Metacritic Games

Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams (Xbox)

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: 1
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).

73 / 100

Critic Reviews

92 Gamezilla!
Although the “saving a princess” theme maybe overused, the story itself is well told and original with bits of humor scattered in.
85 Game Chronicles
Everything about this game is bigger and better than the original, and considering the original game was sheer brilliance that’s saying a lot.
84 IGN
The game's camera system -- occasionally disobedient, to say the least -- could use some work. The framerate sometimes stutters. And there are some trial and error gameplay moments, which always manage to frustrate. Still, Tak 2 remains a fun, beautiful platformer that both Nickelodeon and THQ can be proud of.
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.
80 GameBiz
GameBiz is confident to suggest this title as a purchase for any gamer aged between the ages of eight and twelve.
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.
80 Xbox World Australia
Through the humour you grow to like the characters, and because of this the experience feels a lot more enjoyable than many other titles aimed at the younger market.
79 GameZone
Whatever you choose, don't expect an experience on the level of the first game -- that's something Tak 2 can't give.
78 TeamXbox
One of the best platformers currently available on the Xbox and the gameplay is surprisingly challenging and deep. The humor of the script is what keeps Tak 2 an enjoyable game to play through and is reminiscent of movies like "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc."
77 Gaming Target
By no means a genre defining (or reinventing) game, Tak 2 delivers a solid experience from start to finish.
76 Official Xbox Magazine
While Tak 2 won't score points for innovation, it delivers enough humor and action to satisfy your platforming desires. [Dec 2004, p.82]
75 Worth Playing
The mini-games were without question added to increase the replay value of this game and they did such to at least some degree. I admit they are kind of fun and it is cool that they added them I guess I just would rather play one of my other multiplayer centric games instead.
73 Game Informer
The art direction, character design, and storytelling are all top notch. [Nov 2004, p.146]
71 TotalGames.net
A great idea, until you realise that the levels are quite linear and the animal interaction fairly basic. This is a great game to buy for your kids, but if you're buying it for yourself expect to get bored very quickly.
70 Gaming Nexus
Even for those not willing to hop into gaming’s “kiddy pool,” come on in: the water’s fine.
70 GameSpy
Combines great gameplay with entertaining characters and extremely pretty visuals for a surprisingly fun gaming experience.
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 GamerFeed
Not only does it provide great comical overtones and a worthy quest, it also has some neat sub-stages and mini-games to occupy your time.
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.
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]
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 Xbox Nation Magazine
Dreams is just a by-the-numbers platformer, albeit a genuinely funny oe. [Dec 2004, p.89]
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]
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.

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