What Happened To Jak & Daxter | Naughty Dog's Forgotten Gem
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
- We all have games that defined our childhood. And if there’s one franchise that holds the crown of most meaningful for me is the Jak & Daxter trilogy, the precursor to both Uncharted and The Last of Us. For some reason, those two classic PlayStation characters disappeared since their last game in 2009. What I want to do in this video is retrace the history of the franchise, try to understand where it went wrong and why I believe the iconic duo deserves a comeback. Special thanks to the Jak & Daxter Wiki.
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Introduction - 00:00
Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy - 02:22
Jak 2 - 05:52
Jak 3 - 08:10
The Future of Jak - 09:21
Conclusion - 11:46
Channel Art by Yonson Carbonell ► www.yonsoncb.com
#JakAndDaxter #PlayStation #NaughtyDog - เกม
I finally made a video about Jak & Daxter 😍 About damn time! By the way, I have new headphones and my audio levels are completely different than what I used to have. So let me know how's the sound in this one! Thanks!
Some say he's still waiting to hear how his audio sounds to this day...
@@WAFFENFABRIK 😂
Take notes, Naughty Dog. We don’t just want a PS5 remaster of the original trilogy. We want JAK 4!!
WE WANT IT ALL!!!
Modern naughty dog would probably ruin it.
Won't get it. They have to remaster TLOU for the 100th time.
Jak 4 should be After Jak X.
In my Dream for Jak 4 they used Jak's Jak X Model( Would love to go to Kras City etc.
i'll tell you what, Jak shaped my life so much that I started working out to be ripped like Jak, I started Parkour/Freerunning in 2005, I went on to teach it across the world and to this day, whenever I jump off something I land the way Jak does.
Cool AF
Thats pretty cool haha like a real life Jak easter egg
@@Sway187 gotta say, if someone ever called me out on it, I would lose my mind 🤣👍👍👍
that has to be the coolest thing I've heard all month
do you double jump and collect orbs out in the world like Jak too?
Jak and Daxter. They in my opinion are one of the coolest characters ever created, Im a massive fan of their games. And it just saddens me to see all these great platformers comeback to life, but Jak and Dax are the only ones left behind, cause hey we need another last of us remake... Naughty dog literally had the chance to start develompent on a new entry in the series. Im just sad that they don't get any love, but I'm happy that the Jak and Daxter series happened!
I wish we Had a Jak And Daxter Remake( The Closest is the PC Jak and Daxter 4k Version).
Personally, I'm a lot less convinced on the success of Jak returning for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, Naughty Dog themselves have spoken why Jak was never as popular as its predecessor Crash, or its successors Uncharted and TLOU. They "threw the kitchen sink at Jak" in terms of design. His aesthetic was a mix of Western Animation and Anime that didn't really stand out in either market like Crash did. And starting from Jak 2, the gameplay had open world carjacking from GTA3, gunplay from Ratchet and Clank, hoverboarding based on Tony Hawk etc. A consequence of this approach meant that none of its individual systems were as fleshed out as the games it was emulating. Its open world sandbox wasn't as dynamic or emergent as GTA 3. Its shooting wasn't as deep as Ratchet's. And its hoverboarding sections were quite few and far between. This also diluted the time you spend platforming. So it becomes harder for a fan of GTA, Ratchet or Tony Hawk to really get into the Jak games like they would their other games. Essentially, the Jak games often struggled with their own identity, trying to be any game other than themselves. This made it harder for them to stick in the public conciousness.
Secondly, this makes it hard to continue the series in a satisfying way especially all this time later.
For one, the best selling game in the Jak series is still Jak 1. It outsold both Jak 2 and 3 combined. If you make a new Jak game, do you model it after Jak 1? If so, you upset the Jak 2 and 3 fans waiting for "their game" or a continuation of Jak. If you model it like Jak 2 and 3 as this collection of disparate gameplay styles trying to be fit together, you'd have to both essentially design the gameplay for 3-4 other games in a satisfying way into a single game. You can't get by anymore with the basics anymore. Like, it's hard to go back to GTA3 with its terrible shooting controls. So a follow up to Jak 2 and 3 would need both great shooting controls, and great open world systems, and great systems for guns, hoverboarding etc. And then you'd have to sell this game. Which is even harder. Most modern Naughty Dog fans and gamers in general would likely be turned off by the lack of focus. And the built in Jak 2 and 3 fanbase isn't exactly massive enough to carry the game.
If you scrap everything and opt for a more realistic style to "modernize" the series, well, you upset both the old fans, and have no guarantee new fans would replace them given how wacky Jak still is.
@@FraserSouris They would just need to Make New Vehiclesk( Maybe even a Eco Jet, Eco Glider, Etc in the Dream i saw Jak 4 in Where he was in His Jak x Appearance he was talking to Samos in Forbidden Jungle) For Jak to Use( Ironically The Vehicle Controls Improved in Jak 3 and Jak X) , New Weapons and Maybe New Mechanics and Ironically They can use the Jak X Areas for more Areas to Explore( Kras City , Docks Areas and Also the Areas that were in Jak 1 but Returned in Jak x as well( Forbidden Jungle, Ice Citadel Etc).
@@hurricane7727 Again. That only repeats the challenges with a Jak 2/3 type follow up. That the game's identity would still be confused and have a lot of disparate systems.
@@FraserSouris I said New Mechanics Meaning it would still Play Different than Those Games( Jak Can Have Some Eco Type Abilities like He had In The Precusor Legacy Using Blue Eco etc. Or even Combined Eco Ablities
Jak II was my first PS2 game, and still stays on top of my favorite games of all time. Great video!
Thanks :) Definitely my favorite as well. If I could blend the guns mods and the checkpoints of Jak 3 with Jak 2's story and missions, it would be a near perfect game!
@@FromTheAtticTV Sadly we cant have it all, but yeah having all improvements of Jak 3 into 2 would be really amazing : D
Jak 2 is a Hidden Driver in Jak X Combat Racing
@@KirsGM Im sensing a pattern here that when ever a Western game company creates a cartoon character, it's usually because of hardware limitations. When technology evolves the Western company abandons the cartoon character in favor of a more realistic adventure series. This has happened to Banjo Kazooie and now Jak.
sly cooper was one of my first ps2 games 😅
Jak and Daxter ws the the first video game I ever owned.. I got a Ps2 and Jak n daxter shortly after it was released for Christmas in 5th grade.. greatest game series in my mind..
Hell yeah! Clearly my favorite trilogy of games.
Jak and Daxter created an universe that inspires me until today. The dystopic scenarios, the Dark Makers, Metal Heads, the mines, deserts and mountains.... It's way beyond it's time.
This series is strange. When you mention it to most people, they would say something like "Oh yeah, I remember that"
Very true.
Yeah then I show my fandom and they express how much they took loved it but just fell off it
Hopefully with this recent running Native on PC project enough people start to generate hype about it and it gets Naughty Dog thinking
new to jak and daxter already in love with the lore, world and music and how jak moves it's so satisfying. I feel like the jak and daxter fandom has been ressurected since the first game was ported to pc.
And that makes me so happy 🙏
It felt so refreshing to see the most significant video game franchise of my childhood getting such a caring face lift. As a kid I played all of these games, and I never stopped. To this day, over 20 years later, they remain my favorites and I still replay them about once a year, sometimes more frequently. You said it perfectly, it feels like the series is being resurrected as we speak. But by fans this time rather than developers.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was my first game I played I was 4 years old now I’m 23 such a perfect game
I didn’t have a dad growing up and I loved to fish but didn’t fish much. I spent countless hours using the net to catch fish and beat the old man. One of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done
That's an awesome story man. Jak holds a special place in many people's hearts for all sorts of reasons.
Jak and Daxter is my favorite series as well, the trilogy and extra games were great, but a comeback would suffice.
I'm actually playing the collection rn (platinum'd PL, and 80% In jak 2 atm) you nailed it man, the world just feels comfortable(: love it
Those freaking games ❤ Every time I play TPL I 100% the thing 🙂 It's not too hard and it's so damn fun. Thanks for the kind words!
You can Get Jak 2 in Jak X
The amount of hype I got when I saw Naughty Dog take to the stage at summer of gaming only to have them show off last of us again...
Thinking about it Jak 1 was kind of the last really good new ip collectathon for a long time of about 15 years the genre kinda died and got revived around 2016-2017 with numerous games like a hat in time and yooka laylee.
Also something to note the main trilogy literally grew up as did jak
Jak 1: Optimistic colourful hopeful like a child
Jak 2: Dark gritty somewhat pessimistic like a dark brooding teen
Jak 3: A bit optimistic some colour growing out of the dark phase like an adult.
You quoted EVERY game of my childhood in a single intro sentence........ what a beautiful world to live in
Good times 🔥
@@FromTheAtticTV KH2 was grandiose when you played that kind of slow and rigid KH1
and Beyond Good and Evil is some masterpiece that im still afraid to see a sequel knowing what Ubi became the last decade ....... so proud to witness how beloved this game is when you know how small the video game industry was and still is in France ......
anyway great content as usual my dude, thanks for the work and entertainment!! love
@@ax2781 Thank you Axel 😀
@@ax2781 Im sensing a pattern here that when ever a Western game company creates a cartoon character, it's usually because of hardware limitations. When technology evolves the Western company abandons the cartoon character in favor of a more realistic adventure series. This has happened to Banjo Kazooie and now Jak.
@@orangeslash1667 yep it was definitely a trend back there. PS2 then PS3 era was turbo edgy and that was AMAZING. we can even quote how zelda went from wind waker to twilight princess in like..less than 3 years? and nailed it. jak 2-3 also nailed it, even tho.... that fluorescent green grass from sandover village is printed onto my brain
This video is GREAT man!! Love to see love thrown at my boys hopefully we’ll see something new in the near future! Also on a side note, the thumbnail for this video is really solid and was happy to see the video just as high quality! Cheers!!
Thank you for the kind words :)
a classic, love this trilogy is my childhood, defined. I play the series constantly, loved playing this during the pandemic again and again and again.
Awesome video! I'm glad you recommended Jak and Daxter. I can't wait to play the last 2 games when I get Plus premium :)
Glad you liked it man! Now I truly cannot wait to know what you think of Jak 2 😉 It's gonna be... A wild journey
very underrated channel, glad i found this video! keep up the great work, you could do this full time!!
Thank you so much :) That means a lot to me.
@@FromTheAtticTV Im sensing a pattern here that when ever a Western game company creates a cartoon character, it's usually because of hardware limitations. When technology evolves the Western company abandons the cartoon character in favor of a more realistic adventure series. This has happened to Banjo Kazooie and now Jak.
@@orangeslash1667 Indeed. It happened with Sucker Punch too. From Sly to Ghost of Tsushima.
@@FromTheAtticTV It reminds me of the Twilight zone episode The Obsolete man😵.
@@orangeslash1667 I don't think I've seen that one! Gonna check it out :)
I appreciated this video so much! My family played this game when we got our PS2 in the early aughts. My little brother, my dad, and I would take turns every time we'd die. We played through all 3 in the original series, and it was sometimes the only time each week my brother and I would get along. We even had he game book so we could find all of the precursor orbs! 😅 But it felt like a fever dream for so long because none of my friends or people I'd talk to later in high school or college would know what I was talking about! It's delightful to know others loved these games, too. When they were remastered for PS4, I immediately bought them, and now my family (my brother, my dad, and I) play them each Christmas when I'm home... and it's still some of the only times my brother and I get along. 💀 I list this series at the top of my favorites, and I would cherish the chance to play a new Jak & Daxter for the first time again.
Great watch! Thank you 😊
As much as I want new Jak and Daxter game, I'd rather it be developed as far away from current day Naughty Dog as possible. Insomniac would do great job with J&D IP as they've showed with last Ratchet and Clank.
You think Naughty Dog would allow one of their long-time competition to actually take over one of their own original product?
@@megapulsar9244 let's be real ND isn't interested in it and Sony has the last word. If they wanted to they could ask Polyphony Digital (Gran Turismo devs) to make new J&D and ND could only throw tantrums at the higher ups.
@@victim2077 Im sensing a pattern here that when ever a Western game company creates a cartoon character, it's usually because of hardware limitations. When technology evolves the Western company abandons the cartoon character in favor of a more realistic adventure series. This has happened to Banjo Kazooie and now Jak.
I had a Dream About Jak 4 and Jak has his Appearance from Jak X and him and Samos
where talking about Time Travel.
still remember beating Jak 3 as an 8 year old in 2005. That game was hard as fuck (at least compared to Ratchet and Clank). Never managed to beat Jak 2.
Yeah Jak 2 took me months haha!
This was definitely my favorite game(s) when I was younger. The PS2 had some great hits like God of War and GTA San Andreas and 500 Ratchet and Clank games lol....but this was always the best. It always surprised me that it didn't seem to be that well known though and I wish it could've had more games to the series but I think the story ended well the way the did it. Except Jak and Kiera...they should have been confirmed as a couple at the end of 3 and she should have had more screen time in 3.....but other than that it is a game that will always hold a special place in my heart. A cartoony game but with shooting and action as well as a good bit of mature innuendo, just perfect.
Yeah, it really seemed like the developers stopped caring about Keira, there. But then they payed more attention to her in X again, at least.
But I gotta call you out on there being 500 Ratchet and Clank games, cause there's only about as many of them as Jak and Daxter games! (On the PS2, that is)
We had both trilogies for both series
Then Jak X, as well as Ratchet Deadlocked
Then we had those that must not be mentioned (Jak and Daxter Last Frontier and Ratchet and Clank Size Matters)
There's also Secret Agent Clank, but it's still only one more game over Jak and Daxter
@@mar_speedman True, I guess they do have about the same number, for the PS2 at least. Yea, the one thing I didn't like was the ending for Jak 3. Jak X got the ending that 3 deserved. Instead they decided to end it with Jak and Ashelin together for some unknown reason. Made no sense.
This is epic - I remember when Jak 2 was announced and it blew my mind how Jak 1 lead to that story arch. I visited London just to experience it for the first time and I couldn't get over how incredible and imaginative the world of Jak felt. Additionally, when Jak 3 was announced, I bought the playstation magazine with the demo, but wasn't allowed to play it until my homework was done, but I snook downstairs at like 3am, carefully opened up the plastic sleeve with the magazine and demo, played it at like 3 volume, completed it, put it back and no one was the wiser! Haha a remake of the entire franchise with additional gameplay, story, and the added Jak 4 would be incredible!
AND I visted LA to go to E3 in 2019 and i saw Jason Rubin and he's the only person I've ever frozen speaking to. Jak and Daxter is why I work in games development today
"Naughty Dog, please bring my boys back. They deserve it"
*Naughty Dog proceeds to make a 70+ USD LoU P1 Remake and a standalone Last of Us Multiplayer game*
😂 I actually don't mind these projects. But yes, I would prefer a return to Jak.
I'm starting the trilogy right now because of this! Just to be more excited when the inevitable review will be announced!
Oh don't hold your breath for this one. But who knows 😉 Excited to know what you think about this mastapiece!
Just figured out your channel! Damn your video's are amazinggg! Loved Jak and Daxter when I was young, such memories looking back to it!
Thank you so much Ludwig :) Glad you enjoy the content!
From Lukes Discord I love it and call me subbed .......I love your production quality man keep it up
I appreciate it 🙏 And thanks for helping out with the algorithm by commenting 🙂 Always super helpful!
@@FromTheAtticTV I am glad to help ....... I am always there to help out small youtubers
You hit the nail on the head on what you said about the ps2 shaping your personality.. literally the same for me
Legit one of my all time Favorite Games! When I first got my PS2 slim as a kid, Jak 2 was the game that came with it!! And I’m so glad it did cuz I spent so many hours playing Jak 2!
Yo I just found this channel, your thumbnails are insane lol. Some of the best I’ve ever seen. Just wanted to say that
Thanks a lot :) My real job is a graphic design, so I appreciate that haha
It’s also interesting because they have Jak as one of the few PlayStation profile pictures you can choose in the last decade. Hundreds of thousands of people have Jak profile pictures. They treat it like some sort of distant ancestor instead if giving it the revival and respect it deserves.
Bro Jak 2 was awesome. Skateboarding, guns, beast mode… best game ever lol
Got the PC port for Jack and Daxter the precursor legacy. I've been loving going back and playing the game that ultimately started my passion for gaming.
I wanted to get PS2 for years (because of MGS2 and FFX), and eventually my mom bought me one with Jak 2 bundled with it. I hadn't heard of it, didn't care of it, but ended up popping it in regardless (because it was the only game I had) and my mind was blown. It was so good, and it definitely is up there in my favorite games of all time list.
Man i was so mad when the game dissapeared ever since i first got the ps2 i played a bunch of different franchises like rachet and clank as well as sly cooper and early kingdom of hearts with a bit of dragon ball but man jack and daxter was and still is to me one of the best games i have played i also really hope for another game to come out soon as it will never be the same without such a game with tons of raw potential
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is the videogame equivalent of comfort food
This video is actually pretty informative, neat
Thank you very much. I appreciate it 🙏
if they make a jak 4 i will cry of joy for days playing it, i already know.
Still hurts knowing ND is making a TLOU remake instead of a Jak remake smh
Oh absolutely. I mean, I really don't mind the TLOU remake, but if I had to choose between that and a Jak Remake I wouldn't even think twice haha!
Agreed!!! 👍🏻💯..
I think a Jak 4 game with a visual style like the Rachet and Clank riff apart (with that cartoonish visuals but detailed as hell) would fit pretty damn well with the franchise. They should take like base exploring the beyonds of the city and the wasteland, like... why is there no other Civilizations? Or something like that idk. Maybe exploring the universe... All i know is that it should be refreshing, but still having parts of the classical maps, I want to explore a new version of the city in Jak 4.
This was great! Id love some more retrospectives
I'll keep that in mind :) There are in fact a couple of games I'd like to look back on.
@@FromTheAtticTV yeah man! Stuff like this is awesome! Keep up the great work!
@@brettrogames Thanks 🤘
Awesome series :P
Indeed 😍
As an eight-year-old at the time, Jak II was (and still is) my jam
A new Jak and Daxter game to continue the trilogy and a online multiplayer mode for tlou 2 would be amazing.
The possibilities are endless with those two projects alone in my opinion.
Good news! There's a port in PC of Jax and Daxter The Precursor Legacy
I was around like 10 years old when I played it. Mostly Jak 2. Messing around in the city, annoying the crimson guards. Got excited completing missions. Feeling like a loser not being able to pass a city holographic border wall, then thrilled once I unlocked the walls. Dealing with those annoying scorpions in certain missions. You name it.
My wife is currently playing through TPL for the first time. She’s finding it pretty hard so I’ll probably have to help her, but I hope she discovers at least a fondness for the world and its characters, because J&D defined my pre-teen years.
Given what happened to The Last of Us 2, it's probably best that Jak stays dormant
Maybe a Jak offspring? Or how Jak was before the time travel or if that never happened? So many possibilities!
What if Jak was Never Captured After he Just Arrived in Haven City in the Jak 2 Opening? He and Daxter Arrived in front of the Underground Headquarters
What if Jak reconsidered the offer from the precursors at the end of Jak 3 to explore the universe? He ends up learning more about the Dark Makers, where they came from, and finds out about some evil plan they came up with.
Honestly anything with Jak & daxter I'll buy I want this series to come back so bad
sound quality is fye
I remember getting Jak 3 for christmas and playing it all day
BIt’s hard for me to talk about Jak as a whole without getting gushy or using flowery language on all the little ways it’s sticks out as one-of-a-kind in the realm of artistic creation,
On top of being a good example & learning experience of intuition & experimentation with game design paying off.
It’s a shame this I.p. Has somewhat fell into semi-obscurity, given how allot of games today owe it’s influence. It May or may not be on par with something like System Shock or Half-life, but it’s a big / memorable cornerstone for sure.
First game on console was jak and daxter this is my childhood i was so happy when jak x came out and it was layin under the Christmas tree
Jak and Daxter is a prime example of taking a set of game characters and developing their character and story over the course of the series to make the player say “wow what a great story”. Just like Ezio in the Ezio trilogy. It feels like a lost element in todays games.
So true! The Ezio comparison is on point as well.
welcome back :)
a new jak and daxtergame would be awesome
Thanks! Sorry for being away for a whole month. We desperately need Jak back indeed.
That has a nice ring to it actually 😅
BRING JAK BACK! BRING JAK BACK!
@@FromTheAtticTV Yes We Need Jak And Daxter COME ON NAUGHTY DOG BRING BACK JAK AND DAXTER!!!!!!
All of us jak and Daxter fans should just try to reach out. Express how much a new game would be awesome. Technology is different there is plenty of ways to go about it
They would have such a big audience and lots of $ to be made
Awesome vid! So, if a studio was to make a new Jak game, what kind of game would you like to see?
Thanks :) I would go either two ways. My dream game would be to see an older Jak in his quest to become Mar to complete the time loop started in Jak 2. Which would involve the creation of The Heart of Mar (the time travelling artifact he created) and the foundation of Haven City in the past.
But since it would most likely be way too hard to explain all the back story in one game, I also wouldn't mind a completely fresh start with Jak & Daxter moving on a new planet, with new lore, etc.
First game was an absolute gem. I can't pick a favorite between Jak, Ratchet, or Sly series though. They all are basically equal for me.
Daaamn you got that Xbox 360 avatar
I prefered the dude with the beanie chewing gum
Did you know there's a "Kingdom Hearts" fanfic focused on Roxas, in which one of the worlds he visits is this one ? It's called "The Twilight Will".
A remake of the first 3 would be a wet dream come true.
I always loved the models on the Jak 3 Cover, they should do that but make environments photorealistic, it would feel perfect in my eyes.
That would be an interesting mix :) Personally, I'd do exactly like the Ratchet games. Just a super polished cartoonish look.
@@FromTheAtticTV I just think it makes no sense making Jak, Daxter and everyone realistic but do something like Pixar & Disney, Raya and The Last Dragon has a pretty perfect balance of that especially when seeing the pure Ancient Environments.
@@artistanthony1007 Yeah that movie was gorgeous!
I actually bought the jak and daxter games for my ps4 and I gotta say pure bliss getting all my childhood games back
I can say I'm probably one of the few new gen kids that know this og game it's the best ever game no cap, can't wait to see a new game made and I miss and love it sm it helped me alot thru my childhood, putting as much love as I can into this comment hope they make another bless you all
Glad to see the love for this legendary franchise 🙌
@@FromTheAtticTV it's because it's just amazing I grew up on jak and daxter, Spyro and command and conquer
@@christianhawkins8871 Im sensing a pattern here that when ever a Western game company creates a cartoon character, it's usually because of hardware limitations. When technology evolves the Western company abandons the cartoon character in favor of a more realistic adventure series. This has happened to Banjo Kazooie and now Jak.
I remember being like 4 years old when Jak and Daxter came out and watching a neighborhood kid play it at his house and genuinely not believing it was real. It was a revelation.
We want Jak 4!!!🗣🗣 I think insomniac games should take over the franchise if naughty dog won’t do it. They used the composer “Mark Mothersbaugh” from the original Jak and Daxter, in the new ratchet and clank game.
There are actually a couple of Jak and Daxter easter eggs in rift apart.
@@Alucard15423 Im sensing a pattern here that when ever a Western game company creates a cartoon character, it's usually because of hardware limitations. When technology evolves the Western company abandons the cartoon character in favor of a more realistic adventure series. This has happened to Banjo Kazooie and now Jak.
This is nostalgia and the fact I bought a ps2 and the jak n daxter trilogy a month ago
I had a demo disc with Jak and Daxter on it and it was my favorite on the disc
Then I got Jak II and to this day it ranks among my top of all time!
Along with 007 Nightfire and Tony Hawk Pro Skater (1/2/THUG2)
Those are some fire games my friend 🔥
It’s wasn’t forgotten were all still waiting for either a sequel or a remake
i remember xmas eve especially when Jak3 came out. I got it for xmas a fe months after it came ou. The throne room after the beginning gets going......young me was dazed man.
I want to see the original concept of the sequel to jak and daxter
They deserve remake and sequel after that
I grew up with this game. I still play it today! Need a jak 4!!!!
There is an issue with naughty dog making jak 4 and that is the genres they make now like uncharted and the last of us.
They aren't used to cartoony games any more but I think insomniac would be better at making the next jak game
Stylization in games has been getting a comeback of sorts in recent years so there is a possibility that Naughty Dog would come back to that again
If the studio came out with another jak game tomorrow i would buy whatever console was necessary just to play it
Them early 2000 games were just so Perfect
Rayman and Jak deserves a new game for the trilogy, Rayman 4 and Jak 4 together!
Jax 4? Why not!! Friggin Iconic! There like 4-6 games from my childhood this is number one
I generally enjoy the Jak trilogy but I think what hurts it the most in hindsight was the lack of focus and properly executed concepts that were built after TPL. I'm going to compare contemporaries for a moment, crash had ultra linear 3D and 2D hybrid platforming with a focus on secrets, hidden collectables, occasional power ups and moveset additions, spyro had open ended levels with a moveset focused on traversal, simple combat and exploration with the occasional addition to core mechanics or minigame, sly had platforming mixed with elements of stealth and revamped it for sly 2 and 3 adding different playable characters to the mix and RaC focused on planet hopping, collecting weapons and gadgets, combat using those various weapon types and character progression with RPG elements (planet hopping was only absent for 2 out of the 14 non mobile phone entries).
For Jak it initially had a nice idea of a seamless world using it as a collectathon playground, simple eco mechanics, several movement options and utilizing the zoomer from time to time. The sequel then changes everything outside of the core moveset while introducing a mechanic (dark Jak) that's vastly underutilized in its introductory game then adding another one in the follow up (light Jak) that's relatively just as wasted in execution since the ability of time slow and flight are only mandatory a few times just in the same monk temple and there's nowhere else requiring their utility and it's half baked especially considering the rest are just as wasted for their combat utility due to lack of genuine challenge. The only new core mechanic that's used in any proper way in both games is the jetboard.
This leads to the attempts at Jaks combat, TPL wasn't very focused on it outside of using red and yellow eco for enemy AI on par with Spyro. However just like crash the enemies have touch damage; which is fine in Jak 1 but leaving it in the sequels becomes questionable at best, even the Spyro games never had touch damage for enemies and the same goes for RaC. This works much better because it gives the player time to anticipate a melee attack instead of being swarmed and taking damage by just brushing up against an enemy before they do anything. So Jak 2 and 3 then adds gun combat with a lack of hindsight so it's either stiff and imprecise with its aiming system or completely broken and imbalanced in order to make up for the same system with no improvement for any worthwhile player controlled strategy or genuine test of the players reflexes in encounters; just X+O+R1 and you win.
All in all there's better ways to revamp gameplay while keeping the original essence intact. An example being Sly 2, it's different from Sly 1 in structure but keeps its stealth routes and expands upon core mechanics introduced in the first while introducing new playable characters with their own mechanics while Jak 2 only keeps the core moveset from TPL but haphazardly tacks on either underdeveloped or unrefined mechanics on top of that foundation with only attempts at mild improvements in the follow up (dark Jak and hoverboard). If this series is going to return at all then a demon's souls like remake for TPL with added cut concepts and expansion of mechanics is a must.
I agree with a lot of your points 🙂 Jak was in fact a lot more all over the place than Ratchet and Sly. One of the main reasons why some elements like Dark Jak and especially Light Jak are underutilized is simply because of the games' length. And I'm sure, if those games received remakes with added content, this problem could be fixed easily.
As for the series identity, I never really had an issue understanding what Naughty Dog wanted to do. The unique thing about Jak, in my opinion, its special ingredient, was specifically the idea of having non-stop new gameplay situations thrown in with action-adventure platforming as the glue to all this, making every mission a surprise. Jak 3 was a step in the right direction when it comes to how these elements were put together. For instance, when you go to the monk temple through a driving section, climb it (platforming), then use the glider (flying sequence) and explore the volcanic mountain (action-adventure, platforming, riding the leaper lizards, etc.). For me, that's what Jak is; a barrage of mechanics that the player must constantly react to. It's just super fun being thrown around like that haha! When you think you know what to expect, the game is like Nope, here's a turret section!
However, there is in fact a pacing problem. For instance, the first missions of Jak 3 are all centred around vehicles, having a rhythm mini-game as a second mission is a very bad idea, etc. But I do think that it would be possible to make a Jak 4 (or even a remake of the first games) that would flow seamlessly between a variety of gameplay mechanics while still keeping action-adventure platforming as its core component.
Please please please we need another one
We need a God of war 2018 level game to drop for Jak, he deserves it.
Honestly I can see a real mature story about PTSD, identity, and loss; in his cartoonish world would be fantastic.
Top of my head here's the plot:
Jak accidentally kills Kiara while sleeping together because of dark jak, disappears for ten year (which is hundreds cause time travel) to join the precursors in their war with the dark makers. And shows back up when Daxters is about to be killed as an old enemy returns.
BOOM engagement, intrigue, character development.
everytime i hear that someone is a jak and daxter fan and they bring up lost frontier that person stops existing to me altogether
Loved this game growing up.
I'm stunned and baffled Naughty Dog don't make a final Jak game based solely off of redeeming themselves
Naughty dog should’ve gone to insomniac games in the earlier years to help develop a sequel for the jak and daxter series, would’ve been cool to see insom’s take on the series
Naughty Dog is way past these times, it would be a miracle if they would not do another blockbuster game as their next one.
Jak & Daxter in 2023 would be the definition of blockbuster though. Open-world action adventure with flying cars, dune buggies and morphing guns!!
But I get what you mean. Sadly, Naughty Dog are in fact way past making fun games.
Hehe sorry I had to do it 😅✌
I have been waiting for so looooong by now... When the PS4 came out in 2013 I have hoped for a revival and a remake of the franchise... and kept an eye out for many years... I hate that its not getting revived...
I relate to your pain...
Ngl if they would make a spin-off game focusing on the Freedom League's expansion out into newer frontiers in a Tropico inspired way just with also having to fight off their enemies including newer rebel cults that could spring up to resist the FL then I would totally buy it because I've always wanted to build cities and command armies in Jak and Dexter's world. 💜
One of the first games i bought on the PS2 People who love that game have probably grown up at this point. Don't mind me. I bought Ratchet & clank too.. but for nostalgic reasons, i can't recall anything about the story or quests (it was okay, though). I'm glad they didn't ruin Jak and Dexter just to sell the title. Let's see what happens in the PS6 or 7 era. 😂
I been waiting for jak nd dexter 4 my whole life that’s if it ever come out lol
I think we all want jak 4 I been waiting my whole life
Trust me,we haven't forgotten
I loved the bundle on PS3 and I definitely plan to get it on my PS5
3 things the trilogy left me wondering
1. Who’s actually MAR
2. Is Maya and gul still alive
3. What happened to the eco sages when the metal heads invaded
Three questions I would LOVE to see answered in a sequel!