Jak & Daxter
Sony Computer Entertainment - Sony Computer Entertainment
PlayStation2
Release date: 2003-06-03
Video Game
Video Games, Playstation 2, (PS2)
average reviews
0 vote
0 vote
React and review
Jak & Daxter
Date undefinedI'm torn about this game. For the most part, I don't really have fond memories of it but memories of frustration; which is quite unusual for me. I've actually had this game since I was very young. If a game is hard enough (it must be extremely difficult for me), I can get tired of playing it and put it down, as well as forget about it, for several years. Then, later in my life, I dig it back out to complete it (often my skills have improved since I last played). So, in that respect, it occasionally takes me years to complete a game. I'll give you the cons and the pros in that order. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide whether or not this game is even worth your time.
Cons:
1. This game is one player only. This isn't a problem to me, as a solo gamer; but I know many people like to play in groups or with a partner. This especially hurts this game in fields relevant of today's; where almost everything is designed for the possible participation of at least four people. I'm just warning you about this upfront.
2. No ending. There is no ultra secret ending; it's all an over-hyped disgrace. You have a door that requires at least one hundred power cells to open it. You literally go from that you-know-what-hot-place and back to get one hundred of those stinking power cells only for a white light that the characters awe over. You never even know what the white light belongs to! Don't bother completing the game one hundred percent for something better either. It doesn't work; that's all you get. This made me so Hoover Dam mad! They had absolutely no right to yank our chains like that.
3. Repetitious music. Even upon hearing it for the first time in years, I'm sick of it. It's okay at first; but even to begin with, the music could be better.
4. Various control quirks. Jak looks horrible when he's jumping (like some deranged bird trying to fly) and his double jump doesn't even work if you wait even half of a second too long. This leads to a lot of unnecessary deaths by falling. Also, camera controls are just awful; it can get pretty difficult when your camera is determined to stay in one angle, when you need it to go into another. This causes even more deaths by falling.
5. Hard and Frustrating. Remember all of those deaths by falling I mentioned earlier? You'll probably go through thousands of those as well as get lost a thousand times. Have a stress ball or pillow ready, or you may break your game through your urge to thrash it. Adding to this frustration, Daxter can occasionally be an annoyance (a cocky coward who's all talk).
6. Various glitches and somewhat poor level design. This, combined with Jak's terrible jumping ability, can make this game a complete nightmare. Look around online for more specifics on the glitches (thankfully, I don't think I've encountered many, if any) but trust me: they won't make your life easier.
7. Overused enemies. You pound a lot of the same creatures, even over the course of different areas.
Pros:
1. Beautiful graphics. nice, lush backgrounds pertaining to forests, beaches, caves, and towns. They use good graphics for lost cities, the citadel (which is like the final level), and labs too, but those can be a little repetitious. If you take a few minutes to watch the sky in a natural environment, you can watch the cycles of day and night with the sun, stars, and moon. Although it cycles slightly too quickly, I think that's the most impressive part of it. Oh, bear in mind these graphics are slightly cartoonish.
2. Decent plot. It's also very simple: Jak and his friend, Daxter, are exploring someplace the Green Sage told them not to go. While they are exploring, they find a pool of dark eco, a sinister and black element harmful to all creatures. After they find it, they are spotted by a villainous sentry which initiates a battle. Jak fight while Daxter hides behind him; but the force of Jak knocking out the sentry causes Daxter to fall in the dark eco. Daxter comes out, but soon realizes (and screams) over being transformed into a cute and furry little ottsel. They return to the Green Sage, who scolds them for going where he told them not to go. He's reluctant to help, eventually slipping the information that he can't help anyway: only the White Sage can help. Now, how and where do you find him? That's where the journey begins.
3. Comical/interesting characters. Most of the characters are funny. In the earlier stages of the game, Daxter will say something funny every time Jak passes out (gets defeated on land), even to the point of insinuating that Jak's breath smells. Also early in the game, the Green Sage scolds and screams at them like crazy; which is also funny. Sadly, at the later points of the game, these jokes go away making some of the characters seem serious and out of material (which isn't overwhelmingly) much). That doesn't mean there aren't any more interesting characters: Kiera, for example, is a female inventor of sorts that will make various crafts for you. You'll also bump into a sculptor looking for his muse and even a guy wearing a barrel. The sculptor and barrel wearing guy, however, are characters that can only be spoken to a limited number of times.
4. The fishing minigame is fun.
5. It's addictive at first.
Conclusion:
That's all I can really say. This game had the potential to be excellent, but it didn't quite hit the mark. Those with a lot of patience will enjoy it the most. Don't give it to younger children unless they're really skilled; or they won't enjoy it. You can buy it if you want a real challenge (that has quirks), or if something here really appeals to you; but other than that, there are better platformers out there.
Jak & Daxter
Date undefinedSeeing how the PS2 is a decade old now, it's easy to find discounted games that one may have missed out on when it was first released, as is the case with myself and the first entry into the Jak & Daxter series. Overall, The Precursor Legacy is a pretty good platformer with a few stumblings.
Keeping in mind the year when the game came out, the artwork is great - simple but great. Equally amusing is Jak's wisecracking sidekick Daxter, and in my opinion, the quirky one who adds a lot of the spice to the game that it has (Jak's kind of a wiener).
This isn't breaking any new ground: it's your basic platformer that has you running around areas, capturing items (Precursor orbs which look like huge Willy Wonka golden eggs), beating enemies, and the like. However, it is interesting to note the game's use of a "streamlined" saving system. Every time you find a Precursor orb, the game plays a short animation showing Daxter hilariously breakdancing, slam dunking the orb into Jak's backpack, etc. and during these approximately 6-sec cinematics, your game data is being saved in the background. I thought that was a nice touch that I've NEVER seen done in any game before.
My only problem was handling Jak in many of the later levels. Try implementing Jak's double jump in places where you absolutely need him to and you'll see what I mean. Some of the controls concerning Jak's movements are very unresponsive at times. I can't tell you how many times I literally looked down at my thumb poking hardly on the X button twice in a row to find Jak never once performed his double jump like he should have...or in other words, he'll do it as soon as you die and have to start all over again. This little quibble of a control issue will have you yelling expletives at the game more times than what you may actually remember when you finish the game. However, it seems like this issue was addressed in later sequels of the series.
You could probably beat the game in about 10 hours if you really just hammer it out but it always takes me a little longer with games because I like to explore and see if I can find hidden items; thus, it took me about 24 hours to complete, and once you start collecting the orbs and other items, you may be compelled to find more for rewards as I was.
If you're looking for an inexpensive joyride of a platformer, give it a try. I picked this one up between games as a no-brainer type of game just to relax and enjoy. Because of the quality of The Precursor Legacy, I'm definitely going to finish the other two games in the series.
Jak & Daxter
Date undefinedA simple, well-rounded game, this is one of the earlier titles for the PS2. It has excellent control, vibrant colors, beautiful scenery for each level, challenging gameplay, and it's not so difficult that it would require a serious gamer to make any real progress. Also, Daxter is pretty amusing at times and also serves as a pretty useful guide when you get stuck. This is a great deal!
