Product Description

While exploring some ancient ruins on a forbidden island off the coast, Jak's best friend, Daxter, is knocked into a vat of Dark Eco--a terrifying and deadly substance that could corrupt the world forever--transforming him into a weasel-like rodent. The village sage, Samos Hagai, tells Jak that there may only be one person who holds the secrets to transforming Daxter back. Now the pair must set out on a quest in search of a wise old sage who has the power to restore Daxter to his former self.

Plunge into a world of new adventure, exploration and discovery. Embark on a magical yet sometimes harrowing journey that challenges gamers to test their wits and skills and allows them to discover twisted plots and battle the evil within. Delivering nothing but the best ingredients for what is set to be one of the biggest titles of the year, with great character designs and animations, innovative gameplay mechanics, superior technology and absolutely stunning graphics, Jak and Daxter pushes the power of PlayStation 2, and offers an engaging, immersive entertainment experience that stretches the imagination.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6447 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2002-09-27
• Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.co.uk Review
The PS2 is finally getting its fair share of platform games, and Jak & Daxter is a corker. Following the adventures of the yellow-barnetted Jak and his wisecracking sidekick Daxter (newly transformed into a rodent, and not happy about it), it's a free-roaming 3-D adventure very much along the lines of the N64's Banjo Kazooie--only less irritating. The gameplay, while not breaking any new ground, is perfectly polished and diverse enough to keep the interest up throughout; the main body of the game involves running, jumping, and spinning around the world collecting orbs and power cells and bashing enemies, but there are also racing, fishing and sliding bits, and all are very well done.

The game world is seamless and you can move between areas and missions pretty much at will; there are no loading times whatsoever--a lesson which the latest Crash Bandicoot would have done well to learn. What's more, the irritation of having to restart levels and collect everything again if you lose all your energy is mercifully absent here. The graphics are truly scrumptious and the sound lush--and, shock horror, the script's decent and the characterisation and voice acting not half bad. It's not quite as amusing and cleverly thought out as Rare's aforementioned N64 stalwart--or their more recent Conker's Bad Fur Day--but it's pretty close.

The downsides? It's maybe a bit too easy for seasoned gamers--though by no means a cinch--and the magnificent graphics have eaten up memory that might have been used to make the game longer; as trade-offs go, though, that's pretty reasonable. Bring on the sequel! --Rikki Price

Customer Reviews

PS2's greatest platformer

Not being a fan of platformers myself, I only really ever buy one when it's absolutely superb (the last was Super Mario 64). Jak & Daxter is one such game.

Gameplay-wise, it's virtually identical to SM64 (collect "power cells" throughout the game to unlock newer, harder levels) but this is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when coupled with such astounding graphics.

The landscapes vary from lush, verdant jungles, where the colours are searingly bright, to volcanoes, where the colours are also searingly bright, to snow-capped mountains, caves, beaches, Atlantis-style sunken cities and many more. These vast, intricate vistas are handled with consumate ease by the PS2, with no slow-down or aliasing whatsoever. There is also a 60Hz refresh rate option for NTSC tellys and a 16:9 aspect ratio option for those with widescreens.

Sound is also very pleasing, with (amazingly!) excellent voice samples and atmospheric music (Daxter's drill-like Bronx accent begins to grate after a while but he does provide genuine hints throughout the game!).

Gameplay is where J&D excels, though. The controls are intuitive enough for anybody to start playing immediately and the difficulty curve is perfectly weighted. The "one-more-go" factor is very high. The plot is also surprisingly involved for such an apparently cute platformer.

J&D is a testament to how platformers should be. At 20 quid, there's simply no excuse not to own this gem.

The Perfect Platforming Formula...
When compared to the PS2's version of Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter comes out top with flying colours as it real is a superior game and as far as the two go with them both now being released at a far cheaper price, as a platinum edition I would advise you to pick Jak and Daxter instead of your normal Sony favourite.

It is a shame that Jak and Daxter never was commercialised as much as Crash Bandicoot was which actually kept it relatively unheard of which is a real shame as it is a valuable gem to play.
Everything looks alive in the game and is very vivid and colourful. The crisp visuals really do impress with amazing details for you to feast on around every corner. There are many environments for you to enjoy and play in each based on a varied theme and each one looking superb in their own right.

You can control Jak- the game's hero in his virtual world very easily without having to worry with any problems involving camera angles as it never becomes an issue to become distressed over. Everything is easy to pick up and there are no fiddly controls whatsoever. Learn to love your companion and sidekick rodent- Daxter, he will be right by your side literally throughout your wide adventure. He will wisely advise you on what to do whilst humourously amuse you with his quirky one-liners.

On behalf of the gameplay, no new steps have been taken to enhance the platforming genre, but Jak and Daxter is an ideal addition to the perfect platforming formula revolutionised by Mario 64. This is by no means a bad thing and it does indeed improve on its type and still provides a large quantity of fun factor which we all like to find in any kind of game. There is a lot to do whilst you play, you perform certain tasks in each environment in order to gain power cells which will eventually lead you to completing the game's main objective- transforming Daxter into his natural form. These tasks include collecting certain numbers of orbs, pummeling any enemies you encounter and even mini games such as fishing and racing in certain vehicles, some of which are only possible to use on a particular terrain. Enemies which you do come across include apes, snakes and even parculiar dog-like warriors. The game contains a rather intruiging, engrossing storyline which all becomes clearer as you venture deeper into the game. All in all, a huge quantity of enjoyment is provided and Jak and Daxter becomes not only a childs game but one for all ages. It is obvious that a lot of effort has been put into this one and deserves a larger audience of gamers than it already has.

How long the game lasts depends on you as a gamer, the somewhat experienced breed of gamer could consider the game a bit too easy to beat but still a lot of fun. The game also welcomes new gamers into it's cheerful world as you can come across it as you please really- either rushing straight through or transforming from novice to expert by taking your time and practising your technique.

The game really is a fine addition to the Playstation 2's game libary, giving it's platforming collection that little needed bit of extra class. Now at it's budget price it's a must buy if you don't already have it.

93/100

Bewdiful!
I like a game that you can just play, without waiting for repetitive loading or watching hours of cut scenes. But I also like a game the looks great, plays like a peach, has variety and a good life span. This game delivers on all counts and therefore gets five stars.

You don't need me to tell you the plot. What matters is how it looks and how it plays and how it keeps you interested.

How it looks? Stunning! The graphics are colourful but detailed with amazing scenery. From the sunsets to the dust kicked up as you run, everything adds to a feast for the eyes around every corner.

How it plays? The controls are smooth and easy with a camera that does a good job of keeping up. There is also enough variety in movement and environments to keep you interested where other games have got you switching off.

I played this game to the end and then went back later for some more. I don't end up finishing many games as big does not necessarily mean good in all cases, however this game has plenty of character to keep it in your machine until you've saved the world a few times over.

I can't wait for Ratchet & Clank, which looks to be even bigger and better than this.