Jak and Daxter Collection

  Remember the abundance of mascot themed 3d platformers that seemed to engulf the landscape of the Playstation 2? There was Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, and Naughty Dog's own series “Jak and Daxter.” That's right, before they were working on Uncharted, Naughty Dog was buys spinning the tale of a elf boy and his little furry buddy. Well Sony hasn't forgotten about these cartoony adventures, and has just released an HD Collection of all three of the original Jak and Daxter games. Although I do have fond memories of playing the first Jak and Daxter game, I never actually played the sequels before. Let's take a look at each game individually to see how this HD collection stacks up. 

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

   

You know that feeling of excitement that you used to get when playing a light-hearted 3d platformer like Banjo Kazooie or Mario 64? Well Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy manages to maintain that level of excitement throughout the entirety of the adventure, while at the same time expanding on the ideas put forth in those earlier games.

   You play as Jak, a silent young boy who travels around with his bumbling friend Daxter. After disobeying the wishes of the local Sage and traveling to a dangerous island, Daxter is transformed into a little furry animal. In order to set things right, Jak and Daxter must set out and harness the power of Eco; an energy source that grants powers for those gifted enough to harness it. The rest of the game plays out as a simple platformer would, there is a late game introduction of villian, and you punch and kick a lot of dudes.

   The thing that sets Jak and Daxter apart from other games, is it's sprawling environments. While many 3d platformers of the time would limit you to a specific map or level, Jak and Daxter has something akin to an open world. You can attack each challenge in any order you wish, and there are almost no loading times. The hardware limitations of the ps2 never get in the way of the gameplay, and you are instead left to jump, kick, punch, and roll to your heart's content.

   

  This game looks fantastic. The vibrant colors and distinctive animation look only more impressive in their new high definition shell. You may find yourself audibly repeating “Wow this game looks so good.” The character movement is so fluid and expressive, that it really does look like an early Pixar film at times. The levels in Jak and Daxter are each unique and rich with color. The music is fantastic, subtly changing for each environment. The presentation is near perfect, with only a few issues like an occasionally weird draw distance, and some cringe worthy one liners from Daxter.

   

  The actual running and jumping feels great too. There are Precursor Orbs to collect, which act like currency; as well as Power Cells, which act as the equivalent of stars in Mario. The lack of vertical camera control takes a bit of getting used to, but the game's camera does a serviceable job of framing the character, so you will rarely have trouble getting around. Occasionally you will need to use different types of Eco to get past obstacles. The Eco powers consist of anything from running a bit faster, to the ability to use jump pads which toss you miles into the air. The combat is a little annoying sometimes, as you will find yourself unable to gauge the correct distance between enemies and your punch animation. Despite some flaws, the core gameplay in Jak and Daxter has aged miraculously well, and provides enough challenge and diversity to keep you excited throughout the game.

Number 1

  Despite a few hiccups here and there, Jak and Daxter is still fantastic, and is my favorite game in the collection. If you have any nostalgic memories of playing this game, then it is definitely worth your time. But if you didn't play the game during it's original release, this is a great way to experience one of the best games the Ps2 has to offer.

(AND THEN THERES JAK 2.)

Jak 2

   Depending on your sensibilities you either love or hate Jak 2. I happen to be in the camp of people who hate Jak 2. Actually I don't just hate Jak 2, I absolutely despise it. This is the game which radically changed the direction of the series for the worse. Naughty Dog took everything I loved about the original Jak and Daxter, and just threw it out the window. Jak 2 is a needlessly “dark and gritty” game which has almost no redeemable qualities whether it be in the gameplay or the presentation.

   The game picks up a little bit after the events of the first game. Jak and his ragtag group of friends are working on some precursor technology, when suddenly they are transported to a city from the distant future. Upon arrival Jak is escorted away by guards and tortured with dark Eco for two years. When Daxter finally rescues Jak it is apparent that something is definitely wrong. Jak now hulks out into “DARK JAK” when he gets angry. Oh also Jak now talks. Oh also Jak now gets a gun. Oh also Jak now gets a skateboard. Oh also the Jak steals space cars to get around. Oh also the city is a dank and depressing shade of brown and grey. Oh also Daxter has a busty love interest. Well after Jak escapes it's up to him to find his friends and murder his kidnappers. TADA! Welcome to Haven City, Jak's new grand theft auto inspired playground.

   While the initial shock of such a drastic change in the series may rock you at your core, it's worth a try right? It can't be that bad? Well I have bad news for you, it's terrible. Aside from the brilliantly animated characters, everything you enjoyed about the first game is gone. Sure there are a bunch of new characters added to the mix, but they are all poorly written and unlikeable. Jak isn't really a peach himself, those two years of torture must have contorted his mind in such a way that he is only able to speak in cliches. Jak's first words are indicative of the new direction of the series, “I'm going to kill Praxis!” Yes you are you big ball of teen angst. The story is ultimately forgettable and immature. It feels as if someone at Naughty Dog was channeling what they thought high school jocks would find “BADASS!” As a result, most of the dialogue just seems really immature.

   

  All of the story problems, while not acceptable at all, would be easy to deal with if the core gameplay was still as fun as it's predecessor. It's not. You travel around this bland city, shooting guards and stealing flying cars. Sounds good in theory, I mean Grand Theft Auto is fantastic. However, the shooting mechanics are really terrible. You don't actually ever aim your gun, you just kind of move your character in the general direction of a foe, and hope that the auto aim system manages to recognize what you want to do. It feels sloppy, and I never once found it to be a fun addition. Plus enemies will end up swarming you a lot, and you don't have the ability to accurately deal with the situation. The driving feels floaty and misguided. Although the city is barren in terms of things to do, it's filled to capacity with other cars and civilians. There is literally no way to travel without attracting the attention of the guards, as you will simply smash into everything you see. It's tedious especially since most of your objectives will be located on the opposite side of the city, and escaping the guards seems to only happen on random occasions.

   

  Then there is the addition of the “hover board” and the mini-games such as racing. Jak gets a SIK NEW BOARD THAT HE CAN DO TRICKS ON LIKE TONY HAWK. Except unlike Tony Hawk, Jak's skateboard is unresponsive and just not fun to use. You can opt to use it around town, but it's so slow, and you fall off of your board if you even brush another character. There are also some other mini games like racing, whack-a-mole, and a Dance Dance Revolution like game of matching button presses. None of these are fun. They are poorly executed, and excruciatingly difficult. Oh and also they are main story missions. Just defeat a huge boss? Now you have to play his whack-a-mole game for some reason. God I hate this game.
   Despite all of it's other flaws, the biggest problem with Jak 2 is it's checkpoints. The game is brutally difficult, but in an artificial sort of way. You will find yourself playing for long periods of time, then you will perhaps fall off of a ledge. Well sorry, we could start you back where you died, but instead we are just going to waste your time and make you start at the beginning of the level. One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to games, is having to repeat the same task over and over and over again. Well Jak 2 is perhaps one of the most outspoken sinners as it seems to bask in it's repulsiveness. Hey we realize you just died because of the camera, or the fact that enemies will knock you back five feet if they so much as breathe on you, or the fact that you needed to grind this rail on your skateboard but it's completely unresponsive, but you know what Champ? Tough.

   Overall Jak 2 is absolutely terrible. It's not the worst thing I've ever played, but it's up there. If you have any good memories of playing this game, I implore you to simply leave them alone. Do not revisit this game, as everything about it is as appealing as a fiery stick in your eye. I don't care for this game. 

PLEASE DON'T LEAVE! DESPITE JAK 2, THERE MAY STILL BE REASON FOR YOU TO PLAY THIS COLLECTION!

Jak 3

 

After the abysmal showing that was Jak 2, my hopes going into Jak 3 were none too high. Jak 2 was originally released in 2003, and Jak 3 was released in 2004. Just from that, you could perhaps jump to the conclusion that Jak 3 was simply rushed to market. However, Jak 3 manages to fix a lot of my problems with Jak 2 and actually works. If I had my way Jak 2 would be deleted, and the opening of Jak 3 would begin with Jak back on the island waking up from a horrible dream. But apparently people actually liked Jak 2? Naughty Dog does a surprisingly good job of mixing what people liked about the first two games, into something that everyone can appreciate.

   

  The game picks up after the events of Jak 2 and Jak has been kicked out of the city. I guess you should play through Jak 2 just to see what has led up to this point? You could probably just look it up though. Anyway, Jak and Daxter have been thrown into the desert. It's not looking good for the pair, but they are picked up by a bunch of “Outlanders.” Something bad is going on though, as dark technology starts to fall from the sky. Jak has to balance being an outsider, and investigating the on going war back in Haven city. The story is a bit more predictable, lot shorter than Jak 2, but it never outstays it's welcome. The voice acting and characters can still be a little cheesy, but the overall production value is greatly improved since Jak 2. Everything wraps up really nicely, and somehow managed to leave me feeling alright about the series as a whole. The game feels like it has genuinely matured since the last game. If Jak and Daxter was an infant, and Jak 2 was an angsty teen, then Jak 3 is definitely a well adjusted adult. 

   The gameplay and setting has matured as well. The game is an open world again, but there are less obstacles to get in your way of enjoying the game. The city is less populated which is actually for the best, as it allows you to easily navigate the streets without constantly bumping into somehow. The driving also feels a lot better. Sure it's still a little stiff, but it's greatly improved. It's a good thing the driving is improved, as Jak 3 takes a larger focus on vehicle missions. Whether you're driving your awesome jumping car out in the desert, or racing against monks on the back of a giant bird, you feel like you are in more control. The hover board is back, and it still sucks, but less so. The grinding actually works this time, and makes for a better experience.

 

   The desert environment is fantastic. It's easy to see where Naughty Dog tested their skills with sand. The sand looks great, and riding around shooting marauders is always exhilarating. The game dips a bit when you find yourself back in Haven city, but overall the settings are much nicer to look at, and live in.

   There is still some platforming to be found. Jak now has both light and dark eco powers. Some of these new powers include the ability to heal yourself, as well as the nifty power of flight. The shooting is still there, and yeah it's still average, but the new gun powers help even the odds against the unrelenting enemies. Sometimes you even get to play as Daxter, which really helps diversify the action. 

   The entire package is just a lot better. It seems more polished, and it's just fun as a result. While I still prefer the first game's aesthetics, Jak 3 does a pretty good job of saving the series from mediocrity.

   Overall I don't know if I would totally recommend this collection of games. Sure the first game is fantastic, but the other two are a mixed bag. Jak 2 is an absolute abomination, and Jak 3 is alright. It all depends on the type of person you are. If you can look past some of the flaws, there is definitely some entertainment value here. My one recommendation would be to perhaps take a break in between titles. 

So that's that. Today is e3 so I'm off to watch press conferences because I am a crazy person. Stay safe. Hey if you know someone who would like this, why not show them?