Jak 3 (Review)

Right off the bat, Jak 3 is loads better than Jak 2. This statement feels odd for me because Jak 3 doesn't really fix any of the major problems from the previous game. At least unlike Jak 2, this game doesn't add any more painful problems in addition to what's caused frustration in the past. I find it relatively shocking that Naughty Dog has pretty much let any and almost all criticisms of the first two titles go unnoticed. The only thing that got some form of improvement here was the slight (and I mean slight) increase in checkpoints and the less crowded Haven City which was a hell of a lot easier to traverse now.

I'm being a little hard on Jak 3, but I actually did enjoy it. All of the problems from before are still here, but they are somewhat less frustrating than they were in the past and the game manages to be pretty fun and rewarding. The game wraps up the trilogy's storyline pretty well and the characters who are introduced are fun and probably the most fully realized characters in the series. The dialogue is less painful and forced except for Jak himself, who still sounds like a stock wannabe action hero. The game's attempts at actual humor are more successful; the cutscene that reveals the Precrussors being the highlight. Perhaps most intriguing, you can unlock commentary for a lot of the cutscenes. They're pretty interesting and shows the developers' love for their series and makes you appreciate some of the work they did. Overall though, The Jak and Daxter games really could've been handled better, but apart from Jak 2, it's a pretty fun series (overlooking some annoyances).