After Jak stopped the Dark Maker menace in his last adventure, cities were rebuilt, people flourished and sports reemerged to fill the void. Combat Racing became the biggest sport of all, as the excitement of high-speed competition brought crowds to the track. Kras City led the way, with people flocking to the dangerous city of death and intrigue. When Jak and Daxter receive a mysterious invite to Kras City for the reading of Krew's Last Will and Testament, they find they have been joined by familiar faces such as Ashelin, Keira, Samos and Torn. When Krew reveals in his recording will that everyone present, including his daughter, Rayn, has been poisoned, everyone is shocked.

Krew gives everyone an ultimatum -- the only way to get the poison antidote in time is to race for him in the next Kras City Grand Championship, or they will all die. Now, Jak and his friends are forced into a high-speed contest for their lives, as they are swept up into a deadly plot to win the biggest racing event on the planet -- against the best drivers in the world. With a deadly objective ahead of them, Jak and his friends take to the treacherous terrain as they are thrown into the driver's seat and find themselves racing against time in order to save the world.

As destructible objects, other racers and their ammunition and explosions careen by them, players will compete against each other at dangerous speeds as they participate in more than 100 events over the race season in Adventure mode. In addition, players will be tasked with a variety of missions spanning across other various play modes including Time Trial, Death Race and Arena Death Match as they rip up the terrain. To compete, six players can participate in head-to-head action utilizing a broadband connection, or two individuals can play against each other in multiplayer mode.

With more than a dozen customizable vehicles, featuring multiple segment "snap-ons" that include body parts, paint patterns and colors, and fun add-on accessories such as decals, bobble heads and antennae flags, each player can create their own vehicle to best reflect their personality. As many of the items are scarce and must be found through careful exploration, once players construct their car to their liking, they can then show off their finds online to their friends.

A diverse power-up system provides players multiple strategies for races and tasks, as players can pick up turbo, health and weapons as they complete their missions. The Eco power-up system is based on Jak's world with each color representing a turbo, projectile, special weapon, repair and more. Power-ups include projectile weapons, smart bombs, mines, catastrophic attacks, shields and turbos, and each helps to deliver a more destructive and challenging experience for players.