The Jak and Daxter series is one of the exclusive platformers for the Playstation 2 from the creators of Crash Bandicoot. In just two sequels, it has evolved from a cutesy platformer, to a dark platformer with action elements and a narrative storyline. Jak III is the final game for the series and wraps up the game well. But in one year has the game evolved? Or is it just Jak 2.5?
The differences between Jak and Daxter and Jak II were apparent from the very beginning. The game was completely different to its predecessor and was more free roaming, and ridiculously challenging. The differences between Jak III and Jak II aren’t as easily recognizable, but Naughty Dog have implemented a few changes which warrant a sequel.
As this game is the final game in the series, the storyline is important and more elaborate than its predecessors. One year has passed since Jak and Daxter saved Haven City from Kor and the attacking Metal Heads, yet Haven City is still immersed in deadly chaos as three groups fight for control of the streets. The people of Haven City have grown to distrust Jak's dark powers, and as rumors boil of Jak's ties with Krew and Kor, the city blames Jak for its current woeful circumstances. When the palace is destroyed by a surprise Metal Head attack, even Ashelin cannot protect Jak as the High Council's power broker, Count Veger, forces Jak into banishment for life to the desolate Wasteland. Upon Jak being flown to the harsh island and dropped off to fend for himself, he discovers that Daxter and Pecker have discreetly followed him to his proclaimed lifetime of hell. With Daxter and Pecker bravely by his side, the three begin their next adventure as they wander the Wasteland and along the way encounter perilous situations.
Bring it on, bitch.
The storyline does literally begin immediately and links well with the ending of Jak II. Despite the game being called Jak, Daxter still plays a decent role, he is given level-specific areas and this allows for a change from playing as Jak. The Wasteland area is about five times larger than Haven City and provides more challenges. Some of these challenges range from simple collecting tasks to more in-depth challenges which can go for a decent amount of time.
Due to the large scale of the game, vehicles play a much larger role in the game. Jak can unlock lots of vehicles including off-road transportation, All of the vehicles feature different physics and come equipped with weapons. Jak II helped to introduce the element of Dark Eco. When Jak is exposed to light Eco, Jak will transform into Light Jak. Light Jak has new abilities which helped to add variety to the game, one of these moves is the move which allows Jak to glide with Angelic wings, however, Naughty Dog haven’t forgotten about Dark Jak and his powers return. The weapons have also seen a upgrade as well, every weapon from Jak II is retained and all the weapons have been given upgrades. We would have liked to have seen more weapons been included though as there is a strong sense of a familiarity in the weapons from the outset.
The game play hasn’t been changed too much since last year’s edition. The camera is still a little too annoying in important segments and the characters all move the same. Actually completing Jak II was a huge challenge in itself, due to the difficulty level, thankfully the difficulty level appears to have been toned down a little for Jak III but it is still a very challenging game. If anything, we would say that sometimes it is too challenging. Even the tutorial level took us a few goes to actually complete, gamers may find themselves becoming frustrated with the game quickly.
You right there Daxter?
The game is not without its rewards though. Naughty Dog have crammed the game with a plethora of unlockables including audio commentary, invulnerability, unlockable levels and novelty unlockables such as small head mode. This is only a tiny selection of some of the secrets which are activated by collecting a certain amount of precursor orbs. Naughty Dog have even been good enough to include a Ratchet and Clank Gun Course for gamers to play on.
The graphics in Jak III are some of the best we’ve ever seen. The draw distance in the city is amazing and there is barely any loading in the game at all. This allows for an extremely immersive environment that is significantly better than Haven City. The characters all look great and this is one of the best looking games on the Playstation 2. Naughty Dog seem to have really pushed the Playstation 2 to the limit with this game.
The sound isn't as good as we remember though, Daxter is just as funny as ever, and after a while he will give hints to the player if they seem stuck. The voice-acting is great.
Jak III isn’t as much of an upgrade as Jak II was to the original title. The maps look the same and the objectives aren’t too much different, they are just taking place in a different city. The game contains over sixty minutes worth of storyline which is unpredecented for the Jak series. Gamers will initially be a little disappointed by the similarities between Jak III and its predecessor, but once they get further into the game they will realize the game is really refined.
Nothing gets past this guy, and his ears.
The secrets included in the game give good reason for gamers to return, however, actually completing the game once could be a challenge in itself as the game is definitely one of the most challenging platforming games we’ve played for a while. The Playstation 2 has a lot of platformers coming to the PS2 this year which redefine the concept of a “platforming” title and Jak III is just one excellent example of this. Any fan of platforming games should pick this title up, Jak will not disappoint.
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