Metacritic Games

Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams (Playstation 2)

Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams will continue following Tak on his adventures against evil. However, players will take on the role of a more experienced Tak as he goes on an epic adventure that will require him to learn all new Juju magic in order to recover the Nightmare Scepter and defeat the evil shaman, Tlaloc, once and for all. Players will maneuver Tak as he's armed with new Juju abilities. He will master the ancient Juju magic of the animals, allowing him to possess various creatures and turn himself into a Spirit Animal. This innovative sequel will also feature nine interactively designed linear environments and a returning cast of favorite characters, along with three brand new Juju gods and the introduction of Jibolba's brother, JB. Nine new Nightmare Creatures will also help to further the action. In addition, Tak will be outfitted with new Juju powered artifacts, including the powerful Dream Shaker, which affords him the power to close dream rifts. [THQ]

THQ
Action, Platform
Players: 2
E (Everyone)
Developer: Avalanche Software
Released October 11, 2004

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

71 / 100

Critic Reviews

84 IGN
Kids will undoubtedly like Tak 2's intuitive control mechanics and colorful characters while adults will -- as we did -- be able to appreciate the underlying humor and the clever puzzles that lie in wait.
83 GameZone
It’s a bit on the short side of things and the camera can be a little tricky at times, but overall this is a nice, shiny package worthy of your consideration.
83 Gaming Age
The colorful visuals, well-paced gameplay and smart dialog came as a bit of a shock. Even more surprising was the part where I kept playing, not because I had to review it, but because I wanted to.
82 PGNx Media
While the gameplay in Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams isn’t that original, Avalanche succeeds at making you care for the characters because of their distinctive personality, which shines through the story.
82 Game Chronicles
The fantastic cast of characters will keep us laughing throughout the adventure and the mini-games will allow us to involve an occasional buddy in our cartoon fun. Unfortunately, the PS2 already has dozens of platformers and Tak 2 doesn’t seem to add enough to the genre to rise above its competitors.
80 Gaming Target
With new powers, new weapons, new enemies, and new challenges to take on, Tak 2 proves itself a second time as one of the best platform titles of the year.
80 AceGamez
One of the best platform offerings to hit these systems in a while, plus a quality children's game for which the competition is extremely limited.
75 Gamers Europe
It’s good to look at, the humour in the script actually works, it’s fun to play for the most part and it will bring you back for more...but probably only if you’ve nothing much better to do.
75 TotalGames.net
Once you understand the animals the levels become small puzzles rather than living environments. You don't see a bear, but rather you see a trampoline that has to be moved.
75 IC-Games
It’s genuinely funny without ever bordering on tacky and it really does test anyone who plays it.
75 Worth Playing
With its plethora of options and playability, this is a stellar buy for the younger crowd.
75 GameCritics
It's not a perfect game, but it does so many things well that missing out on it would be a crime.
73 Game Informer
The art direction, character design, and storytelling are all top notch. [Nov 2004, p.146]
71 Gamezilla!
All in all, this isn't the sort of game I'd pickup for anyone but a younger kid, but it's not too shabby, and you might find it worth a drive around the block.
70 Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
As long as you and yours can stand some frustration, it's a solid purchase. [Jan 2005, p.106]
70 GMR Magazine
There's solid ground on which to build a game, but compared to what Insomniac is doing, much work remains. [Dec 2004, p.126]
70 DarkStation
Although it may not be as complex or well rounded as many other platforming titles already on the market today, the game does a solid job.
70 Yahoo! Games
Tak 2's biggest flaw is that we've seen it all before. It's not a bad game, and is certainly a lot better than its predecessor, but it really doesn't do anything particularly well.
70 GameSpy
Combines great gameplay with entertaining characters and extremely pretty visuals for a surprisingly fun gaming experience.
70 Computer and Video Games
It's a cute platformer that fills the gap between the overly-kiddified TY the Tasmanian Tiger 2 and Sony's more challenging Jak and Ratchet games. [PSW]
70 Gaming Nexus
Even for those not willing to hop into gaming’s “kiddy pool,” come on in: the water’s fine.
69 Gamer's Hell
One of many mediocre platformer games available today. If you are looking for an in-depth captivating experience, then there are certainly better games on the market to fit your needs.
67 Play Magazine
Tak 2 is a solid day's worth of trippy fun and visual euphoria...but they had to check "epic" at the door to make it happen. [Nov 2004, p.52]
67 GameSpot
Definitely a more well-conceived game than The Power of Juju, and there are some genuinely fresh, inventive ideas at work here. The problem is, the whole experience is muddled by an inconsistent difficulty and slapdash level designs, and these good ideas don't quite coalesce into a good game.
65 PSM Magazine
Great-looking platform game with clever puzzles and excellent character designs. [Holiday 2004, p.86]
65 Jolt Online Gaming UK
Featuring jumping, gliding, twatting things with sticks, and bucket loads of what some would call “wit”, this game has it all.
60 Pelaaja (Finland)
The game is better suited for younger gamers, but as an solid platformer, it’s still enjoyable for the mature, genre-loving gamers as well [May 2005, p.75]
60 G4 TV
Your appreciation of Tak 2 largely depends on the number of 3D platform games you’ve seen over the years. The more you’ve experienced, the less impressive Tak 2 is to play, which means younger audiences will love it.
50 Sydney Morning Herald
But beyond the odd wild ride on the back of a beast, negotiating the levels is a tame affair. This could prove frustrating for some, as the level of difficulty is often unbalanced.
50 PALGN
Tak 2: Staff of Dreams fails to provide an engaging platform experience, and would be better used as a cure for insomnia.
40 VideoGamesLife
Yet again, it is the inability of Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams to deal with 3D and learn from what has gone before that will leave the majority of gamers unenthused. There is nothing new to be learned here and no moments that are particularly original or unique.

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