Jak and Daxter HD Collection Review (PS3)

Two more PS2 mascots are cleaned up for the modern gamer

Jak and Daxter – remember them? Once the darlings of the new Playstation 2, and set to be successors to Crash Bandicoot (who himself was Naughty Dog’s previous mascot), Jak and Daxter unfortunately didn’t strike a chord to the same level as their direct rivals, Ratchet and Clank, and have yet to grace the modern console generation. Series fans have cried the world over for a new HD title, and although J&D:HDC isn’t offering anything new, the new shine of polish may potentially pull in some new fans and help rally the cry for a true sequel. But first, the contents: despite being called Jak and Daxter HD Collection, this only collects the original PS3 trilogy, and passes over both PSP spinoffs (Daxter, and Lost Frontier) and the racing spinoff Jak X. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the original trilogy is by far the strongest set of Jak titles. So, what is J&D, for those who have no clue? Well, this is the first part where it gets interesting; despite a strong action platform thread running through all three games, and a very strong sci-fi/fantasy setting, all three games are quite different. Jak 1 is a classic open platformer in the style of Mario 64, with open levels requiring missions to be completed in any order to progress. Jak 2 strips down the open world aspect, instead presenting a far more linear set of action-heavy levels set in an oppressive and dark city, lowering the light, fun tone of the original and stepping much closer to the likes of Beyond Good and Evil in terms of feel. Jak 3, last of all, balances between the two, rounding out the overarching tale in a Mad Max-inspired world that culminates in some really epic battling, and throwing the entire gaming sink at the gamer – driving, platforming, combat, gunplay and more make it the real highlight of the trilogy.

For the price, you get a good dose of quality gaming that will last some time

So, to put it very bluntly, Jak 3 is awesome, 1 is good but feels quite dated, and Jak 2 straddles the line between the two but comes over as the poor cousin. However, overall, this is a great set of games – Daxter alone outshines characters from most games of the last few years, and Naughty Dog’s ability to create believable worlds and situations (as shown in the Uncharted games, for example) shines through yet again. The meta-plot is brilliant, and the world and its inhabitants really appeal to even the most cynical of gamer – despite its cartoony appeal, there are some very grown-up jokes and themes littered throughout the trilogy. One thing though, is that everyone will have one clear favourite: the changeable nature of each title means that often the best elements of one title are not prevalent in the others. For example, the true genius of the original title is the open plan levels with interesting challenges, none of which is really evident in the other two. Also, there’s a real visual swing too, mainly attributable to the ages of the titles – Jak 1 really looks like a PSP title with little upgrading, whereas Jak 3 could pass for an early PS3 title. The cartoony nature of the art design does cover up for this somewhat, but you can’t help but feel the age still shows through the too-often cracks. One more thing is Jak 2 – you need to play these games in order to get the most out of them, and Jak 2 really feels like a filler title. By offering an attempt at open-world, it can become a trawl at times, and sprinkling these with uneven combat tied to a detection mechanic will make several players launch controllers in disgust. The missions themselves are also incredibly linear, and really jar after the open feel of the original. Don’t let it put you off, though, as Jak 2 is still a good game. Jak 3, though, makes the package worthwhile on its own, and feels like a coming of age for the series. Blending a wide array of gameplay types, and keeping travelling time between them down, Jak 3 finally fulfils the potential promised in the first two titles by really going to town on the gameplay. Everything just works, and works really well. The truth of this title is the same as so many other HD collections: there will be people who buy it on nostalgia and will love it, and a great many who will pass it by. Compared to other collections (such as MGS), there’s not a huge amount on offer here, but I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys a bit of action platforming that doesn’t ask too much of the gamer. It won’t set the world alight, but in an age where the only platforming action we can get is HD collections such as these, it nestles in nicely, and for the price, you get a good dose of quality gaming that will last some time.