The Jak and Daxter saga of platformers covered a large amount of territory as one of the PlayStation 2’s headlining franchises. Between 2001’s The Precursor Legacy and 2005’s Jak X: Combat Racing, the series warped from a traditional, cutesy platformer starring a silent protagonist, into a dark story of revolution in a repressed society spearheaded by a much more talkative and angsty lead, and finally…well, into a combat racing game. That strange last PS2 outing aside, the series along with its PSP spin-off Daxter told a satisfyingly complete story. Although fans have been eager for another team-up between the two unlikely partners, I’ve always questioned where they would go from here.
Apparently developer High Impact Games has the answer: to the literal, physical end of the world.
As the first (non-racing) Jak game set after Jak 3, the Lost Frontier needs a major hook to draw people back into the drama. Sure enough, Jak jumps into action as his planet is being ripped apart by a lack of Eco, the powerful (and sometimes deadly) material that transformed Daxter into a tiny loud-mouthed creature in the original game. Jak, Daxter, and love interest Keira grab an airplane and set out in search of Eco. It wouldn’t be much of a game if they reached their goal without any trouble, though. Instead, they’re ambushed by sky pirates who end up damaging their plane, sending them crashing into “the Brink,” the very edge of Jak’s apparently flat world.
At the Brink, players will discover a curious mix of new and old gameplay for the pointy-eared hero. One early mission I got to check out, titled “Seeking the Seeker,” feels like a b-side from Jak 2 or 3. You must explore a lava-soaked cave where the lava continues rising as you climb higher. Early in the level, Jak happens upon a strange statue, a Precursor idol that grants him the Rocket Jump power. Nearby is a cloud of yellow gas. Activate your new power near the cloud and Jak’s next jump will send him soaring high into the air, allowing him to reach a cliff ledge well outside of his normal jump radius.
Jak also receives a power called “Construct,” that can be used in puzzle-solving as well as combat. While exploring, this ability allows him to create temporary bridges made of crystals raised from the ground, allowing passage across gaps that would be impossible to jump over. In one boss battle, the “Construct” ability was also used to block the enemy’s attack, forcing his giant saw to get stuck in a crystal and opening him up for attack.
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