels are challenging at times, but are well designed. The infinite lives and frequent checkpoints relieve the frustration gamers suffer through during many platformers. For fans of the series, the gameplay is more like Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy than the last two (or three if you count Jak X) installments of the series, and uses similar platforming and racing aspects.
The long single player campaign, complete with hilarious dream sequence mini-games based on popular movies (ex. Matrix and Indiana Jones), give gamers a good deal for their money. The fact that different areas of levels can be accessed with skills acquired throughout the game make it worthwhile to revisit all areas of the game, which offers a great deal of replay value.
The only parts of the game I didn't absolutely enjoy were the select mini-games and challenges that require timed button pushing (think DDR) to complete. Still, these portions of the game are expertly designed and it would not be fair of me to knock developers for perfectly executed aspects of the game that just aren't my personal preference.
Overall, this is a must own title for everyone who owns a PSP. Even if it is not your personal favorite style of game, all gamers owe a debt to the developers for raising the bar for all future PSP titles. This game really shows what Sony's portable system is capable of, and should inspire a whole slew of quality titles in the future.
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