It seems that the platformer genre is becoming less original and innovative as the years go by, but there are
some games that are lacking in both of these categories, and still remain to be a good game, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor
Legacy is an example of one of those games.
Storyline:
You play the role of Jak, a teenage, and adventurous elf-boy who is out to seek for an antidote
to a mishap that turned his best friend into a furry little animal...please hold all questions and comments till the end of
the review. See, Jak and his best friend Daxter (who is also an elf-boy) are strolling about when they encounter
a huge vat of dark, bubbling goo. This substance is known as Dark Eco. It is said that it will change the lives of anyone
who touches it, so expectidly the wise-crack Daxter falls in. When he emerges out of the Eco he is changed into an Ottsel
(think if a Otter and a Weasel mated). Daxter is obviously not too happy about being covered in fur, and the lack of pants,
so he and Jak set out to find a cure.
Gameplay:
You know how I said that this game lacked originallity and innovation? That is most apparent in both the
controls and overall feel to the game. In fact it seems like Naughty Dog put a bunch of moves from characters of the
same genre into a blender then poured it into a mold forming Jak and Daxter. For example, Jak can double jump and punch
like Mario, spin attack like Crash Bandicoot, and hang on ledges like Rayman.
Even the concept in how you complete the game is similar to other games in the genre. Your main goal is to collect
101 Power Cells, which are the equivelent to Mario's Power Stars. Also, taken right out of Super Mario 64 is how you
can gain one extra Power Cell per level if you get a certain amount of Precursor Eggs (Mario's coins). The whole feel
of it just feels too similar to the platformers we have grown to know and love.
Graphics:
If there is one category that Jak and Daxter seperate themselves from the rest of the pack it's the graphics.
It looks so much better than practically any other game out there.
Since the characters are cartoony, and somewhat Disney-esque, the mood is cheerful and happy, and that is noticable
when you notice all the nice touches in the game. In the first few levels the sun is bright and shines everywhere. It
glistens off the water and gives off expanding rays that seem to go on forever.
When you look out onto the various seas the horizons seem to be never-ending and you can literally see small
bits of future levels to see. It's surely a sight to see.
Sound:
Sound to me has always been the least important category of any game. That is until I noticed how it can
really make the experience. The sound effects in this game do a nice job of putting you into this colorful world. If
Jak spin kicks a wall or another immoveable object it will make a big *smack* sound, and if when Jak double jumps you can
hear the *whoosh* from underneath him. It truly puts you in the mood of the game.
Then there's the voice-acting, for the most part it's quite good. Daxter has a squeaky and at times annoying
voice, but it really fits his smart-alec attitude. Jak on the other hand...well...he's a mute. I don't know about you,
but I'm really tired of the strong and silent types. I would understand if he had his tonsoles removed recently or he
had his vocal cords damaged by singing high-notes just a tad too high, but he didn't so jak...SPEAK DAMMIT!!!
Lasting Appeal:
The flaw that really hits this game is it's length, it's just far too short, and far too easy to keep average
gamers occupied for more than a few short days. I had collected all the Power Cells in the matter of a day, and all the other
extras the next day. While it is fun while it lasts, I would of loved to see some reason to go back and play it again,
but sadly there is no reason but just to say you did it.
Overall:
Despite it's shortcomings Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is quite a good game, and is sure to please any
platformer fan in your family. It's definetly one of the better games on the Playstation 2, and the ending, well let's just
say it leaves some "gates" open for more adventures.
8.9/10
-Blake Becker (GoinCommando)
