In my early days of gaming, maybe three to four years ago, I stumbled across the first Jak and Daxter game, The Precursor Legacy, and quickly picked myself up and shelided my eyes as if I'd crashed into a downs syndrom kid who tried to grope me while he got up from the same clumsy heap I'd caused. To say I didn't like the game isn't exactly right, I was just closed off to it being collection based and all. How I managed to end up worshiping this Trilogy later on, one will never know, but eventually I came to love the very game I shunned when I first stumbled into the world of PS2.

Now then, for those who don't now Jak and Daxter was a PS2 platformer from Naughty Dog, the same people that brought us Crash Bandicoot, excuse my horrid spelling. Now then, I never touched a PS1 game aside from Frogger, so all my experiance with Naughty Dog comes from the Jak games.

After my embarrasing trip over the first game I found Jak II a year later while hanging with the first male (excuse me, human being) willing to bear with my violent and somewhat anti-social company. You'd usually call this person my boyfriend but we were too busy trying to kill eachother half the time to notice that fact. After beating his head in with a stick we decided to take a break from sparring and settle in for some slightly less violent fun. I took up a sketch pad, sitting on his bed, and he went back to his conquest on Hero Mode playing Jak II.

I'm not really sure what brought me into this game. Maybe it was that the main character had a split personality, which is all and all sexy to most of the female fan base, or the sarcastic ball of orange fuzz on his shoulder. Either way, after that encounter with Jak II's more grown up take on the downs syndrom baby I'd encountered a year before I returned home to find I owned a PS2 (Yes, I just noticed this) and quickly rented the game.

After that, I returned to the drooling downs syndrom first game and managed not to throw up for the six hours nessisary to beat the game, and then finding the third game ready and waiting for me once I went looking for it.

The trilogy can be looked at like this;

Game one bears the E for everyone rating and like wise shows gameplay directed to younger children with heavy cases of ADHD. You may explore randomly, collect things like crazy, and still further the story line whenever you're ready to move on. You never have to come back to an area as there are no special items, keys, or upgrades to obtain. As the difficulty does go up your neither powers nor health guage ever do, forcing you to actually get a hang of the game. There's no lives system so falling off stuff or suffering the three hits nessary to die isn't really that horrible and just becomes a minor set back. As for the ADHD kid that forgets what the heck they were supposed to be doing, there is really no danger of that because if you futz around for half an hour or more the game will remind you whats going on, where you need to go, and how you get there.

The cast is colorful and made up of just enough characters and not a lot of extras. Voice acting is wonderful with the main characters aside from Keira's voice, which makes me want to stab her from time to time, and despite the main character Jak having no voice acter or lines he still manages to have some symbolance of a personality through his facial expressions though I have no idea how.

Jak and Daxter: Precursor Legacy- I wouldn't say buy it. I'd say rent it, obliterate it, and return it. It's story line doesn't have much holding on the rest of the games.

Jak II is the sequal to Jak and Daxter, and it's obviously grown up a little bit because the rating is now T for Teen. When we left Jak and Daxter they'd saved the world and found a strange device with an unknown useage. Now, at the beginning of Jak II, we decide that even though we don't know what this device does we're going to turn it on and see what it does anyway. Upon doing so our four friends, Jak, Daxter, Keira and her father Samos, are knifed several hundred years into the future of their little sea side village into a fully industrial place known as Haven City. Keira and Samos are nowhere to be seen and when Jak is captured by police Daxter runs for his life.

At once you're thrust into a plot of war, torture, and several more characters than we were used to from the first game. (Oh yeah, Jak started talking.) Now then, the major change over is that the game is no longer collection base, you follow missions now! A yay for me, and the world is still free roaming with no loading times so you ADHD people can still explore every corner of the world till your mind rots.

Jak II really adds nothing to Jak and Daxter, and stands alone quite well. The game has a more grown up image about it, holds onto some of the old jokes from Jak and Daxter for veteran fans, but the matieral is mainly fresh and keeps the player immursed.

Jak II- Buy it. I've played the game at least 14 times over and I'm still not satisfied.

Jak 3. Yes, it's a number, not a Roman Numeral. This game seemed, to me, unessary in a lot of ways, not to mention they gave up a lot of things that came to be in Jak II for things that were not nearly as cool or just made the game more annoying than it already was.

To ruin the happy ending from Jak II it turns out that Haven City, the City Jak had just saved the rear of, is still pissed off from the war and decides its their savior's fault and throws him out to die. Jak becomes some angst ridden anti-hero and seems just a little dark for his own good, but that's all okay because to add onto the dark powers he got in the second game he suddenly gets light powers to counter them. This is the first example of how this game had way too many toys. Aside from your new light powers, all four of them, you get a grand total of four dark powers that you learn to play with, four guns from the second game you already knew how to run with plus two extra mods for each gun resulting is twelve guns total which you probably only use three of through the whole game. Add on to that you have more vehicles to play with now, which makes me unhappy because the missions that require a vehicle are very annoying and I'm yet to meet any sane person that can do them all perfectly on the first try.

Anything that wasn't in a vehicle was too danged easy and exploration lost its fun when they started changing up the maps. In Jak 3 you eventually go back to Haven City, and you have to go through the sewers to get to where everyone else is. Now then, in Jak II you went through the sewers several times, and I expected since only a year had passed in the game for the sewers to be exactly how I knew them. Right? WRONG! Everything had changed when it shouldn't have been. I would have understood if they cleaned up the graphics a bit but what they did with old areas was just recocklous. It was the same with other areas that had been shown in Jak II, exstreme changes abound.

Once again, this game could stand alone, though Jak II and Jak 3 connect directly and Jak 3 attempts to thread its way back into Jak and Daxter, though I find the whole thing rather exsessive. In Jak 3 we bring back a villan we already thought to be dead with no logical explination to why he's alive, we explain something from Jak and Daxter that didn't need to be explained because everyone took it as it was, and even if finding out who the precursors were was freaking funny no one really cared walking into the game and finding out who they were added nothing to the actual story.

Oh yeah, screw good voice acting with this one. For the most part the diolog got corny and dramatic, unlike the games before when it was snappy and witty. Keira, who's original voice actor was annoying, got changed out for Tara Strong. For those who don't know Tara, She's a big name voice acter who's been in all sorts of games including doing Rikku in FF10. My question is why would they switch out Keira's original, who some people liked, for an even more annoying voice that probably costs a lot more on the pay roll?? And she has all of, I think, 2 lines! Keira and Jak's romance plot, which exsisted in the first two games, vanishs in Jak 3 so that Ashelin, a much better looking female, can move in on Jak disreguarding her relationship with another male main character. WTH!?

Jak 3- Not needed. Rent it for the gags, play it for the gags, and put it away.

Now that we've come full circle you'd think they'd drop Jak and move on to something else, but as we've all learned no company can stop milking a cow till blood starts coming out of the udders, and even then we'll keep trying to milk the damn cow.

Well... I think this was the blood in the milk. Jak X. Screw missions and saving the world and so on and so forth. Naughty Dog abandons everything that made Jak great to make a full on racing game.

Joy.

Jak X has nothing to do with the rest of the Jak games, has a predictable story line that most expect, and though the cinimatics are pretty cool they changed how all the boys are built and how all the girls (But Keira) are dressed so it takes a while to get used to the fact that Ashelin somehow managed to show off even more skin, Torn suddenly has huge muscles when he used to look anarexic, and Jak got a buzz cut for some reason. Keira's voice remains with Tara, and now she's got more lines, suddenly reserecting the original Jak Keira relationship. One thing though... her personality is completly changed! To take on the slight angst Jak still has, which still seems uncharacteristic to me, she's become a rebellious bad girl different from the loyal daddy's girl she's been for the rest of the games!

Jak X- A waste of time and money. Unless you're really desperate to hear new retardation from Dax, I wouldn't suggest it. It'll just piss you off.

Jak II is still the crown jewel of Naughty Dog's work but its been proven that a new game is coming out and I honestly fear how much worse things can get. I'm automatically worried because things have become rather skewed game by game and I'm worried that they will become more twisted instead of one last game finally setting things straight. Sadly though I'm a fan girl which means I'll buy it and the PS3 I need to play it out of pure fandom and even if the game is the worst yet I'll worship it for at least a month before I'll admit the fact that it sucked.

Soap box time over. On with your life.

Loor

Well, I do agree with you on almost every point, except one. Jak X did give us a few funny jokes, and I personally enjoyed the whole "Would you two kiss already?" from Daxter at the end, but then again, I got the game for 5 bucks off a friend, so it would have to cause me severe physical pain before I started to rip on it.

Heh. I bought Jak X and it's special edition guide with the remainder of my christmas money and some money that wasn't mine thanks to the internet convincing me that even though it was a racing game it still kept all the things that made Jak, Jak. When I found this to be wrong I was already out of 50 bucks for a game and another 40 bucks on the guide and the DVD that came with it. The game I didn't return because the 2 player function was actually pretty good as my sister and I are very competitve, and the guide I keep for the art, to add to my collection (I'm only missing one now) and the fact that the DVD had something so funny on it I'd never think of returning the purchase. Ever.

I quite enjoyed Jak X, actually. It's one of the best racing games I've ever played. Admittedley, that's not saying much, as I refuse to play any racer unless I can launch a rocket or similarly dimensioned object out from under my hood.

I'm not saying that Jak X as a racing game is bad. I'll agree as a racing game it kicks all holy arse, but I'm looking at the whole serise and seeing as it left the original direction completely I have to bash it a tad bit for being what it is. I, for one, wanted to explore Kras city like I had explored every other location; on foot.

LoorTheDarkElf:
I'm not saying that Jak X as a racing game is bad. I'll agree as a racing game it kicks all holy arse, but I'm looking at the whole serise and seeing as it left the original direction completely I have to bash it a tad bit for being what it is. I, for one, wanted to explore Kras city like I had explored every other location; on foot.

Well, yeah, I can see where you're coming from. Looking at the way the previous games operated, Jak X is a terrible addition to the series.

I just hope they don't screw it up with the next game they're making.

you didn't like The Jak sequels?

Honestly, do i like everything the escapist crew hates? this forum makes me depressed daily these past few weeks.

maybe it would have been good if you used less extreme language in describing. Makes you sound like a better reviewer

Copter400:

LoorTheDarkElf:
I'm not saying that Jak X as a racing game is bad. I'll agree as a racing game it kicks all holy arse, but I'm looking at the whole serise and seeing as it left the original direction completely I have to bash it a tad bit for being what it is. I, for one, wanted to explore Kras city like I had explored every other location; on foot.

Well, yeah, I can see where you're coming from. Looking at the way the previous games operated, Jak X is a terrible addition to the series.

Yes, but by itself it is OK. The developers took the racing part of Jak 3 and spun it off. Perhaps they milked the series a little too much. I still enjoyed it.

I wish the PS3 had backwards compac. over here in england, then i wouldn't have to buy a ps2 to play them. I loved the Jak games.

WlknCntrdiction:
I wish the PS3 had backwards compac. over here in england, then i wouldn't have to buy a ps2 to play them. I loved the Jak games.

I much prefer the daxter game to any jak and daxter game...

Keh, Daxter was pretty good. Anyway, to Ultrajoe, its not that I hate the games, they just disapointed me some. I guess that's the problem with having expectations. XP

And whoever was getting weird about my bad language; sorry. Got a butcher for a mum and I never think to reederate myself. I know it's a problem. I'll work on it.

Ultrajoe:
you didn't like The Jak sequels?

Honestly, do i like everything the escapist crew hates? this forum makes me depressed daily these past few weeks.

Hey, I liked the Jak sequels.

As for the actual review, I really don't think that you needed to split the games up like that. I think you need to make it flow smoother. Maybe try and talk about one aspect over the 34 games, and then move onto the next. Your conclusion is where you suggest your opinion on all 34.

I also have to disagree with you on Jak3. I personally liked it for it continued the story and added to the formula they decided to implement for Jak II. It wasn't like the jump from Precursor Legacy to II, from sunshine and lollipops to an Orwellian regime and guns, but it did, like I said before, improve on the foundations. Plus, the jokes were more adultish, something that I notice happens in the sequels. Though, I will concede that Tara Strong was not needed to voice Kiera (I loved the original voice actor. Why did they have to get rid of her?!).

As for Jak X, I felt this was truly unneeded. I hated how they bastardised one of my most cherished series in order to make a racing game. The game doesn't further the plot, and it does away with all that I loved with the original series. In its place is a cheap knock-off that merely takes the name.

Another gripe I have with the game (X) is the romance with Kiera. I could understand why the devs could pair up Jak and Ashlin, with it symbolising Jak leaving his past in the first game behind and moving on (and thus, leaving Keira and moving on to Ashlin). I wasn't happy with it, but you know, it makes sense (at least to me anyways). My gripe is how they went one way in 3, and decided to scrap that and go another way in X. It muddles up the plot, and leaves me with nothing but confusion and anger at how they could mess it up so badly.

... It feels nice to get it all out. Once again, you did a nice job on the review. Just try and get the review to flow.

Ultrajoe:
you didn't like The Jak sequels?

Honestly, do i like everything the escapist crew hates? this forum makes me depressed daily these past few weeks.

No I loved the squeals and every Jak game. You are not alone.

Jak and Daxter: The precursor legeacy: Pure platform fun, but a bit short. Jak II: Renegade: Supreme action-adventure platform fun, enough said. Jak 3: action-adventure racing platform... fun, but a little bit too many new abilities. Jak X: Awsome racing fun, but no relevance to the previus storyline. Daxter: Pure platform fun, enough said.

I think the jak trilogy went down after daxter. The frist i could not play for more then a hour the second i saw through to the end and had a gta feel for me execpt the cops are every where!!!!!!!! but it did have it's holes in it. the frist reason are the mission sometimes it made you want to break your ps2 in half and see if it will still play, another the ending. i was all happy that i beat the final boss but then i see the ending and go I did all this just for a back to the future story wow. but over all i loved the game and saw it through to the end even if the cops are annoying and the dark jack was useless exexcpt for killing every one.

I kinda think that was Dark Jak's job; killing everyone. XP

On the other hand, Light was good at it too in Jak III. I don't know if anyone else has noted this but I found this out when something spooked me in Jak III.

We all know Dark is evil, distrcution, not supposed to exist ect. ect, right? And Light is the balanced out good stuff to keep Jakkie-boy from going insane, correct? Master of healing, protection, and he's got wings which make him look angelic.

Then why is while in the Dark form if I attempt to whip out the Peacemaker Dark reverts to Jak before shooting the gun, while in the Light form I got spooked by a passing metal head and hit the shoot button unconciously, fired the flipping SUPER NOVA, and the gun remains in LIGHT'S hands. He didn't revert.

That offically makes the Light form capable of being more leathal than the Dark simply cause he can toat about the Supernova. XPPP

yes i like how dark jak can't use wepons cause all he dose is jump around the screen killing everyone why they gave him a gun i don't know his fist kill more people. but the light thing is like the yin yang thing to me one good one evil!! but i never really played the third so what i hear is what must be ture or somthing.

Keh, the thrid game is something I'd rent to play. I mean, honestly, there are a lot of the best jokes in that game, but I still find it annoying with all the things they messed with. I'm a fangirl though, and part of being a fangirl/boy apperently is being a half breed critic of every game you know and love. Once you've gotten all the fun out of it the only thing left is to beat it to death with its flaws.

But we still play the game, now don't we? XP

I love the yin yang thing going on with Light and Dark (I never refur to them as Light Jak and Dark Jak. Seems excessive.) It's a great fanfiction matieral. On the other hand, whenever I write Light he's somewhat sudistic and a bit of a prick.

i played jak x looooooooooooooooong time ago really cant remember XP

i really liked the jak games i hope they wont screw it up

jak x was a bit of a fail

ok can we please change the subject from the 2 and the third to the first it had many holes including the guy was a mute and i could not stand to play for more then a hour it was the start off though so i guess i can go easy but i don't feel like it so lets pound a stake. frist off the ecos in the game are useless and don't help out in the story. the game was ridden with holes like how you just run in circles for the frist half hour.

The first one had its issues, on the other hand I still get stuck on one issue and that is the fact that it is collection based; thus the running about in circles. XP There were a few holes but I, as a fanfiction author, never had a problem with holes because the fanfiction world gives you an excuse to fill them in with whatever non-sence you wish.

The ecos were like the extra guns in Jak III, just too many toys to play with, but since you never got health upgrades it was the next best thing to variate the playing feild and not make it feel like a 3D sonic game where you do the same thing on various different corses while picking up as many of a particular object as you can and then finishing with a large and ugly yet strnagely easy (As in beaten in 3 hits) boss.

Did I just compare TPL to Sonic? Why yes I did. The insanity never ends, does it?

Can anyone here tell I had caffine?

On the other hand I felt Daxter's jokes were enough to hold it together, but I laugh at everything so that may be more my humorus disposition covering for a game flaw. Jak being a mute did bother me quite a bit, but him getting his voice in the second game solved that problem rather quickly, and seeing as the first game, if you play it right, is only worth six hours of game play to get to the end its a problem you don't have to live with for long.

And the only thing the ecos hold in the story is the fact that Jak has some strange ability to channel eco through his body, which according to the blue eco sage at the end of the game was 'Special and beyond normal ablilties' trying to make us all curious about where else that ablilty was going... only it didn't really go beyond letting Jak live through the dark eco experiments in Jak II, and by then we've all forgotten about what the Blue Sage said and focused on OMFG JAK CAN TALK!!!

Man I am in a ranty moood. Loor's going to get off line now, quick before her head explodes.

you talk funny anyway yes the frist daxtar was funny but not that funny i would rather play ssx on tour and fling my guy off the dam then listen to daxtar tell about how he stalks little girls but for real i loved the second and liked how you killed the fat guy. the game was a twist and turn at every point which made it fun so just make another like 2 execpt with a lot more cars then it would be awsome

I wonder if they are going to add more violence in the next Jak-game? Since the first game were rated 7+, then Jak II and 3 were rated 12+, then Daxter went back to 7+*, are they going to stop making dead bodies disappear, and considerate to use the "F"-word?

*Pegi-system