Jak 3 Classic Review

Jak 3 (PS2)

Classic Review

      Back in 2004, my fifth-grade class took a trip to the library to check out books for a long weekend. After picking up my usual Hank The Cow Dog and Guardians Of Ga’Hoole, I sat down and started to discuss Jak and Daxter and Ratchet and Clank with one of my friends. Mid-way through the conversation, he paused and pointed at an ad in the magazine he was reading. I looked at it and we both almost screamed. The ad showed Jak and Daxter standing over a large desert. In the background sat a city that looked nothing like Haven City, the city in Jak 2. There was a large robot battling cars in the desert so you can imagine just how big our adolescent freak out was. I had finally come to terms with the more adult Jak just a year prior, but now we were getting more? I could barely pay attention to Hank The Cowdog’s canine adventures that weekend I was so excited.

     Jak 3 is the third (go figure), but not final, Jak game in the series. Even though it wasn’t the end of the series, it brought the trilogy started in the Precursor Legacy to a close by exploring Jak’s true origins and giving closure to the world itself. Other entries tried to build the lore of the world, but in terms of world-building, they feel a bit tacked on.
      As good as Jak 3 is, it also marked a change for the developer Naughty Dog, who would still go on to make the next Jak game, Jak X: Combat Racing. After that, however, as development for modern PS3 Jak title looked to bring down development on their next flagship series, Uncharted, Naughty Dog had to “grow up.” They ultimately handed off the Jak franchise to High Impact Games, and Jak: The Lost Frontier was born. That was 2009, though, and there haven't even been hints at another game since.
      Jak 3 finds Jak and Daxter banished to a vast desert called the Wasteland. Haven City is in the middle of a three-way war and they are being blamed for starting it. After almost dying in the desert, Jak is saved and brought in by the people of Spargus, a city populated by those Haven City cast out. Jak soon discovers a grander plot at play, with White Walker-esque villains descending upon the Earth from space. Jak decides to go back to Haven city in order to discover the truth about the mythical Precursors, and himself, in order to save all he holds dear one last time.

       Jak 3 improved on many of the issues of Jak 2. And boy is there plenty to choose from. Jak 3 features a game world that feels more alive, more weapons, and a vastly improved checkpoint system. Even though the vast majority of the game takes place in the desert, Spargus City doesn’t feel dead. The whole of the city gives off a Mad Max vibe, and the people inside are gruff and will attack you if you hit them. The Wasteland itself is mostly empty, but that emptiness allows you to take some new land-based vehicles out to hunt giant Metal Heads, and race along the sand dunes.
     The desert is a stark contrast to Haven City, which has received an overhaul. Haven city is teeming with more life due to the fact they are embroiled in a war within its walls. There are constant battles all over the city, and it's easy to drop in anywhere and go to town killing Metal Heads or killer robots. I remember fondly breaking away from the story as a kid and unloading every bit of ammo I had to fight my way through the city instead of flying over the chaos.
      There are triple the number of guns in Jak 3. Each of these new guns is presented as a "mod" for one of the four existing guns from Jak 2. These range from the standard blaster, to an electric spitting gun, to a literal mini-nuke. On top of this, the aiming mechanic and vastly improved upon, making it easy to shoot anything you come near.
     Outside of guns, Jak has gained a few new Dark Powers as well. He can turn invisible and fire off an energy blast like an evil, purple Goku. To counter these new offensive powers is a new set of defensive based Light Jak powers. These allow Jak to heal, make a shield, and even fly. Flying is one of the best features in the game. Once you gain this power, you can access almost any area in the game, doubling the amount of exploration available in the game.

      The story is broken up exactly the same as Jak 2. Jak has to go to an icon on the map, watch a cutscene, complete a mission, rinse, repeat. The story, while much more intriguing than the revenge-fueled romp of the previous game, is much shorter. This most recent playthrough only lasted around six to eight hours as opposed to Jak 2’s twelve to fourteen. This may be due to the fact that the story structure is much more linear and transportation around the world is far easier, however. The improved checkpoint system is a godsend as well. Most missions have two or three checkpoints spread out among them, which helps the pacing in some of the late game missions that tend to be a bit harder. There is also a replay feature, allowing players to play through some of the more exciting missions.
        Jak 3 is easily the most quotable of all the games. The jokes are still funny, if not the right amount of cringy, and the new characters introduced are fun. They double down on the weird Bee Movie relationship Daxter has with a woman, but it can be easily skipped. However, the emotional scarring will remain.
     The main villains, Count Veger and Cyber-Errol are straight from a comic book and Their plans for world domination, while cliche, is a delight to watch unfold and fall apart. A twist involving the Precursors at the end still makes me laugh to this day and remains one of my favorite twists in any game. On top of that, the final battle is the right amount of challenging, yet satisfying when you beat it.
      Despite my Fanboy woes for the future of the Jak series, there are still two more Jak games to explore after this. The Jak series, or rather, this original trilogy, stands out as one of my favorites to this day. Even though the PS3 came out a year and a half later, I still found myself booting this game up despite PS3's allure of more mature titles. Jak 3 improved on everything Jak 2 got wrong and playing it all these years later is still just as fun as the first time. Jak has gone silent for now, but I will always be here every E3, waiting for the best duo in gaming to return.