So I've actually played a bit of this as a kid on the PS2, but couldn't get past one of Krew's missions near the beginning of the game
This game became a bit of a cursed game for me because it was a part of the third series of the PS2 platformer trio and I couldn't finish it unlike with Sly Cooper and Ratchet & Clank
But I finally beat it now as an adult, and suffice to say, it's both a step up and a step down from the first game

The story is a major step up; the darker tone allowed the world to be fleshed out more and while it can be a bit too edgy at times, I enjoyed it as a whole and a whole lot more than Jak 1
Generally speaking, the gameplay is also a step up, as guns have been introduced to Jak's moveset and it makes the combat somewhat more fun
I also want to give props to this game's atmosphere, it really gives a feeling of dreary and dystopian city with the music and presentation
But the big steps down are the level design and vehicle segments: the levels, while decently designed, are not nearly as memorable as the locales in Jak 1
The vehicle segments in Jak 1 were not amazing but I'd take them gladly over most of what Jak 2 has, especially the Titan Suit, fuck the Titan Suit, all my homies hate the Titan Suit
As for the difficulty, while I did get frustrated at this game a fair bit, I knew it was going to be a difficult game from my previous experiences with the game, so I didn't mind it as much
However, I do prefer this game over Jak 1
Why is that? I'm not really sure, but I feel like I'd like this game more on a replay
Excited to check out Jak 3 soon