Nostalgic ?
Frankly, no... Oula, yes I see the outcry and I know that many people cried over the disappearance of this very Disney poetry of the first opus and so enchanting... Well yeah the little wolves but we will have to make a cross over, the flashy colors, the cute little monsters and tutti quanti it's over. This has been the case for an episode already and we suspected that Naughy Dog was not going to back down like that. So we draw a final line on the wishes of “oh I hope they will do a cute game again”, the answer is “no” and it is final. After all they are right, you have to move forward in life and take risks…
The risks and the danger, Jak masters quite well elsewhere. The story picks up where the previous episode left you: you saved the city of Abri ville but this one, far from thanking you, ejects you manu militari into the desert. You may have proclaimed your innocence, but a vile plot has been hatched against you. Fortunately, while the desert and starvation fall on you, you are saved (Jak, Daxter and Pecker, a talkative monkey-headed parrot, no, don't try to understand...) in extremis by the Fremen, uh sorry, the men of the desert (but no, not those who go “Hrrrkkkk Hoonnnnkk!!! Hoooonkk, honk honk!!!” while waving a gaderfi above their beribboned heads). In short, the men of the desert live hidden in a desert city (on the other hand, the men of the desert who live in a ski resort, that would have been stupid... That said, if it was a ski resort skiing surrounded by a desert of ice, it would be worth thinking about… Yeah, let's move on). In this city, Jak is mandated by the local chief to prove his worth. From then on, begins a whole series of missions to accomplish for him and his acolytes. You will find over the missions your old acolytes but also old enemies. The story is quite classic but being well written in the dialogue scenes and by its stagings, it is pleasant to follow it. A good point then.
Jak, the Mac Gyver of video games
It's simple, our man with the blond hair of green hair knows how to do everything. I explain: we already knew him to be the most skilful by his skills as a platformer (jump, double jump, super jump, roll, fist attack…) but the guy knows how to use a panoply of weapons (12 models please ), vehicles with a vengeance (eight, just for walking in the desert, lizards, hang gliders, high-speed speeders…) and transform when necessary (in Devil Jak or novelty of the episode, in Light Jack). Ah, I forgot, he also knows how to shoot from gun turrets, use the abilities of his bipedal rodent friend, in short, adapt to any situation. And that may be the problem...
Where's a problem?
You're going to say to me, “Well yeah, but if all that is possible, if it's also really well done, that it's still super playable, that the scenes are well done, there's no problem! " Yes it is. But why ? “Isn't it well done? "Ah yes, my good sir, in player memory I have rarely seen a video game of such high quality: impeccable textures, not a load, very little aliasing and flickering, full of enemies at the same time , it fires up in all directions and the special effects pulse. It''s simple, I know more than one coder who would like to do even a quarter of a half of what the little guys from Naughty Dog manage to spit out on the console. At times, we even have the impression that they have normal maps and radiosity, that is to say. "It's not super playable then!" If, very even, all the different phases (on foot, in vehicle) respond to quarter turn and are a real pleasure to lead. The vehicles even have the luxury of paying for an arcade physics but very nice. In short, an immediate grip, whatever the test. Besides, there is even a game sequence at the Wipe Out / Roll Cage quite successful. Note also that Daxter, the orange thing gesticulating and having a flow of words to pass Donkey of Shrek for a saint, has its share of mini-games, to see sequences where one directs it. "It's not well done!!! That's it, I'm sure that's it!! “Ah still not. The construction of the levels is very well thought out and not once do you get lost in the vast environments. And even when we evolve in cities at the GTA (oh yes because there are also vast cities with inhabitants, passenger traffic, merchants…), the objectives are clear and the mini-map always indicates precisely the direction to follow. Same for the mini-games which are very pleasant to play, their construction being well thought out. The difficulty is well balanced and if you stumble on a passage, you can only blame yourself and your clumsiness (the camera always follows you perfectly). Many fast save points are placed in the right places. Nothing to say.
“But, but everything is great then!! It's the absolute hit! A game where you can do anything! ". And yes ! And that's the rub. I explain. The diversity of Jak 3 and one of its greatest assets. The construction, the realization make it a model of its kind. But by dint of doing everything, it's simple, we do everything but we don't control anything. Example: facing enemies, what do I use? One of my twelve guns? My super touch attacks? One of my all-powerful transformations? And the problem is there. We can use everything so we do a little at random. Not a moment when almost we are forced to use a specific type of weapon on a specific enemy or this one on that one. Light powers are used so rarely that they are almost anecdotal, mainly invisibility or even the slowing down of time. Besides, it's simple, when you have to use them, the game basically marks it for you, in case you have forgotten so much you rarely use these powers. It is this constitution of the game in a bunch of different sequences that ends up stopping the game. At no time does a game sequence really mixing the different gameplays with skill. But it's fashionable at the moment, these games that do everything at the same time (Half-Life 2 also offers a different gameplay construction at each level, but ultimately at no time does the game mix them to obtain a more harmonious whole. GTA : San Andreas also but oddly it goes better in this universe). Moreover, speaking of GTA, it's in Rockstar's title that a big city is justified by walking around and picking up various cars or other hobbies (like picking up those young hitchhikers who stroll along the sidewalks and ask us to take them in the car… Ah! Wait. I'm being told in the headset that they're not hitchhikers but… What, I've been lied to?! Shocking!), here it's just to walk around and access the next mission… Too bad the playing field is not more exploited. In short, by dint of doing it, it drowns out the game and the very essence of the title.
Disappointment ?
“Okay, so it's a rotten game? " But no ! If the game has lost us by its diversity, it is not so bad. We will even say that it is certainly the most successful episode of the series. The construction/production of mini-games/gameplay is an example to follow. And the Boss fights are absolutely effective, making them a school model for all future and current Game/Level Designers. But I specify to study separately because finally the mayonnaise has turned a little. The construction of the cinematics, the incredible quality of the character animations (special dedication to Daxter, very funny visually in his dialogues) and the story are catchy. The immediate grip is a pleasure at all times. You just have to leave aside this bitter taste of the melting pot.
If there should be only one left in its category, for me it would be Jak 3. Despite its problem of homogeneity, the title has the greatest possible qualities. If you had done the first two parts with enthusiasm, its Mr. Plus side should delight you even if the evolution compared to the previous part is less obvious than between the very first of the series. Also if you land for the first time in the series, you might as well start with this one. Yes, Jak 3 could have finished at the top but as no one is perfect, we will settle for a very good title and not an exceptional title. Good luck with the passage to Mr Jason Rubin (founder of the studio, creator of the series of Jak and Crash Bandicoot), leaving the ship Naughy Dog for other lands. I don't worry about him (ND Maxime: neither do I), financially this man has everything and there is no doubt that he will have no difficulty in rebuilding a studio if his future in our wonderful world of video games continues .
