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Reviewed by UK Guest, 4th Oct 2003. |
| Review Summary: great |
Overall Score: 5/5
 
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Review: Jak & Daxter is a game that is great fun from start to finish. You take on the role of Jak, a young man whose friend Daxter has just been turned into a fuzzy orange meerkat-type creature. Now it's up to you to journey north and find the one person who can change him back, but in order to do that, you'll have to collect increasing numbers of power cells to help you on your way.
The world of Jak and Daxter is large, well detailed, and best of all- continuous. There are no loading times between levels, quite a relief after the frustration of Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex. No, here we have a huge free roaming 3D environment filled with sumptuous graphics, day-night transitions, and superbly realistic sound effects (from the crunch of crisp grass to the thud of metal surfaces, it's all in there). Jak and Daxter's one weakness is its music, but even though the music is not great, the fact that is underplayed enables you to concentrate more on the other, better aspects of the game.
But enough of the scenery, how does it play? The naswer to that is very well. Jak, accompanied by Daxter, may have a somewhat limited set of moves, but it's enough for the purpose of the game. As mentioned earlier, the aim of the game is to collect power cells; to do this you will have to complete a wide range of tasks. From catching fish to defeating ambushes and boss enemies, all the platform staples are there.
Gameplay is spiced up somewhat by the inclusion of eco. Eco comes in different forms, and has several different purposes, from basic health restoration to enabling Jak to shoot fireballs. There are also two vehicles in the game, the A-Grav zoomer (like an overland jetski) and the Flut Flut bird. The zoomer has several sections of the game devoted to its use, and once you've mastered it you'll have great fun flying around at top speed over platforms and through hoops. The Flut Flut only appears a couple of times, but is invaluable for gliding to some hard to reach places. And talking of hard to reach places, you will certainly find plenty of those! You'll have to master Jak's various jumping techniques if you want to reach everywhere in the game.
One thing that many gamers will find is that the game is very short; experienced gamers with time on their hands will complete Jak and Daxter in a couple of days. Certainly there is no complex puzzle solving to stump you; for the most part your goals are made very clear, and even when they aren't Daxter is on hand to offer advice.
A brief mention should also be made to the scripting. The wise-cracking Daxter has plenty to say during the game, and whilst for the most part, this is very funny, his comments may begin to seem repetitive after a while. However, this is what the "mute" button on your remote is for, and shouldn't detract from your enjoyment of the game.
If you liked Crash's earlier adventures and the Spyro series for PS1, this is the game for you. It takes some of the best aspects of those games, and packages them nicely in a beautiful environment with an easy-to-use control system. If you love platformers, or are even only remotely appreciative of them, Jak and Daxter is the game to get. |
Ratings
| Value For Money: |
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5 |
| Review Score: |
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5 |
| Recommended? | |
Yes |
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PC & Video Games