Jak 3 (2004)

This game gave me (almost) everything I wanted after leaving Jak II a bit frustrated with its rough edges. The writing here is top-notch, controls are tightened, and traversing the immense environments has been streamlined. I can't tell you how many times this game made me laugh or stop and take in the wondrous imagination of the Jak & Daxter world. The way it still feels epic three console generations later is a testament to Naughty Dog's work.

That being said, if Jak II taught us anything it's that ambition comes at the price of frustration. With checkpoints finally more plentiful, the big detractors this time around are the aiming and vehicle controls. That aiming is still mapped to your movement and not to the right joystick was annoying before but is downright maddening given 3's heavier focus on action, frequently surrounding you with enemies and no way to guarantee your shots are landing where they need to. Aerial enemies are even more frustrating in this regard and of course make frequent appearances. The vehicle controls are not quite so maddening, although their floaty nature had me about ready to break my first controller last night during the final boss battle, which necessitates you shooting items attached to all sides of a large moving vehicle. Without the ability to freely aim your gun or control your vehicle with enough precision to make quick turns, getting past the stage was more a test of luck than skill.

I wanted so badly to give Jak 3 five stars and was willing to overlook quite a few hiccups along the way. The last couple stages' focus on gunplay and driving, however, ended things on a bit of a sour note that I'm sure will fade in my memory with time. What I hope to be left with are all the great story and action beats that are unlike anything I've played before or since, culminating in a surprisingly emotional finale that somehow pays off and wraps up all of the story threads from this very convoluted series. In fact, it was so satisfying that I think I'll hold off on playing Jak X for a couple weeks just to revel in it a bit longer.

I tempered my expectations a bit going into Jak 3. On one hand, the consensus online has been that it's a lot more fair than Jak II, which I found pretty frustrating at certain points. On the other hand, it's definitely more a continuation of that game than The Precursor Legacy, and it doesn't seem to be as frequently discussed or well-regarded as its predecessors.

But I was pleasantly surprised! Jak 3 improves on Jak II in a lot of different ways:

• Checkpoints are more forgiving!
• Environments are brighter and more varied.
• There are more platforming challenges.
• The game justifies Daxter's inclusion a bit more than the last two.
• New characters are (IMO) more likeable.
• The addition of armor and weapon upgrades (via the story or by spending orbs) gives the game a much more tangible feel of progression and a lot more options for tackling obstacles. I no longer felt helpless after running out of one type of ammo.
• Light and dark abilities are actually useful! (I got slight Soul Reaver vibes from these.)
• Dune buggies and lizard mounts shake up what was previously monotonous hovercraft travel.
• There's a late-game story beat I didn't see coming that delighted me.
• No missable orbs!

I still prefer the first game for its focus on platforming, its more upbeat tone and its silent protagonist (the more Jak speaks, the more I wish he wouldn't). There are still one or two pretty frustrating sections and a few jokes that have aged poorly. But overall, this is a great game and a welcome evolution of Jak II's best qualities. I dig it!