Publisher: SCEA

Developer: Naughty Dog/Mass Media

Release Date: 6/18/2013

Available On

Well, I finally did it. I have played the entire Jak and Daxter trilogy, and I have to say it is one of the most overhyped and overrated game series ever made. While the characters and charm are memorable, everything else is sub-par and less than mediocre. I thought that three times in Naughty Dog would have nailed the gameplay and fixed everything from Jak II, but I was wrong. Instead, we get to revisit that crap fest with just some updated areas of Haven City and an entirely new, boring open desert we can drive cars in that has awful physics.

Jak and Daxter must stop Errol, who is a half-cyborg, from getting to the Death Star. The only worthwhile part of the game is at the very end, when we finally get to know what the precursors are, and I was very satisfied when I found out. Everything else is slightly smelly crap, but complete crap nonetheless. We’re stuck with the same linear level design, repeated mission areas, hard as hell difficulty, wonky platforming, extremely wacky physics, and too much traveling between missions. I loved the new characters, but that’s all this game really had to go for it.

All the new content doesn’t really feel new. Sure, the missions weren’t as difficult as in Jak II, but they were still annoying and boring. This felt like Jak 2.5 rather than a true sequel. The new open desert area is a complete bore to drive in, and bandits will constantly spawn to attack you relentlessly. You are given several buggies, but they all drive like crap. The only helpful addition were the new weapon mods. There are three for each weapon we had in the last game, but they are all really useful, and I relied on them a lot throughout the game. However, the auto lock-on system is still just as crappy, and you waste a lot of ammo just trying to aim in the general direction of the enemy.

Let’s talk about Haven City. I thought I would never have to see that awful city again, but here we are. Each section has been more…updated due to the ongoing war with the Metal Heads and Krimson Guard. The areas are a tad more wide open, and the same vehicles drive a tiny bit better, but not much. There is a new camera angle that puts you right behind Jak, but it just made me noxious due to the awful physics. I really just wanted the game to end, and it felt like a chore, just like the last two games.

With that said, if you played Jak II, you won’t need to expect much from Jak 3. I’m not sure if I’m more disappointed with Jak II than this game, but I honestly can’t recommend this one either. The entire series feels like a complete bust to me, and that’s a crying shame.

Reviewed On