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Jak and Daxter: The Precurser Legacy

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Written by: klamkilla

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 its 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.

Gameplay: 4.0
Graphics: 4.0
Sound: 4.5
Value: 3.0
Music: 3.5

Final Score: 4.0   (out of 5)