Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams Critic Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It's not a perfect game, but it does so many things well that missing out on it would be a crime.

With its plethora of options and playability, this is a stellar buy for the younger crowd.

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.

It’s genuinely funny without ever bordering on tacky and it really does test anyone who plays it.

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.

The art direction, character design, and storytelling are all top notch.

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.

Combines great gameplay with entertaining characters and extremely pretty visuals for a surprisingly fun gaming experience.

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.

As long as you and yours can stand some frustration, it's a solid purchase.

There's solid ground on which to build a game, but compared to what Insomniac is doing, much work remains.

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.

Even for those not willing to hop into gaming’s “kiddy pool,” come on in: the water’s fine.