Jak 3

"A fitting end to a fantastic trilogy"

Introduction -
When Naughty Dog released Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, there was a mixed reaction - although it was widely accepted as a game that virtually redefined the platforming genre, many gamers complained that it was too easy and that the game could be beaten too quickly with not much left to do in the game after completion. Jak 2 made an equal mistake - most fans of the first game complained that it was far too hard, and only the elite of gaming could complete everything there was to do. Jak 3 was their chance to get the balance right.

Gameplay-
From the off, Jak 3 manages to completely enthrall the player: from the settings of an arena, a bustling town and the unforgiving desert to the huge array of colourful characters and the mysterious storyline. The missions throughout the course of the game are hugely varied and although they're not so challenging as to put a gamer off, there are still quite a few tough missions to keep the game interesting as it twists and turns from racing to platforming to straight-forward shooting. The main game doesn't take that long to beat, unfortunately, but with a total of 600 collectibles to be won from side-quests and found in hard-to-reach places, a harder difficulty setting and a huge amount of secrets to unlock, you won't get bored quickly.

Story-
Thankfully, this game doesn't focus on tidying up the loose ends of the trilogy's story, but rather on developing a whole new plot thread while at the same time not neglecting the existing storyline. The game is set a while after the end of the second game and follows Jak's adventures with Daxter after he is banished to the desert "wasteland". Although the game shapes up to a true epic climax of the storyline, it ends with a rather tongue-in-cheek revelation which really serves only to annoy those who followed the story keenly. Basically, the storyline is strong enough to support the game, but not much more than that.

Graphics & Sound-
The graphics on this game are truly amazing; something which is surprising in itself given the sheer size of the game's world and the complete lack of anything resembling a loading screen. The graphics here blow the previous Jak games out of the water and hold their own against some of the most highly praised games on the PS2.
The sound is, unfortunately, quite average. The general sound effects are exactly what is expected and the music is virtually unnoticeable because it's just so mediocre. The voiceovers are still magnificent, although the change of actor for one of the main characters from the previous games is a little annoying for those who are used to the old voices.

Play Time/Replayability-
Unfortunately, this game only takes about 6-7 hours to beat, so if you only intend to beat the final boss you'll be disappointed. However, there's plenty of extra things to do once you've beaten the game and you'll find yourself wanting to play it a second time through, especially once you've unlocked the many secrets.

Final Recommendation-
This game is well worth buying if you liked either of the previous games and even if you were put off by Jak 2 or TPL or have never played a Jak game before, it's worth renting to see if it takes your fancy.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/07/04