I missed out on a lot of platformers after the fifth generation of video game consoles. Never owned a PlayStation 2 at the time. Thus, IP's such as Sly and Ratchet alongside a certain J. series. Were some franchises I never played. In order to rectify such a mistake. I decided to play another Naughty Dog(ND) platformer except in a 3D open-world environment. with Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy for the first time.
Gone are the restricted side-scrolling segments we were forced to endure in Crash Bandicoot 1 and disconnected world through warping in 2 and 3. Jak feels like a natural evolution from the studio's PS1 days and wickedly refreshing with a narrative starting with an act of disobedience. Against the elders' warnings, the protagonists travel to a forbidden island. There the two witness mysterious figures who are sinisterly planning some horrible deed using dark eco and precursor artifacts. Knowing this is well above their usual tomfoolery the duo try to leave. However, before sneakily trying to leave the island... they were ambushed! The events that follow from here have the titular characters embark on a vital quest to fulfill for the elder, any side-missions to complete, and uncover what dastardly plans those two figures were plotting.
The world design is richly goofy. But has a certain serious aesthetic I like. To the extent I was venturing off the beaten path considerably to see what secrets lay in store for me. I bravely ventured into a diverse amount of biomes: A jungle with an old ruin, murky swamp, underwater laboratory, volcano with a spider-cavern, and a snowy peak, with huge snowballs rolling down a path to riding a hoverbike on racing segments and one larger zone to go ham. Reminded me heavily of Spyro using a skateboard. Seems ND was a fan of that and devised their take on a particular basin. Battled a wide assortment of foes from goofy but deadly frogs, drill enemies, shield dudes, not cute at all blue jumping rabbits, long centipedes, and the good old regular animals, but naughty dogified in every biome. Worms, bats, spiders, rats. You name it! Sooner or later they shall appear! Heck faced quite a bit of environmental hazards from falling to my death, being shot by smog, lava deaths, or shocked to a crisp. Not quite quicksand but quickmud. Encountered spiked traps, and spiked logs swaying from trees, and overcame countless jumping sections within. Not too hard and not too easy thankfully. Didn’t see much if any copy paste from the enemy design or world design. Everything was consistently varied and the final zone itself proved a serviceable final act.
Concerning the gameplay loop. I would say it’s consistently fun from the beginning until the very end credits. The open world without any loading aside from using fast travel when you need to is a plus. Allowing anyone to venture as far as they can within reason. The plot will stop you from venturing further until you accrue enough power cells. A collectible item and usually one that stops you from exploring more biomes until they reach a certain number. Didn’t have trouble getting these since I was already forgetting about the main quest to complete some side missions offered by NPCs here. Individuals who look similar to J-man. Although, he doesn’t look like a regular human. To me, he seems like a cross between a mad scientist trying to combine an elf and a human resulting in a humanoid with long ears and inheriting an athletic body to boot. Tasks can range from moving bulls into a pen, pushing an egg, doing a favor for a future mayor, or a fishing dude in a mini-game. I enjoyed finishing these day-to-day jobs since a majority are elderly. Didn’t feel right to leave them to their struggle. And I didn’t mind giving a helping hand for a power cell after the job was done. Thus, my reward felt adequate for my services rendered. Aside from the cells, you can also come across other collectible precursor orbs. Think of these like the apples from the Crash series you’ll often find on the paths, tucked away around the corner, nooks or crannies. Except, you can amass over a hundred to trade them in for a cell. Additionally, scout flies are in special boxes you need to slam into to release the flies. Gather seven of these spread throughout any major level to be awarded a cell. Kinda thankful they're here, so the player doesn’t amass orbs all day ya know?
Furthermore, the world has a varied amount of colored eco. These differ from absorbing orbs changing the gameplay formula in fun ways. They're a temporary power-up granting our main characters a wide array of elemental passives. Blue charges our dudes to move faster, jump a bit farther, and make it so easier to absorb collectibles nearby like a magnet. Red strengthens attacks and invincibility against exploding crates. Plus, a nice interactivity emerges when enemies die. Leaving off green residue for their remains. Once we accrue enough scraps, up to fifty to restore a ⅓ of our health points. In total, we have three health bars. And no finite life stacks to keep track of. Die and you respawn at a nearby point of a large level. Didn’t find too much trouble with re-spawning. They were fine for me. And the inclusion of colored eco’s is gratifying to add spice to the experience. An extra edge in both combat and traversal.
Usually, platformers(broadly speaking) offer some enticing gameplay to differentiate themselves from others in the same genre. To various degrees of enjoyment. Have you noticed other games conduct themselves around their mechanics through level design, encounter's and etc. Below are several examples I pulled from my limited experience in the genre.
- Ape Escape using the analog stick ingeniously. Left stick for movement. Right stick for your gadgets.
- Trine used the stick to coordinate with your allies. The thief can shoot a bow & arrow and a grapple hook in any possible direction when applicable, the knight can block enemies with his shield in any direction, and the wizard can conjure different objects by drawing to help them overcome obstacles or fall on unsuspecting enemies.
- Super Mario 64’s long jump, triple jump, wall jump combined with grabbing, kicking, running, swimming, crouching and etc. proved to be a simple, yet effective formula to endorse player freedom in the whole world.
- Pac-Man World’s shift from the classic game into a 3D landscape works oh so well. Heck P-man can interact with objects, solve puzzles and use new abilities!
- Spyro & Crash's basic movesets were frequently used and tested in various large levels from a hub to straightforward linear segments. Overcoming multiple obstacles both vertical and horizontal. Calling back once again if it ain't broke, don't fix it with sequels largely staying true to the same moves.
- Mirror's Edge smooth parkour capabilities lends itself well into the whole level design employing minimal visual aid to your destination.
Aside from the slew of other platformers. And returning back to Jak. Story-wise I felt the narrative had a stop-and-go momentum. Perhaps owing to the fact, that I completed sidequests along the way while not truly investing in the adventure, making the pacing slow to a crawl. However, the beats in the narrative were like a slow burn in a good way. I think this could be intentional to convey an absence of agency from an immediate save-the-world aspect vs. uncovering a devious plot. Allowing player freedom vs. player urgency to flourish for the former rather than the latter. As someone who adores freedom a great deal in games, such an aspect appealed to me greatly. I don’t like being rushed. Therefore Jak 1 succeeds at least for me in creating a freshly wacky fun world to navigate and a decent story. Unreasonable to expect a masterpiece in the first entry of a new franchise. However, the attempt to do so is noteworthy.
As someone familiar with several PS1 games in the same genre. Although, not an expert or veteran, I was pleasantly surprised how Naughty Dog did not regress in the sixth console generation and boldly made a new IP direction to positive acclaim. Back in the day, I felt plenty of rigidness in their earlier works in how levels were constructed and punishing in a way. Jumping on scaffolding, but hold up we got countless traps, and obstacles to drop us dead. Sure I could use Aku-Aku help, but hey it sucks having to redo a segment ‘x’ amount of times. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Crash series to the point I replayed them in the remastered trilogy. By comparison, Precursor Legacy in my opinion eliminates the rigidity in favoring a more open-freedom in gameplay and combat. The power to go anywhere you physically can is a compelling motivation to fulfill a wanderlust. Exploring what is on the horizon and saying “Oh I can go there.” Busting my athletic skills to their limit. Fluidity at work too. Where I didn’t experience much clunkiness from controlling J & D as one character. Weighty animations from his spin-to-win moves felt satisfying. The long almost Falcon punch from a select Nintendo IP has an immensely awesome feel to wham enemies. Uppercutting and ground slams extend the combat capability of our heroes. Blessing us, a nice reactivity to enemies dying.
Concerning my feelings on platforming. I was initially apprehensive due to the fact I am super horrible at managing timing, and the right jump distance, and easily frustrated if I have to restart a whole level after almost completing a dungeon/level. So after seeing the end credits and witnessing the 100% mark. I couldn’t believe I had the patience and perseverance to keep going. Perhaps owing to the fact the re-spawning mechanic and save system felt very generous, not punishing with ease to let players keep trying. The former mechanic felt quick and would make the duo spawn near the start of a level or a certain point within a zone. Usually after overcoming a major obstacle. The latter on the system feels very safe. In addition to saving at any time. Whenever our main character receives a cell, an autosave will occur. Considering there are over a hundred of these to collect I didn’t find much trouble losing progress upon dying or returning to the original point of death.
I usually die plenty in the Bandicoot games far more in the first and second. Consequently, I was holding my breath and mentally strengthening my willpower if I encountered similar levels of difficulty. To my sheer delight, most if not all platforming levels, sections, and areas are relatively easy to medium in challenging. Some examples I came across were: jumping on dais floating above water and above in mountainous regions. Sometimes moving while the water below is filled with electricity. Falling and rotating in some respects. Camera shifting to a traditional side-scrolling segment. Navigating through falling debris, snowballs, and slides while avoiding exploding crates. Maneuvering through a section to unlock switches, and levers and thus unlocking a new path. Add in timers to complete a task and you may have to think of an optimal route to beat the clock. Trick players into venturing into a dark room and force them to utilize unconventional crystal lights to persevere. Combine these elements in a lesser manner during riding segments and you have a recipe that tastes better as you eat more of the dish. With an excellent difficulty curve for beginners and a nice incline for enthusiasts looking for a challenge to master every level by acquiring everything.
Despite the praise I’ve been sprouting, I do have some mixed feelings. Not a positive or a negative, but some concerns I had during my playthrough I think should be important to note.
In the beginning, I had trouble adjusting to the inverted controls for the camera. But, ultimately got used to the control scheme as an hour or two passed. I felt meaningful collectibles were lacking in rewards. Could be a better incentive to introduce various extensions to temporary powers, permanent move sets, or classic increasing the player with more health would work wonders. Furthermore, I think having a timer for different eco uses is weird. I had to rush constantly to gather new types to utilize during combat. I propose a different alternative. Make the gathered amounts a stock type. Depleting when in use and able to switch between different types when the situation calls for it. Also, I didn’t know there was a secret ending upon gathering everything possible only to reveal a pretty underwhelming scene in the end. Therefore, going for 100% can be a chore in some respects since the collecting aspect doesn't seem to affect the overall gameplay by rewarding the player to search for them. Lastly, the game has a weird texture pop-in. Some textures in the far distance have muddy paint adorned. But upon closer inspection would magically reveal the appropriate textures. And I couldn’t help but feel the game dipped at times. Wonder if there is a definitive version out there to play the series… Well lo and behold OpenGOAL does. A fanmade PC port to play the series with higher fidelity. Currently, at the time this review was published, the team is working on Jak II. Here’s a comparison video I. Am. Amazed. At the difference in quality. While internally slapping myself why I didn’t start the first game with OG’s version. As a result, I recommend checking out the version differences from PS2, PS3, PS4, and unofficial PC port. And select the best one depending on your preference.
Ultimately, despite some minor mixed feelings I had. The overwhelming positives outweigh the concerns by a great deal. Jak’s seamless goofy yet serious, open world is a refreshing 3D experience without being too difficult and not too easy to deter newcomers and veterans. Resulting in a nice curve of challenge in approaching cool-level design. A solid fun gameplay loop kept my interest for a long while and doesn’t overstay their welcome by having enough of their own identity. Distinct from the Bandicoot days. Temporary elemental passives provide a nice spice to the movesets and offer interesting resolutions to tackle both enemies and obstacles. A decent story with a great sense of freedom brings a bright smile to my face constantly. Bringing relief with a generous save system and a painless re-spawn mechanic. Heck, your ottsel companion will incentivize the player upon dying with various quotes. “Don't worry, I'll avenge you! Not...!” “Hey, Jak! Can I, uh... have your insect collection?” Yeah… Oddly motivating.
Still for what it's worth I enjoyed my playthrough with the first installment. Chuckling in amusement at times at the silly things our heroes undergo. I'm looking forward to what awaits me in the franchise. Maybe I’ll dive into Daxter or Jak II next! Anyways! If you’re looking for an excellent platformer from the PS2 days. I recommend Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Watch how a young foolish duo starts their adventure with an act of disobedience. Tsk tsk. What a naughty d-
8.2/10
References & Additional Material:
Jak and Daxter - PS2 vs PS3 vs OpenGOAL Graphics Comparison
Jak & Daxter PS4 VS PS3 VS Vita VS PS2
Fifth generation of video game consoles
OpenGOAL Jak Project
Gone are the restricted side-scrolling segments we were forced to endure in Crash Bandicoot 1 and disconnected world through warping in 2 and 3. Jak feels like a natural evolution from the studio's PS1 days and wickedly refreshing with a narrative starting with an act of disobedience. Against the elders' warnings, the protagonists travel to a forbidden island. There the two witness mysterious figures who are sinisterly planning some horrible deed using dark eco and precursor artifacts. Knowing this is well above their usual tomfoolery the duo try to leave. However, before sneakily trying to leave the island... they were ambushed! The events that follow from here have the titular characters embark on a vital quest to fulfill for the elder, any side-missions to complete, and uncover what dastardly plans those two figures were plotting.
The world design is richly goofy. But has a certain serious aesthetic I like. To the extent I was venturing off the beaten path considerably to see what secrets lay in store for me. I bravely ventured into a diverse amount of biomes: A jungle with an old ruin, murky swamp, underwater laboratory, volcano with a spider-cavern, and a snowy peak, with huge snowballs rolling down a path to riding a hoverbike on racing segments and one larger zone to go ham. Reminded me heavily of Spyro using a skateboard. Seems ND was a fan of that and devised their take on a particular basin. Battled a wide assortment of foes from goofy but deadly frogs, drill enemies, shield dudes, not cute at all blue jumping rabbits, long centipedes, and the good old regular animals, but naughty dogified in every biome. Worms, bats, spiders, rats. You name it! Sooner or later they shall appear! Heck faced quite a bit of environmental hazards from falling to my death, being shot by smog, lava deaths, or shocked to a crisp. Not quite quicksand but quickmud. Encountered spiked traps, and spiked logs swaying from trees, and overcame countless jumping sections within. Not too hard and not too easy thankfully. Didn’t see much if any copy paste from the enemy design or world design. Everything was consistently varied and the final zone itself proved a serviceable final act.
Concerning the gameplay loop. I would say it’s consistently fun from the beginning until the very end credits. The open world without any loading aside from using fast travel when you need to is a plus. Allowing anyone to venture as far as they can within reason. The plot will stop you from venturing further until you accrue enough power cells. A collectible item and usually one that stops you from exploring more biomes until they reach a certain number. Didn’t have trouble getting these since I was already forgetting about the main quest to complete some side missions offered by NPCs here. Individuals who look similar to J-man. Although, he doesn’t look like a regular human. To me, he seems like a cross between a mad scientist trying to combine an elf and a human resulting in a humanoid with long ears and inheriting an athletic body to boot. Tasks can range from moving bulls into a pen, pushing an egg, doing a favor for a future mayor, or a fishing dude in a mini-game. I enjoyed finishing these day-to-day jobs since a majority are elderly. Didn’t feel right to leave them to their struggle. And I didn’t mind giving a helping hand for a power cell after the job was done. Thus, my reward felt adequate for my services rendered. Aside from the cells, you can also come across other collectible precursor orbs. Think of these like the apples from the Crash series you’ll often find on the paths, tucked away around the corner, nooks or crannies. Except, you can amass over a hundred to trade them in for a cell. Additionally, scout flies are in special boxes you need to slam into to release the flies. Gather seven of these spread throughout any major level to be awarded a cell. Kinda thankful they're here, so the player doesn’t amass orbs all day ya know?
Furthermore, the world has a varied amount of colored eco. These differ from absorbing orbs changing the gameplay formula in fun ways. They're a temporary power-up granting our main characters a wide array of elemental passives. Blue charges our dudes to move faster, jump a bit farther, and make it so easier to absorb collectibles nearby like a magnet. Red strengthens attacks and invincibility against exploding crates. Plus, a nice interactivity emerges when enemies die. Leaving off green residue for their remains. Once we accrue enough scraps, up to fifty to restore a ⅓ of our health points. In total, we have three health bars. And no finite life stacks to keep track of. Die and you respawn at a nearby point of a large level. Didn’t find too much trouble with re-spawning. They were fine for me. And the inclusion of colored eco’s is gratifying to add spice to the experience. An extra edge in both combat and traversal.
Usually, platformers(broadly speaking) offer some enticing gameplay to differentiate themselves from others in the same genre. To various degrees of enjoyment. Have you noticed other games conduct themselves around their mechanics through level design, encounter's and etc. Below are several examples I pulled from my limited experience in the genre.
- Ape Escape using the analog stick ingeniously. Left stick for movement. Right stick for your gadgets.
- Trine used the stick to coordinate with your allies. The thief can shoot a bow & arrow and a grapple hook in any possible direction when applicable, the knight can block enemies with his shield in any direction, and the wizard can conjure different objects by drawing to help them overcome obstacles or fall on unsuspecting enemies.
- Super Mario 64’s long jump, triple jump, wall jump combined with grabbing, kicking, running, swimming, crouching and etc. proved to be a simple, yet effective formula to endorse player freedom in the whole world.
- Pac-Man World’s shift from the classic game into a 3D landscape works oh so well. Heck P-man can interact with objects, solve puzzles and use new abilities!
- Spyro & Crash's basic movesets were frequently used and tested in various large levels from a hub to straightforward linear segments. Overcoming multiple obstacles both vertical and horizontal. Calling back once again if it ain't broke, don't fix it with sequels largely staying true to the same moves.
- Mirror's Edge smooth parkour capabilities lends itself well into the whole level design employing minimal visual aid to your destination.
Aside from the slew of other platformers. And returning back to Jak. Story-wise I felt the narrative had a stop-and-go momentum. Perhaps owing to the fact, that I completed sidequests along the way while not truly investing in the adventure, making the pacing slow to a crawl. However, the beats in the narrative were like a slow burn in a good way. I think this could be intentional to convey an absence of agency from an immediate save-the-world aspect vs. uncovering a devious plot. Allowing player freedom vs. player urgency to flourish for the former rather than the latter. As someone who adores freedom a great deal in games, such an aspect appealed to me greatly. I don’t like being rushed. Therefore Jak 1 succeeds at least for me in creating a freshly wacky fun world to navigate and a decent story. Unreasonable to expect a masterpiece in the first entry of a new franchise. However, the attempt to do so is noteworthy.
As someone familiar with several PS1 games in the same genre. Although, not an expert or veteran, I was pleasantly surprised how Naughty Dog did not regress in the sixth console generation and boldly made a new IP direction to positive acclaim. Back in the day, I felt plenty of rigidness in their earlier works in how levels were constructed and punishing in a way. Jumping on scaffolding, but hold up we got countless traps, and obstacles to drop us dead. Sure I could use Aku-Aku help, but hey it sucks having to redo a segment ‘x’ amount of times. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Crash series to the point I replayed them in the remastered trilogy. By comparison, Precursor Legacy in my opinion eliminates the rigidity in favoring a more open-freedom in gameplay and combat. The power to go anywhere you physically can is a compelling motivation to fulfill a wanderlust. Exploring what is on the horizon and saying “Oh I can go there.” Busting my athletic skills to their limit. Fluidity at work too. Where I didn’t experience much clunkiness from controlling J & D as one character. Weighty animations from his spin-to-win moves felt satisfying. The long almost Falcon punch from a select Nintendo IP has an immensely awesome feel to wham enemies. Uppercutting and ground slams extend the combat capability of our heroes. Blessing us, a nice reactivity to enemies dying.
Concerning my feelings on platforming. I was initially apprehensive due to the fact I am super horrible at managing timing, and the right jump distance, and easily frustrated if I have to restart a whole level after almost completing a dungeon/level. So after seeing the end credits and witnessing the 100% mark. I couldn’t believe I had the patience and perseverance to keep going. Perhaps owing to the fact the re-spawning mechanic and save system felt very generous, not punishing with ease to let players keep trying. The former mechanic felt quick and would make the duo spawn near the start of a level or a certain point within a zone. Usually after overcoming a major obstacle. The latter on the system feels very safe. In addition to saving at any time. Whenever our main character receives a cell, an autosave will occur. Considering there are over a hundred of these to collect I didn’t find much trouble losing progress upon dying or returning to the original point of death.
I usually die plenty in the Bandicoot games far more in the first and second. Consequently, I was holding my breath and mentally strengthening my willpower if I encountered similar levels of difficulty. To my sheer delight, most if not all platforming levels, sections, and areas are relatively easy to medium in challenging. Some examples I came across were: jumping on dais floating above water and above in mountainous regions. Sometimes moving while the water below is filled with electricity. Falling and rotating in some respects. Camera shifting to a traditional side-scrolling segment. Navigating through falling debris, snowballs, and slides while avoiding exploding crates. Maneuvering through a section to unlock switches, and levers and thus unlocking a new path. Add in timers to complete a task and you may have to think of an optimal route to beat the clock. Trick players into venturing into a dark room and force them to utilize unconventional crystal lights to persevere. Combine these elements in a lesser manner during riding segments and you have a recipe that tastes better as you eat more of the dish. With an excellent difficulty curve for beginners and a nice incline for enthusiasts looking for a challenge to master every level by acquiring everything.
Despite the praise I’ve been sprouting, I do have some mixed feelings. Not a positive or a negative, but some concerns I had during my playthrough I think should be important to note.
In the beginning, I had trouble adjusting to the inverted controls for the camera. But, ultimately got used to the control scheme as an hour or two passed. I felt meaningful collectibles were lacking in rewards. Could be a better incentive to introduce various extensions to temporary powers, permanent move sets, or classic increasing the player with more health would work wonders. Furthermore, I think having a timer for different eco uses is weird. I had to rush constantly to gather new types to utilize during combat. I propose a different alternative. Make the gathered amounts a stock type. Depleting when in use and able to switch between different types when the situation calls for it. Also, I didn’t know there was a secret ending upon gathering everything possible only to reveal a pretty underwhelming scene in the end. Therefore, going for 100% can be a chore in some respects since the collecting aspect doesn't seem to affect the overall gameplay by rewarding the player to search for them. Lastly, the game has a weird texture pop-in. Some textures in the far distance have muddy paint adorned. But upon closer inspection would magically reveal the appropriate textures. And I couldn’t help but feel the game dipped at times. Wonder if there is a definitive version out there to play the series… Well lo and behold OpenGOAL does. A fanmade PC port to play the series with higher fidelity. Currently, at the time this review was published, the team is working on Jak II. Here’s a comparison video I. Am. Amazed. At the difference in quality. While internally slapping myself why I didn’t start the first game with OG’s version. As a result, I recommend checking out the version differences from PS2, PS3, PS4, and unofficial PC port. And select the best one depending on your preference.
Ultimately, despite some minor mixed feelings I had. The overwhelming positives outweigh the concerns by a great deal. Jak’s seamless goofy yet serious, open world is a refreshing 3D experience without being too difficult and not too easy to deter newcomers and veterans. Resulting in a nice curve of challenge in approaching cool-level design. A solid fun gameplay loop kept my interest for a long while and doesn’t overstay their welcome by having enough of their own identity. Distinct from the Bandicoot days. Temporary elemental passives provide a nice spice to the movesets and offer interesting resolutions to tackle both enemies and obstacles. A decent story with a great sense of freedom brings a bright smile to my face constantly. Bringing relief with a generous save system and a painless re-spawn mechanic. Heck, your ottsel companion will incentivize the player upon dying with various quotes. “Don't worry, I'll avenge you! Not...!” “Hey, Jak! Can I, uh... have your insect collection?” Yeah… Oddly motivating.
Still for what it's worth I enjoyed my playthrough with the first installment. Chuckling in amusement at times at the silly things our heroes undergo. I'm looking forward to what awaits me in the franchise. Maybe I’ll dive into Daxter or Jak II next! Anyways! If you’re looking for an excellent platformer from the PS2 days. I recommend Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Watch how a young foolish duo starts their adventure with an act of disobedience. Tsk tsk. What a naughty d-
8.2/10
References & Additional Material:
Jak and Daxter - PS2 vs PS3 vs OpenGOAL Graphics Comparison
Jak & Daxter PS4 VS PS3 VS Vita VS PS2
Fifth generation of video game consoles
OpenGOAL Jak Project
i played this game in high school wayy after the early 2000s. this game harkons back to an easy, simple time that felt so good and chill. an old friend recommended it and i was like sure i was gonna play this alongside ratchet and clank a game i watched my brother play long ago. i love jak and daxter, i was taken to a world that made touching grass feel good, smooth as butter character movement, large and breathable environments that were fun to jump around in. everything about this was so nostalgic despite me never playing it nor ever seeing it. well my cousins had jak 3 but that was incredibly vague from my perspective. this was my mario 64, where it was great to go nuts like a monkey, playing with the physics of your character. not to mention the ost oh my god its so g o o d (in the atmospheric department that is) this game is just neat and thats all it needs to be. also its probably the first game i bothered to 100%. this was one of the last games i played before i techincally became an adult which is symbolic considering what the future games meant after this
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk rachei demais jogando isso aqui pq fiquei imaginando o meme do wojak mas com um "CARA, NÃO TEM LOADING" toda hora, pq como eles criaram essa ilusão é muito simples e pegou td mundo. mas não deixa de ser MANEIRÍSSIMO.
novamente, uma das minhas principais lutas nos videogames é mostrar pras pessoas que uma das coisas mais importantes de um jogo é a VIBE, meu parceiro. você precisa ser fiel à vibe. ela é fundamental e não pode ser quebrada. os jogos de plataforma 3D antigos sempre acertaram nisso e esse aqui não é diferente. it's all about the feels bro...
que deus abençoe a Naughty dog pré-Druckmann e que pelo amor de tudo que é mais sagrado: não façam um remake desse jogo.
novamente, uma das minhas principais lutas nos videogames é mostrar pras pessoas que uma das coisas mais importantes de um jogo é a VIBE, meu parceiro. você precisa ser fiel à vibe. ela é fundamental e não pode ser quebrada. os jogos de plataforma 3D antigos sempre acertaram nisso e esse aqui não é diferente. it's all about the feels bro...
que deus abençoe a Naughty dog pré-Druckmann e que pelo amor de tudo que é mais sagrado: não façam um remake desse jogo.
Minus some of the growing pains that comes with making a brand new setting and characters this is still one of the best platformers on the PS2. Naughty Dog pushed the PS1 with Crash and they pushed the PS2 with Jak, on launch too. How shameful is it that every official rerelease from Sony can be best descriped as pure piss but a team of fans managd to make a flawless PC Port for free ?
I think I played this game at the wrong age cuz it was one of thr biggest contributors and cultivators of my supremely irrational fear of the ocean. To this day my dreams still treat any body of water like Im going "out of bounds".
There was a Naughty Dog employee who had a funny concept of Daxter racing the loading bar between every zone, this person got properly sacked from his job after pitching such an idiotic idea (source: trust me bro); Jak and Daxter doesn't care about wasting the players' time with trivial things such as loading screens, when it throws in a cutscene it goes "it's ok you can skip" unlike its contemporary Ratchet & Clank, except you're not going to because they're charming as hell revealing snippets of this mystical world. The music is somewhere in the background quietly jamming, doing its thing so it doesn't overshadow the main dish; the game never explains this but Jak is an acrobat master with flips and rolls that would make the Souls protagonists blush (especially the adaptability fool), Daxter seems like a gimmick that would get annoying quick but gives some funny lines and helpful advice every time you're stuck. The whole time I kept waiting for the catch, that one moment that's kinda shit so I can dog on the game but it never came, it's just ~5 hours of pure platforming fun that refuses to overstay its welcome. Play the pc port (yes, look it up) and enjoy one of PS2's finest outings in its definitive form.
I am not the biggest fan of Collectathon games (don't dislike them, just not my cup of tea) but this game was the exception to that cup. Got 99% on the game because the world design was so well done that I wanted to explore every nook and cranny and the humor is also well done, found myself laughing out loud multiple times. I did feel like the jumping for a platformer was a bit of a miss... idk it just feels limited jumping on this game. This game does remind me of Crash Twinsanity, it made me a bit sad for that game since this awesome game could have easily been a Crash game, tho not to take credit away from this game since you get a completely different vibe from Jak and Daxter.
If there is any game similar to this (apart from the sequels) let me know!
If there is any game similar to this (apart from the sequels) let me know!
better than ANY 3d mario and ALMOST as good as Banjo Kazooie
El puto Diego de mierda va y me dice que los primeros niveles son pico mientras que los últimos son carbón y desde entonces no paro de verlo te voy a matar Silvers.
When people talk about the best PS2 games and not mention this I vomit on the inside
Just rolled credits, very fun, casual fun. But the final stages seriously kicked my butt and I felt like in a souls game.
This kicks off me revisiting a bunch of PS1 games on the Vita.
This kicks off me revisiting a bunch of PS1 games on the Vita.
Easily one of my favorite collectathons. Similar to Banjo in having more bite-sized worlds with lots to do in them. Bigger does not equal better when it comes to this genre!
Jak and Daxter were the foundation of what my 6 year old brain conceptualized as cool, and then with Jak II they taught me what badass was.
Mario 64 fez um sexo bem gostoso com Zelda OoT e Jak and Daxter 1 nasceu.
Eu pprt desgosto muito de 'collect-a-thon', mas Jak, Ratchet e Sly tem um lugar especial no meu coração e eu AMO jogar essas porras, principalmente por não parecer ser uma obrigação coletar as coisas e etc.
Jogasso do caralho, fiz 100% e nem me senti cansado fazendo isso.
Eu pprt desgosto muito de 'collect-a-thon', mas Jak, Ratchet e Sly tem um lugar especial no meu coração e eu AMO jogar essas porras, principalmente por não parecer ser uma obrigação coletar as coisas e etc.
Jogasso do caralho, fiz 100% e nem me senti cansado fazendo isso.
Really solid platformer and neat that the entire world is connected (even given some obvious loading zones). Very much the spiritual successor of the Rare-era collecta-thons (alongside Sly Cooper, also on the PS2), but the movement is really fluid and fun to play. Pretty much every area is attractive to look at and Daxter's commentary mostly doesn't get old.
PC version adds some much needed QoL improvement I already loved this game seeing it get much love through the fanbase makes me smile, One thing I picked up on this playthrough is how much I love the sound design I liked just chilling in the environments and taking in the world
also note: 4th replay of this game and still barely touched jak 2 it might be time
also note: 4th replay of this game and still barely touched jak 2 it might be time
yeah. im jaking off.
my dad walked in on me playing it and thought jak was goku
One of my favorite games of all time. To this day it's really the closest thing we've got to a proper Banjo-Kazooie styled game made after Rare stopped. What's great is they managed to not feel derivative despite the obvious influences. They put a lot of effort into making the game world feel like it had a lot of history, and was a land that was currently being lived in. Every level is perfectly sized. Feels big in scope but densely packed. And everything is truly physically connected. Huge mission variety unique to this game as well as genre staples done masterfully. Nailing variety without becoming sloppy and unfocused. The graphics and animation work are top notch and have held up extremely well. What they were able to pull off on the PS2 while also featuring NO loading screens is technical wizardry. Movement has an extremely high skill ceiling, as do level routes in speedrunning. A game that effortlessly grows with the player.
Never gets old, I've 100% this game on all 4 save files an obnoxious number of times. This game blew my mind as a kid and it's honestly no less impressive today. And the lore elements that got doubled down on in the sequel retroactively make this game's simple plot even cooler.
I wanna just babble on about how cool it all is but that's pretty much it, it's all amazing. 'Boutta drop a couple hundred on a PSVita just to play a version of this game with bad framerate and get all achievements in it for the 4th time.
Never gets old, I've 100% this game on all 4 save files an obnoxious number of times. This game blew my mind as a kid and it's honestly no less impressive today. And the lore elements that got doubled down on in the sequel retroactively make this game's simple plot even cooler.
I wanna just babble on about how cool it all is but that's pretty much it, it's all amazing. 'Boutta drop a couple hundred on a PSVita just to play a version of this game with bad framerate and get all achievements in it for the 4th time.
just really one if the best games ever made
This is still my favourite 3D platformer.
Only the graphics give away this game's age. The art direction, animation, and soundtrack all still feel amazingly fresh. Jak's moveset is larger than most platformer characters, with several moves that can be chained together, and mastering them creates much more efficient movement.
Though it does follow the typical collectathon formula for 3D platformers, every level is a blast to explore and full of delicious atmosphere, thanks to the superb use of colour and lighting, the excellent soundtrack, and how damn satisfying it is to collect precursor orbs and power cells.
Though Jak 2 and 3 have a place in my heart, their ambition led to them being very uneven experiences. This game follows the classic 3D platformer formula that has arguably been done to death at this point, but it's so masterfully executed that it doesn't feel derivative. It has definitely aged the best out of the Jak trilogy.
Only the graphics give away this game's age. The art direction, animation, and soundtrack all still feel amazingly fresh. Jak's moveset is larger than most platformer characters, with several moves that can be chained together, and mastering them creates much more efficient movement.
Though it does follow the typical collectathon formula for 3D platformers, every level is a blast to explore and full of delicious atmosphere, thanks to the superb use of colour and lighting, the excellent soundtrack, and how damn satisfying it is to collect precursor orbs and power cells.
Though Jak 2 and 3 have a place in my heart, their ambition led to them being very uneven experiences. This game follows the classic 3D platformer formula that has arguably been done to death at this point, but it's so masterfully executed that it doesn't feel derivative. It has definitely aged the best out of the Jak trilogy.
Do yourself a favor and play this game on PC via open goal, native port is amazing
I'm not a huge platform player, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I got stuck for a bit on the final level before the final boss. I wasn't expecting to like daxter as much as I did though. What a hoot.
good level design, great movement options even if they don't fuckn explain them to you - was probably more intuitive when you had the physical game booklet outline all the button combos you could do to get jak flipping the right way n shit.
there are a couple iffy bits i was straight up not a fan of - Volcanic Crater is apparently infamous for being a fucking terrible hub and the fact that you have to constantly go in and out of Volcanic Crater to Spider Cave or whatever is so fuckn shit. both of those levels suck ass. upper echelon of 3d platformer regardless
short too. 10 hour 100%. perfect. bite sized. we like that
there are a couple iffy bits i was straight up not a fan of - Volcanic Crater is apparently infamous for being a fucking terrible hub and the fact that you have to constantly go in and out of Volcanic Crater to Spider Cave or whatever is so fuckn shit. both of those levels suck ass. upper echelon of 3d platformer regardless
short too. 10 hour 100%. perfect. bite sized. we like that
I like this game a lot, this is a real 3d platformer unlike the sequels. I’m getting some Mario 64 vibes even though the level design lacks in comparison to other 3d adventures.
One of the games I played the most since I was about 7 years old.
Truly, Jak & Daxter is a game that contributed to make me understand that video games were definitly my favorite thing to do.
Truly, Jak & Daxter is a game that contributed to make me understand that video games were definitly my favorite thing to do.
What a wonderful platformer. It's so much fun to play and so simple. It's a classic for a reason. I love the visuals and setting, the characters and music breathe life into this world and exploring it is tons of fun.
Learned about the decomp project for this game: https://opengoal.dev/ and decided to replay it using that instead of PCSX2.
Beautiful, not-quite-meditative-but-still-serene platforming with a colorful world and cute characters. Appeals to me much more as an adult than it did as a kid (Jak 2 was child me's choice). I love Keira forever <3
Beautiful, not-quite-meditative-but-still-serene platforming with a colorful world and cute characters. Appeals to me much more as an adult than it did as a kid (Jak 2 was child me's choice). I love Keira forever <3
The "Jak and Daxter" series was one of my favorites as a kid. I played through all three multiple times, enjoying just about everything I could get out of them. And I'm happy to say that the first entry in the series still holds up pretty damn well.
The game is short, sweet, and a whole lot of fun. Its nice to play a game that I can 100% in under 8 hours. (Granted, I know where just about everything is, but still, I've come to enjoy short games like this as I get older). And the actual gameplay during those 8 hours was pretty nice too, albeit a bit clunky.
There's an occasional jump that feels off, a few times where I got hit when I was positive I should have been fine, and of course, the godforsaken camera that you sometimes have to violently force to work with you by entering the awkward first person mode. There are a bunch of little problems that really hold this game back sadly.
But the game makes up for that by being pretty darn easy combat wise and forgiving in terms of checkpoints. Most enemies only take one hit to kill like in the "Crash Bandicoot" series, so even if you have to fight with the controls, its usually pretty easy to work around them.
But what really stood out to me this time around was the animations. For a game from 2001, "Jak and Daxter" looks amazing! Sure, the models aren't that great, and the design of everything screams early PS2; but the amazingly smooth animations more than make up for that. The characters, despite being pretty one-note, felt so alive thanks to the way they all moved. Even if I got frustrated by a bad jump or an annoying hit, I could at least appreciate how fluid everything looked and felt.
Overall, a fun game from my childhood that I was happy to play again. I actually prefer "Jak II" the most, but this one still has a special place in my heart. Its short, fun, and full of energy. And in my opinion, this was Naughty Dog's best video game series by far. Its nice to look back and see what they used to make before the modern era.
The game is short, sweet, and a whole lot of fun. Its nice to play a game that I can 100% in under 8 hours. (Granted, I know where just about everything is, but still, I've come to enjoy short games like this as I get older). And the actual gameplay during those 8 hours was pretty nice too, albeit a bit clunky.
There's an occasional jump that feels off, a few times where I got hit when I was positive I should have been fine, and of course, the godforsaken camera that you sometimes have to violently force to work with you by entering the awkward first person mode. There are a bunch of little problems that really hold this game back sadly.
But the game makes up for that by being pretty darn easy combat wise and forgiving in terms of checkpoints. Most enemies only take one hit to kill like in the "Crash Bandicoot" series, so even if you have to fight with the controls, its usually pretty easy to work around them.
But what really stood out to me this time around was the animations. For a game from 2001, "Jak and Daxter" looks amazing! Sure, the models aren't that great, and the design of everything screams early PS2; but the amazingly smooth animations more than make up for that. The characters, despite being pretty one-note, felt so alive thanks to the way they all moved. Even if I got frustrated by a bad jump or an annoying hit, I could at least appreciate how fluid everything looked and felt.
Overall, a fun game from my childhood that I was happy to play again. I actually prefer "Jak II" the most, but this one still has a special place in my heart. Its short, fun, and full of energy. And in my opinion, this was Naughty Dog's best video game series by far. Its nice to look back and see what they used to make before the modern era.
I had this game as a child, I 100%'d this game as a child, multiple times over. It became something of an every-other-year ritual, having played it and platinumed every subsequent HD remaster or re-release, and they're all perfectly fine versions, but my most recent replay was on original hardware, using a cheap crappy scaler box. I 100%'d the game in two sessions, and this game's hold on me has never wavered in almost 22 years.
Is it as technically impressive as other first-party platformers for the PS2 like the Ratchet or Sly series, or even its two sequels? Certainly not. Does it have an amazing storyline? Not particularly, but it's a good story told with just the right amount of levity to make it feel like a great start to Jak's overall journey through the main trilogy, as well as a great standalone tale.
I understand it's by no means a perfect game and all, but it's still a meaningful game to me, and I can excuse some issues, like its nature as a collectathon meaning you can very easily find yourself trawling a single level multiple times over for a single fucking precursor orb, purely because of that.
Is it as technically impressive as other first-party platformers for the PS2 like the Ratchet or Sly series, or even its two sequels? Certainly not. Does it have an amazing storyline? Not particularly, but it's a good story told with just the right amount of levity to make it feel like a great start to Jak's overall journey through the main trilogy, as well as a great standalone tale.
I understand it's by no means a perfect game and all, but it's still a meaningful game to me, and I can excuse some issues, like its nature as a collectathon meaning you can very easily find yourself trawling a single level multiple times over for a single fucking precursor orb, purely because of that.