Kingdom Hearts forced Naughty Dog to go "oh sh*t" while making Jak 2, because Square Enix's character models were so much more detailed that the platformer devs had to change course

Jak and Daxter sequel Jak 2 — (Image credit: Naughty Dog)

According to a former Naughty Dog developer, Kingdom Hearts played a role in the studio's development of its beloved action-adventure sequel Jak 2.

Josh Scherr worked for over 21 years at Naughty Dog, with the first 13 spent as the cinematic animation lead on gems like Jak and Daxter, Jak 2, and Jak 3. Jak 2 shipped in 2003, and it featured many firsts for the iconic series - Dark Jak, Haven City, and cutscenes with unique character models. According to Scherr, though, it's actually another smash-hit title from many gamers' childhoods that inspired this shift to more high-resolution models in Jak 2.

True story: on J&D, we used the same character models for both gameplay & cutscenes (Daxter didn’t have fully articulated fingers). For J2, we saw early screenshots of Kingdom Hearts, went “oh shit,” & made high-res models for cutscenes. And still did it without visible loading! https://t.co/pN42dfueoMOctober 14, 2024

Speaking in a recent post on the matter, Scherr reveals how Kingdom Hearts prompted Jak 2 devs to stop using the same character models seen during gameplay in cutscenes. In the first Jak and Daxter, he says Naughty Dog "used the same character models for both gameplay & cutscenes (Daxter didn’t have fully articulated fingers)." While making Jak 2, the studio "saw early screenshots of Kingdom Hearts" and "went 'oh shit.'"

That's when they opted to create "high-res models for cutscenes" - and "still did it without visible loading!" Scherr then shows an eye-opening before and after comparison of Jak 2's cutscene models, along with a screenshot of how Tarzan appeared in Kingdom Hearts' own. "Graphic fidelity was a big selling point in the PS2 era," he explains," much more so than now, so making the pivot to more detailed models made sense."

Here, see?L: original Jak cutscene, note the low-poly modelsM: Tarzan from KHR: Jak II cutsceneGraphic fidelity was a big selling point in the PS2 era, much more so than now, so making the pivot to more detailed models made sense pic.twitter.com/x1DHZShhHOOctober 14, 2024

The changes are undeniably apparent - just look at how smooth everything appears to be in the screenshot featuring the reworked cutscene models. The new ones certainly give off a far less "low-poly" vibe than the original models did, although I'd be lying if I said I don't find them all charming. I'm just excited to learn that two of my favorite throwback games have some sort of connection - an arguably wholesome one, at that.

Love a good throwback? Here are some of the best retro games of all time.

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.