Jak 3 Review

Synopsis

The game opens with Jak being banished to the Wasteland for life by Count Veger for supposed "crimes" against the people of Haven City. As he (along with Daxter and Pecker, who decided to join him) begins to succumb to the heat of the desert, a flashback shows Haven being under a mass attack by Metal Heads. Contrary to Torn's theory in the previous game, the destruction of the Metal Head Leader did not wipe out all the Metal Heads. Also, the Krimson Guard's special force of "K.G. Robots" went rogue and began attacking Haven citizens, leaving the city divided into three parts. The Palace is then destroyed by an unknown force. As Jak, Daxter, and Pecker lose consciousness, they are rescued by a group of desert-dwellers, who take them back to Spargus City.

Upon their arrival in Spargus, Damas, the king, demands that Jak serve him in return for allowing Jak to remain in the city and to repay the debt for saving his life. In their time there, Pecker becomes Damas' royal adviser, and also learns that their longtime friend Sig was actually a spy from Spargus. They also travel to a Precursor Monk temple, where Jak receives many new powers, and learn from a monk named Seem of a foretold destruction of the planet. During one of Damas' missions, Jak is found by Ashelin, who begs him to come back to Haven City to defend it from the Metal Heads and the new Krimzon Guard Deathbots. Still embittered about being exiled, he refuses to return. Ashelin leaves him, but later, Jak changes his mind and makes the journey via transport to Haven City. Jak and Daxter help reunite the Freedom League and give them hope that they can beat back the Metal Heads and KG Deathbots. During a lull in the fighting they receive a transmission from Errol, now a cyborg due to an explosion in the previous game, revealing himself to be the driving force behind the K.G. and Metal Head attacks.

Partway through the game, Jak and Daxter start to encounter strange creatures. A Precursor telescope in the forest of Haven City reveals that the beings are Dark Makers, who were once Precursors, but exposure to Dark Eco transformed them into twisted beings. Jak finds that a purple star in the sky is actually a Dark Maker space ship, and it is nearing the planet. The only way to stop the ship is to activate the planetary defense system situated at the core of the planet. During an attack on the Krimzon Guard War Factory, Jak finds Errol, who boasts of his new strength and body. It's also revealed that Errol is the one contacting the Dark Makers. Jak destroys the KG War Factory, but Errol manages to escape. Jak tracks down Errol again at the Metal Head Nest Tower, where Errol is once again able to escape before the tower collapses. With the general containment and victory over the Metal Heads and Deathbots in Haven City, Jak and Daxter begin their journey to the Planet Core.

They are aided by Damas, who helps them break through the Metal Head territories. Damas is killed in the attack, and with his dying breath he unknowingly reveals that he is Jak's father (Damas dies never knowing Jak is his son); he also reveals that Jak's true name is Mar, the name of the founder of Haven City. They are then ambushed by Count Veger, who then tells Jak that he was the one who took him from Damas hoping to use his eco powers for his experiments but then lost him to the underground just prior to the events of the previous game. Count Veger then begins a race with Jak and Daxter down to the planetary core. Once there, Veger absorbs the Precursor's powers. Then, the actual Precursors appear to reveal that they are Ottsels like Daxter. Veger is then detained by The Precursors as he is turned into an Ottsel. Jak and Daxter are then teleported to the Dark Maker Ship to deactivate its shields while the planetary defense system charges. The mission is a success, but Errol, who boarded the ship using a Warp-Gate, takes a Dark Maker Terraformer and pilots it down to the planet's surface. Jak follows, and after a battle, Jak takes one last shot at the cockpit of the Terraformer, destroying it, along with Errol.

After a celebration in Spargus City, the Precursors bid farewell to the planet and go out into the universe to combat the Dark Makers. Jak is offered a place in their ranks, but he declines.

Setting

The setting in this game is set further in the future than the last one, At the begining of the game i thought it would be set in Haven City again, which would have been boring and i wanted a new place to explore, luckly right at the begining of the game your thrown out into the wasteland, upon adventureing into the wasteland you are found by some locals and taken to Spargus City this is where you spend most of your time in this game. I found this move quite cool, it also suits jaks personality, being out in the dangerous wastelaand, doing races to survive and gain respect upon his new dwellers. I also liked the way they made dramatic changes to the places you spent time in alot in 'Jak II'.

Setting Rating:9/10

Gameplay

The Gameplay was basically the same as the Jak II which was brilliant, Jak II was a breakthrough and i like that they kept things the same. The new 'Buggy' element was absolutly amazing, it made the game more manly rather than doing fast races trying to get to first place. Your doing fast races with weapons and if someones in first place, you simply kill them, thats the end of it. Keeping the dark Jak was a smart move by NaughtyDog i can enjoy slicing people up again haha, Oh and that reminds me the 'Pure Jak' was just epic i mean, you grow wings, and fly, i mean COME ON THAT IS EPIC i cant remeber how he attacks but i remember it being amazing, there are only a few parts in the game you can be Pure Jak and i think they were to do with puzzles, it was genius, beautiful, simply beautiful. I belive you could use the hover-board on this but im not too sure. Also the way you could unlock cheats the further into the game you got was amazing, i remember completeing it and being able to have all guns and ammo from the start which was so so fun!

Gameplay Rating:8/10

Graphics

As you can probably tell from its front case, the graphics were alot better than the last, the graphics i would say would not be too much hassle to us 720p/1080i users it was great also the sand effect whenever you would ride your buggy, the wheels making the sand fly of in whatever direction you turned the graphics where pretty swell. Also with sertain attack moves or by shooting your gun daxter would do a number of funny expressions or fly about on your body, NaughtyDog are well know for there 'wacky' Graphics. In a few weeks sony are doing a 720p HD version of all of the games in the Jak Series, If anyone is interested in playing them.

Graphics Rating:9/10

Controls

Well the controls were pretty basic which is why i loved them just the clasic R1 to shoot x to jump square/circle to attack it wasn't a game that was hard to get used to. Also had vibration which is what most gamers enjoy when they shoot or get hit, or certain moments in cut-scenes just simply brilliant control choice by NaughtyDog

Controls Rating 10/10

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