Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3700 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sony Computer Entertainment UK
• Released on: 2001-12-07
• 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

Manufacturer's Description
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy combines a variety of elements from many different genres, including exploration, platform, adventure, action, strategy and even racing, into one enormous epic fantasy. As you wander the land, pursuing your adventure, you'll find hosts of mini-tasks for your entertainment and amusement, including fishing and racing games, some of which can even help you in your quest. Freely explore the whole, vast world, stumbling upon the differing vegetation, creatures and ever changing weather conditions in a single--albeit lengthy--journey. With an involving storyline that unfolds as you progress, superb gameplay mechanics, technological innovations, a truly beautiful environment, a cast of brilliant characters and a humorous script, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is an immersive and magical gaming universe.

Customer Reviews

great
Here 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.

A game worth every penny and summed up in one word- awesome
Jak and Daxter is one of the most addictive and fantastic games released ever. With graphics that make you gasp and a storyline that unfolds with humorous and tantalising suspense (there's always something around the corner) you won't be complaining. This game allows you to move on to different challenges while trying to work out previous ones so you aren't left with the frustration of not being able to continue-until the very end of course! But by then you've learnt the skills, picked up the logic and will be smiling all the way to the restart of the game. With a mix of easier and harder challenges it is suitable for all and those with huge amounts of time or the spare half hour. The platform is huge, one you will love to explore, sound effects so realistic you'll get swallowed up for hours upon hours and in the finale you certainly won't be disappointed with the time you spend. The X box is no threat to playstation 2 if it keeps producing games on this level. There are no annoying seconds wasted on loading screens, graphics with stunning realism and characters you'll adore, I was stunned. With constant new releases you may wonder what's so special but the fab blend of the most superb game qualities you can ask for guarantee that you'll not be leaving your games console for a long long time-even if there's an ever so important piece of work to be done. Happy playing!

Jak & Daxter - Reviewed To The Fullest
Naughty Dog the publishers of Crash Bandicoot have finished their creation of a new platform phenomenon. Jak and Daxter is amazing and I am about to review it to the fullest.

The graphics in Jak and Daxter is the first thing that will catch your eye. They are smooth, lush and polished well to make a cartoony, surreal world look realisted and believable (like in Shrek). The animation sequences are suberb and unlike anything you will ever see.

The gameplay adapts form the best platform games ever to make a new innovation. Whilst being a platform game at heart, the free roaming you can do in a large environment without any loading times is like an RPG game. The gameplay is fast and furious, and as you progress through the levels the game gets harder. The AI is very clever. Baddies will follow you, surround you, and attack in packs. Daxter is the character you control and Jak sits on his shoulder. Daxter can run, jump, kick, punch, swim and fish. You can also look around in the game through the eyes of Daxter.

The sound is impeccable. The sound effects are imaginative whilst the background music fits perfectly to each scene. And as a bonus to the sound, the loveable character Jak, makes hilarious wisecracks throughout the game. He's not the only one too. Other characters you will meet have something funny to say.

Overall, Jak and Daxter delivers something new whilst using the old styles of gameplay that we will always love. Jak and Daxter is original, and that's what will make this action-adventure a great RPG and a platform frenzy!