Naughty Dog Shares 20th Anniversary Jak II Artwork

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the second entry of the Jak and Daxter franchise, Jak II, developer Naughty Dog shared celebratory artwork by staff member J Dietrich.

Various members of the core cast from Haven City are depicted here alongside the returning heroes. Jak II marked a time of considerable and rapid change for the series, as it embraced a darker tone, a non-silent Jak, and an entirely different setting. Plus, there were guns and vehicle riding, which was a pretty big deal. At the time, it sparked several Grand Theft Auto comparisons.

Jak II is also well-known for undeniably being the most challenging entry in the franchise. Its platforming and action sequences are quite demanding, to the extent that many players aren’t particularly huge fans of the title. Jak III, by comparison, was much easier and more balanced difficulty-wise. Still, the negativity toward Jak II has waned over the years.

Personally, I do genuinely miss this era of Naughty Dog since I’m a massive fan of both Jak and Daxter and Crash Bandicoot. Unfortunately, their IPs post-PlayStation 2 aren’t really my thing, but that’s just how it goes. The developer is certainly some of the most successful they’ve ever been, thanks to The Last of Us.

You can view the Jak II anniversary artwork by Naughty Dog below: