January 19, 2002
klamkilla

Jak and Daxter: The Precurser Legacy

ESRB Rating: E
Console: Playstation 2
# of Players: 1
Genre: Platform Adventure
KB Required to Save: 691

Released in 1996, Mario 64 still reigns supreme as the king of console platformers. To this very day companies have been searching for the proverbial "Mario killer" with little success. Enter 2002, and the Sony Playstation 2. After the loss of it's key franchise Crash Bandicoot, Sony and Naughty Dog have come up with a brand new mascot(s) for the PS2 in the form of Jak and Daxter.

Set in a period where world is powered by a mysterious substance called eco, Jak (the strong silent type) and Daxter (the zany sidekick) starts off innocently enough as the two heroes venture off to the forbidden shores of Misty Island. After a mishap with some dark eco Daxter is transformed into a small ferret type creature. After a counsel with the Green eco sage the two head off to Gol and Maia's Citadel which is the only place that Dexter can be transformed. Along the way however they begin to notice that mysterious dark eco powered lurkers have begun causing all sorts of trouble so they begrudgingly decide to take on the task of stopping the dark eco source at its source.

While it is not the most original story ever it gets the job done providing you with a backdrop to all the adventuring you are about to embark on, and let me tell you there will be a lot of adventuring. There are 18 different locales to explore each with their own set of challenges. Unlike most platformers that rely on one central hub to get from location to location the world of Jak and Daxter is one continues ever changing world. Actions taken over the course of the game are visible from other parts of the world, day changes to night, and so on and so forth.

Along the way you will need to collect precurser orbs which you will use to trade with the various people you will meet for power cells. These power cells are needed in to power various objects you will need to advance in the game. For example you will need to collect 20 power cells to power the heat shield for your speeder to get across Fire Canyon.

The problem is however is that a set list of goals is never really presented to you so you basically have to roam the large landscapes searching for the orbs yourself. Occasionally someone will point you in the right direction but for the most part you're on your own.

There are also four kinds of eco that you will find throughout your journey. These do several different things listed below.

Blue eco: This eco gives you enhanced speed. It also pulls useful items like precurser orbs towards you allowing you to get things you normally wouldn't have access to.

Red eco: This eco gives your attacks an added boost doubling the damage you dole out to enemies.

Green eco: This eco restores life. There are two forms of this eco. Small green eco orbs found in treasure boxes are collected until you amass 50 which are then exchanged for added energy, or large green eco orbs which instantly fill your life meter.

Yellow eco: This eco lets you shoot a powerful fireball that let you open silver boxes, and destroy enemies from afar.

Eco can be found in two different ways. The more common form of eco is a small glowing orb usually found out in the open or in a treasure box. These orbs fill your eco meter a quarter of the way. There are also eco springs scattered about that completely fill your meter.

There are several abilities at your disopssal as well. Jak has his standard dash punch, tail spin, and double jumping techniques but with a bit of creativity his aresenal is greatly expanded. Below is the complete list of all of Jak's maneuvers and how to exicute them properly.

X: Jump
X, X: double jump
Circle: Punch spin
Square: Punch
L1 or R1+X: Super jump
L1 or R1 while standing: crouch
L1 or R1 while running: roll
L1 or R1 while running+X: rolling long jump
X+Square: dive attack
X+Circle: air attack
Square+X:uppercut
X then Square then Circle: dive attack jump
L1 or R1 while running+Square: crouching uppercut.

Executing these moves is a breeze thanks to the responsive controls. I have yet to come to the point in the game where I blame the death on shoddy controls over my own inadequacy.

Sometimes you will take the reigns of a zoomer bike or you will mount a giant bird to reach new areas. Both of these extras are really nice and they help break up the game a bit by providing you with something to do other than the basic platformer fare.

Sadly Daxter is not playable at any point of the game which would have been really cool.

With the exclusion of the beautiful Final Fantasy X there is no doubt in my mind that Jak and Daxter is the most beautiful game available on the PS2. All of the landscapes are so lush, rich in color, and full of life it is almost unbelievable. Horizon lines are stretched further than ever seen on a console. You can clearly see for instance the green eco collectors on Sentenal beach from atop the tower in the forbidden jungle. Not a bit of fog or pop up is present in this game (except of course on Misty Island). The game maintains a very steady 60FPS but sometimes the frame rate staggers a bit when you're in an open area. It really doesn't affect the game experience but it is worth mentioning. The characters all look nice as well. The populous of the game look like a combination of humans and elves. The main characters are choc full of animation (especially Dexter).

Jak and Daxter also suffers from the standard camera issues that plague games of the genre. Usually the camera is locked behind you where you are free to manipulate it any way you please but on occasion (usually in tight areas) the camera will auto position itself in some awkward places giving you minimal control over where you want to see. Luckily there is a first person mode which helps to alleviate the situation.

Sound wise J&D is top notch. Naughty Dog has gone the extra mile here not only providing every character with spoken dialogue but providing them with adequate voice talent as well. None of the characters in the game have voices that get irritating or annoying. The music while good is not really emphasized and it really is just background music. You are usually too busy listening for things like scout flies to pay attention to the music. Although I must say it does do a good job fitting the situation. Caves have eerie dark music while beaches and jungles have more of an exotic sound.

To conclude, Jak and Dexter is quite possibly the best platformer to be released in well over five years yet it falls just short of beating out the king of platformers that is Mario 64. Maybe the game is a bit too non linear for it's own good because not having a grasp on what you are supposed to be doing and where you are supposed to be can really get confusing sometimes. Overall though this is an amazing first effort for Naughty Dog on the PS2 and if this is a sign of things to come all of the PS2 owners out there should be very excited.

The Verdict:

Graphics: 4
Huge sprawling levels, well animated characters, and infinite horizon lines are marred only by minor frame rate problems.

Sound: 3.5 (music) 4.5 (sound effects)
Voice acting is top notch, but the music is forgettable.

Gameplay: 4
Nothing new to the genre, but they seem to have mastered what has been established.

"Value": 3
After getting 100% I see no point to continue playing this game.

Overall: 4.0 (out of 5)