Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

This game is packed with things to do and also a nice introduction to more open world adventure games for kids! It's a family friendly game that I've played as a kid and as an adult and was enjoyable both times!

2 Thumbs Way, Way, Way UP! 5 Stars or higher!

This games has it all: Action; Romance; Adventure; and Cute, Fuzzy Creatures that want to eat you. I swear, it's the best Play Station 2 game ever created! I hope they make a sequel, a movie, and another version for Game Cube. What? They did that with Sonic Adventure 2, why not this?

Ah, "Jak and Daxter", a game that it shockingly already 12 years old. (Making me feel like quite the old man, having played it not long after its original release.) It is a nostalgic remnant and figment of my teen-aged years, huddled around an old 19" standard-def television in my room, playing my trusty old PS2 through those clunky yellow-red-white AV cables, staring at a grainy, pixelated image that seems almost neanderthalian by today's standards.

Those truly were the days, weren't they?

Created by Naughty Dog, the same company who later went on to create classics like the iconic "Uncharted" series, and the stunning zombie- horror game "The Last of Us", "Jak and Daxter" follows... well... Jak and Daxter, two heroes who are forced to save the world from an evil force.

At the start of the game, best buds Jak (a silent, but still oddly compelling teenager) and Daxter (a fast-talking smart-alec) go to the mysterious "Misty Island" to have a look around, despite being told repeatedly not to go. However, after an accident, Daxter is knocked into a vat of a mysterious substance called "Dark Eco", which transforms him into a strange weasel-like animal. The duo also see two mysterious figured plotting possible dastardly deeds with an army of monsters. Troubled by the turn of events, the two are then sent on a mission to stop the creatures and try to figure out a way to restore Daxter back to his human (well, "humanoid") form.

Yes, it's a simple set-up, but this is a game based almost exclusively on impressive gameplay and exploration, so I can forgive a less developed storyline.

And that gameplay is impressive, and the game itself a well-constructed piece of software from yester-year.

The graphics for the time were a blast. Able to cover not only bright and colorful scenes almost reminiscent of a Warner Bros. cartoon, but also dark, dreary sequences when the game is at more critical moments, the visuals are a feast for the eyes. (Although they haven't aged well and are a bit blockier than later PS2 releases) And the visual design is just fun, fun, fun! The voice acting, though limited, is very nice, particularly from Daxter. Some complain that they found him annoying, but I found Daxter's mile-a-minute mouth to be charming and amusing. The controls are also perfect, making the 3D platform gaming tight and intuitive.

The difficulty level is also just right. It's simple and fun, yet also is able to provide some nice challenges, particularly for completionists who want to discover every secret of the game.

The only place this game loses a point is in the fact that that many missions do get repetitive, and at times, certain elements and goals feel tacked on and underdeveloped. But this is only a small error in a game that otherwise feels pretty much flawless.

"Jak and Daxter" is a darned great game. And it is well worth playing. (As are it's darker, grittier sequels) I give it a great 9 out of 10. It's a blast, and you should definitely give it a shot!

JAK AND DAXTER: The Precursor Legacy (2001) developed by Naughty Dog (Crash Bandicoot, Last of Us). Having grown up on excessive ammounts of the Crash Bandicoot games, when I played Jak and Daxter, it was instant love for me. Although fairly different from Crash games, there are definite similarities and nostalgic vibes.

"Jak tries to help his friend Daxter after he transforms into a hybrid of an otter and a weasel. With the help of a Sage, the pair learn that they must save their world from the antagonists Gol and Maia, who plan to flood it with Dark Eco."

That aside, J&D is a pretty amazing game. An instant classic in my book. Highly recommended if you are a fan of Crash Bandicoot games, works by Naughty Dog and other platformer games. This was a very fun game series.

Yes, of the games featuring these characters this one is still my favorite of them all. Granted the story is not as dark, however I as a gamer do not necessarily like my games dark all the time. They made the same mistake in the Prince of Persia saga too, trying to cater to the Grand Theft Auto set of people. This game features two buddies snooping where they should not, the one named Daxter soon falls into a vat of something called dark eco and is transformed into a fuzzier version, granted this does not stop his wisecracking which is the highlight for me for the entire series. Jak is the silent protagonist here and I prefer that a bit more to the talker he becomes. Well Jak and Daxter must navigate the world finding the legendary sages so that they might help not only Daxter, but the world from a dark threat looming in the background. The graphics are great as they really show distance very well. At the beginning you go to an island from the island you can see the mainland, from the mainland you can see the island. The game is filled with areas where you can see in the distance where you must go and where you were. The action is performed via standard platform gaming with your jumping and spin attacks on enemies. The controls are simple and for the most part the game is not the type to make you pull your hair out. The environments are great as you navigate tropical locals, snowy mountain tops, and fire filled mine shafts and you get some top notch boss fights too. It is a shame they did not stick to this formula for future games though. Not that the others are bad, but they just do not match this one in fun.