Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS2)
	Developer Naughty Dog Publisher Sony Entertainment Reviewed by Mark Megerian [Feedback] [Author Bio] Review Date February 1, 2002

Rating (out of 5.0) 4.5 out of 5.0*

Judge for yourself

Strengths FUN, FUN, FUN Great graphics Innovative status screens Weaknesses Few bosses to defeat Anticlimactic ending

* Notes Gaming Voice ratings are based on the technical and/or gameplay merits of a given product as well as the developer's choice of features and delivery of same. Our rating is not an endorsement of the thematic content of a given title. Gamers and parents are cautioned to determine if such content conflicts or coincides with their values and beliefs.

In Jak & Daxter, the journey IS the game.

Let's lay out the basics: Jak & Daxter is a true platform game in every sense. Lots of stuff to collect (orbs and power cells), lots of little enemies to defeat along the way, challenging puzzles with a lot of jumping, hanging, spinning and punching, and an occasional big boss to keep you honest and kick your butt a few times.

But before you start whining "but I don't wanna run around and collect stuff" you have to realize that this time it's a really fun process. You aren't collecting just for the sake of collecting, since you are always working toward a goal. For example, you are told that you need a certain number of power cells to fire up a teleport machine. But to get the power cells from people in the village, they want a certain number of orbs in trade. So you collect some orbs (they look just like easter eggs; clever) and you make your trades. This opens up new areas to explore, new challenges, and more power cells and orbs to collect.

Reminds us why we enjoy video games so much.

Throughout the game, a basic storyline unfolds. Jak and his buddy Daxter are up to no good when Daxter falls into a dark pool of goop, called Eco. The Dark Eco turns him into a... well... a little ferret-looking thing. Jak goes to a wise dude known as the Green Sage, and the sage tells them to embark on a quest to turn Daxter back into a... well... a little human-looking thing, and while they're at it, save the world from some bad guys that are trying to harness the power of Dark Eco.

So Daxter hops on Jak's shoulder, where he stays for most of the game, and off you go on your adventure. Along the way, you will encounter the sage's daughter (a little cutie that seems to dig Jak), a fisherman, a farmer, a scientist, a sculptor, a gambler, and many other interesting characters. They all have something to offer or some type of challenge to present. They also help you by presenting power cells or giving you information on how to get them. The levels vary widely, and all are great-looking, fun, and challenging. There are lava tunnels, snowy mountains, beaches, villages, crystal caves, and all have different challenges for Jak. There are other types of Eco lying around that you can use. Blue Eco allows you to run faster and jump higher, Yellow Eco gives you the ability to shoot fireballs (and yes, it is as cool as it sounds).

Jak is capable of many different abilities, and they are all needed in various places. He can jump, punch, spin, double-jump, high jump, and lunge, and do it all with Daxter clinging to his back. Some of the most enjoyable portions of the game are when you get to jump into a little rocket called a Zero-Grav Zoomer and cruise around at incredible speeds. The sense of speed is breathtaking, and it all unfolds smoothly and beautifully on the screen.

In the entire game, I only noticed one tiny little hiccup of slowdown, and it lasted barely a split second. Another thing that developer Naughty Dog nailed was the status screens. At any point in the game you can bring up a status screen showing all the worlds you've been to, the number of power cells available there, the ones you've obtained, and the number of orbs. It even gives a short description of how to get the power cells, so if you leave an area and come back later, you can always refresh your memory on exactly what you have to do.

It all unfolds smoothly and beautifully on the screen.

In a lesson to all game designers, they also added a wonderful feature that automatically saves your status every time you collect a power cell. Its done so seamlessly, that you barely notice its happening. Every time you collect a power cell, while Jak and Daxter do a little dance to celebrate the achievement, a little symbol appears in the corner, indicating that its writing to the PS2 memory card. Seconds later, its done, and you never have to worry about getting the same power cell twice, or forgetting to save. Its a wonderful feature that, like many great ideas, is so simple.

The game is plenty long, and if you are one of those completion freaks that needs 100% of the objects, you will be entertained for many, many hours. Even though it looks cute, Jak & Daxter is not an easy game. There are many areas that are very challenging, almost diabolically clever. You will have a real sense of accomplishment when you complete the Spider Cave, for example.

The game is designed to allow you to complete the main tasks without getting every orb, but to get the complete ending, you pretty much need all the power cells. Speaking of the ending, its pretty much a non-ending. Don't expect anything earth-shattering to be revealed after the credits roll. You save the world, all is good, and that's pretty much it. But to get bogged down on that would be missing the point. In Jak & Daxter, the journey IS the game, and what a blast it is.

If my prediction comes true, and this is the start of a series, then Jak & Daxter 2 is already near the top of my want list.