Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
{{Short description|2001 video game}}
{{For|the series|Jak and Daxter}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
| image = Jak and Daxter - The Precursor Legacy Coverart.png
| caption = North American cover art
| developer = Naughty Dog
| publisher = Sony Computer Entertainment
| director = Jason Rubin
| producer =
| designer = Evan Wells
| programmer = {{Unbulleted list|Andy Gavin|Mark Cerny|Stephen White}}
| artist = {{Unbulleted list|Bob Rafei|Charles Zembillas|Bruce Straley|Erick Pangilinan|Josh Scherr}}
| writer = Daniel Arey
| composer = Josh Mancell
| series = Jak and Daxter
| engine =
| platforms = PlayStation 2
| released = {{video game release|NA|December 4, 2001|PAL|December 7, 2001}}
| genre = Platform
| modes = Single-player
}}
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a 2001 platform video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It is the first game of the Jak and Daxter series. The game follows Jak, a young teenager, on his quest to help his friend Daxter after he is transformed into an "ottsel", a fictional hybrid of an otter and a weasel. With the help of Samos the Sage, a master of the mysterious energy known as eco (created by an ancient race known as the Precursors), the pair endeavors to save their world from the rogue sages Gol and Maia Acheron, who plan to flood the world with dark eco, which corrupts all it touches.
Development began in January 1999 during the production of Crash Team Racing. Naughty Dog sought to use the improved power of the PlayStation 2 to make an immersive, free-roaming 3D platformer inspired by Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, with a seamless game world and increased emphasis on story. Sony bought Naughty Dog after being impressed by a demo, and thus it was Naughty Dog's first game to not be produced by Universal Interactive in 3 years.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was critically acclaimed upon release. Reviewers lauded the game's visuals and technical achievements, particularly its open seamless world devoid of load times, which were said to set a new standard for platformers. Praise also went to its gameplay polish, controls, sound effects, and voice acting. Reactions to the music and difficulty were mixed, and criticisms were directed toward the gameplay's lack of innovation, lack of bosses, simplistic story, and short length. By 2002, the game had sold over one million copies worldwide, and by 2007, it had sold two million copies in the United States alone. A sequel, Jak II, was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2003.
In 2012, a remastered port of the game was included in the Jak and Daxter Collection for the PlayStation 3, and for the PlayStation Vita in 2013. It was also released as a "PS2 Classic" port for the PlayStation 4 on 22 August 2017.
Gameplay
File:JakAndDaxterPrecursorGameplay.png
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a free-roaming 3D platformer with elements of action-adventure. The player controls Jak, who must collect Power Cells to progress through the game's world and ultimately reach the sage Gol in the hope of reversing his friend Daxter's transformation into an ottsel (a fictitious crossbreed between an otter and a weasel). The game's world is cohesive and non-linear, allowing free exploration across interconnected areas.
Jak's basic actions include running, jumping double-jumping, crouching, and ledge-grabbing. Jak can also perform a rolling jump to reach distant platforms. Jak's combat moves include a spin attack, a dash-punch, a dive attack, and an uppercut. Jak has unlimited lives and three hit points, which are depleted by enemy attacks or contact with environmental hazards. Losing all three hit points triggers a death animation and a comment from Daxter before the player respawns in the beginning of the last section of the area they were located in. Scattered throughout each area is a magical and powerful substance known as "Eco", which comes in a variety of colors and affects Jak or the environment in special ways. Green Eco restores health; Blue Eco boosts speed, activates platforms, and attracts items; Red Eco increases attack power and range; and Yellow Eco enables fireball attacks to defeat enemies or break obstacles. In some sections, Jak pilots an A-GraV Zoomer (a hovercraft for races and traversal) and rides a Flut Flut bird to reach high or distant areas.
Power Cells, the game's primary collectible, are earned by completing tasks, defeating bosses, or finding them in the environment. Power Cells power the A-GraV Zoomer, which is used to traverse long passes that link certain areas together. Precursor Orbs are the setting's currency and can be traded for Power Cells with villagers or ancient statues. Each area includes seven Scout Flies, and a Power Cell is rewarded when all Scout Flies in an area are collected. Some of the various missions that reward Power Cells include platforming challenges (such as reaching a high structure), mini-games (such as fishing), races, and fetch quests. The player's actions in completing tasks have persistent effects, and do not reset upon departing mid-task.
Plot
Against the warnings of Samos the Green Sage, Jak and Daxter adventure to the forbidden Misty Island. There, they see two unknown figures ordering a cohort of creatures to gather Eco and Precursor artifacts. When Jak and Daxter are attacked by one of the creatures, Daxter is knocked into a pool of Dark Eco, and he emerges transformed into an ottsel. Returning to their home of Sandover Village, they seek help from Samos; he explains that only Gol Acheron, the Dark Sage, can reverse the transformation. Gol lives far to the north, and the teleportation gates to the other Sages' huts are not operational, leaving a trek through the deadly Fire Canyon as the remaining option. Samos's daughter Keira, a skilled engineer, offers to let them use her Zoomer in exchange for enough Power Cells to operate it.
Collecting Power Cells allows Jak and Daxter to travel to the Blue and Red Sages' huts, but they find both of them deserted. In the Red Sage's hut, the two figures - Gol and his sister Maia - reveal themselves, having been corrupted by Dark Eco. Having abducted the other Sages, Gol and Maia plot to open silos containing the vast stores of Dark Eco deep underground, twisting and corrupting the world to their will. As Jak and Daxter take the Zoomer to Gol and Maia's citadel, Samos is also captured. With the four Sages now under their control, Gol and Maia begin restoring their excavated automaton so that they can release the Dark Eco from its silo.
After rescuing the Sages from captivity, Jak and Daxter intercept the machine and engage it in battle. However, they only manage to destroy its weapons. Realizing that a greater power is needed to defeat Gol and Maia, the Sages combine the four different types of Eco into one, creating Light Eco. The power granted by Light Eco allows Jak to destroy the machine and send its cockpit plunging into the Dark Eco. With the world saved, the group focuses its attention on unlocking the fabled Precursor Door, which can only open with the energy of 100 power cells. Once the door is opened, it reveals a large, mysterious object enveloped in a blinding light.
Development and release
Development on Jak and Daxter began in January 1999 as "Project Y";{{cite web|url=http://powerupgaming.co.uk/2015/02/18/the-evolution-of-naughty-dog-part-2/|title=The Evolution of Naughty Dog, Part 2: Jak and Daxter|date=18 February 2015|website=Power Up Gaming|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617071147/http://powerupgaming.co.uk/2015/02/18/the-evolution-of-naughty-dog-part-2/|archive-date=17 June 2018|url-status=live|access-date=26 September 2015}} the title was a progression from Crash Team Racing{{'}}s early working title "Project X".{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-106-february-2002/page/58/mode/2up |title=Design & Development: The Art of Making a Game - Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=Sunrise Publications |date=February 2002 |issue=106 |pages=58-61}} As the rest of the Naughty Dog team were working on Crash Team Racing, only three programmers--Andy Gavin, Stephen White, and Mark Cerny--were allocated to the project. The rest of the team began work on Jak as well in January 2000; eventually 35 developers worked on the game,{{Cite web|url = https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131394/postmortem_naughty_dogs_jak_and_.php?page=3|title = Postmortem: Naughty Dog's Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy|date = 10 July 2002|access-date = 15 September 2019|archive-date = 15 April 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190415151533/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131394/postmortem_naughty_dogs_jak_and_.php?page=3|url-status = dead}} with a budget of $14-15 million.{{cite web |url=https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.agdc.com.au%2F04presentations%2Fthu_jason_rubin.ppt |title=Fear: An Appropriate Response To The Future Of Video Game Development |author=Jason Rubin |publisher=Morgan Rose |date=2004 |access-date=May 21, 2025 |page=8}}{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKc7TQq3kpU |title=Devs Play S2E08 · "Jak and Daxter" with Jason Rubin and Tim Schafer |date=January 7, 2016 |access-date=May 20, 2025 |publisher=Double Fine |website=YouTube |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250328042025/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKc7TQq3kpU |archive-date=March 28, 2025}} Their goal was to use the improved power of the PlayStation 2 to make a free-roaming 3D platformer inspired by Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, with an immersive, seamless world free of loading screens, along with a deeper story.{{cite video |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHvUjmlWRAI |title=The Making of Jak & Daxter |date=February 15, 2012 |website=YouTube |publisher=PlayStation Europe |access-date=May 20, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250102213117/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHvUjmlWRAI |archive-date=January 2, 2025}}{{cite web |url=https://blog.playstation.com/2012/08/24/behind-the-classics-jak-daxter/ |title=Behind the Classics: Jak & Daxter |website=PlayStation.Blog |publisher=Sony Interactive Entertainment |date=August 24, 2012 |last=Dutton |first=Fred |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250211054531/https://blog.playstation.com/2012/08/24/behind-the-classics-jak-daxter/ |archive-date=February 11, 2025}} Naughty Dog presented their demo to Shuhei Yoshida, who approved the project. With this and Naughty Dog's reputation for shipping successful products on time, Sony purchased the company in 2001 to ensure the intellectual property would stay PlayStation-exclusive unlike Crash Bandicoot, which was owned by Universal Interactive.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/jak-and-daxter-the-precursor-legacy-anniversary-making-of/ |title="We might have overachieved, to be honest": The making of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |website=GamesRadar+ |date=March 12, 2021 |access-date=May 20, 2025 |last=Avard |first=Alex |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319060555/https://www.gamesradar.com/jak-and-daxter-the-precursor-legacy-anniversary-making-of/ |archive-date=March 19, 2025}}
Due to the worldwide success of Crash Bandicoot, Naughty Dog set out to make the characters and environments of Jak and Daxter merge elements from worldwide cultures. Art director Bob Rafei pointed to Star Wars, Disney, and Studio Ghibli as key touchstones during the game's concepting phase. As director Jason Rubin worried that having Jak talk would distance the player from him, Jak was made mute and Daxter was added as an "annoying" sidekick, inspired by Mushu from Disney's Mulan. The main characters also went through changes. Originally, there was going to be a third main character that would develop as the game was played in a Tamagotchi style.{{Cite web|url=http://www.psxextreme.com/feature/45.html|title=Interview with Naughty Dog staff|last=Katayev|first=Arnold|date=26 December 2001|website=PSX Extreme|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119025726/http://www.psxextreme.com/feature/45.html|archive-date=19 January 2008|access-date=23 March 2020}} Instead, Naughty Dog concentrated their efforts on two main characters in order to create the exact characters they wanted. The characters were inspired by Joe Madureira's Battle Chasers and Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, while the village setting and character interactions were influenced by Asterix.{{Cite web|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=22685|title=Naughty Dog: The Interview|last=Guise|first=Tom|date=10 December 2001|website=Computer and Video Games|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204184354/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=22685|archive-date=4 February 2009|url-status=dead}} Rubin stated in an interview with US magazine Play that the 40 minutes of animation in the game required 6 full-time animators and 4 support animators. In some cases the animators came from outside of the video game industry from companies such as Disney and Nickelodeon.{{Cite magazine|last=Halverson|first=Dave|date=December 2001|title=Dynamic Duo - Jason Rubin interview|url=https://archive.org/details/UneditedPLAY_marktrade/page/n19/mode/2up|magazine=Play Issue 1|pages=17–19|access-date=30 March 2020}} Animator John Kim based Jak and Daxter's movements on Aladdin and Abu from Disney's Aladdin.
The game was in development for almost three years, and throughout this time, numerous changes were made to almost every aspect of the game, while the various engines used in the game were all tweaked to optimize their performance. The engine tweaks allowed Jak and Daxter to have no loading times or fogging and be able to display high-quality textures in a seamless, multi-level world. Lead programmer Andy Gavin wrote the game in his own custom programming language, Game Oriented Assembly Lisp (GOAL).
Due to each area of the game being 3–6 million polygons, the 3D computer graphics application Maya would stop working even on cutting-edge PCs. To combat this issue, the team had to use references and proxies as Maya and other current tools available were not capable of handling the entire area all at once.
The voice-acting was recorded in the New York City-based Howard Schwartz Recording facility.{{cite video game |title=Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |developer=Naughty Dog |publisher=Sony Computer Entertainment |date=December 3, 2001 |platform=PlayStation 2 |level=Credits}} The game's soundtrack was composed entirely by multi-instrumentalist Josh Mancell. The album was produced by Mark Mothersbaugh.{{cite web |last1=Davis |first1=Bailey |title=Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh on Scoring All Your Favorite Video Games |url=https://riotfest.org/2021/10/08/mark-mothersbaugh-video-games/ |website=Riot Fest |access-date=22 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220524154422/https://riotfest.org/2021/10/08/mark-mothersbaugh-video-games/ |archive-date=May 24, 2022 |language=en |date=8 October 2021 |url-status=live}}
Even before the game's announcement at E3 2001, "Project Y" was highly anticipated.{{cite web |url=http://ps2.ign.com/news/34462.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011217214756/http://ps2.ign.com/news/34462.html |title=Sneak Peek at Naughty Dog's Game |website=IGN |publisher=Snowball.com |date=May 11, 2001 |archive-date=December 17, 2001 |access-date=May 21, 2025 |url-status=dead}} The game's title was revealed on May 14,{{cite web |url=http://ps2.ign.com/news/34577.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011202014924/http://ps2.ign.com/news/34577.html |title=Naughty Dog's Secret Project Named |website=IGN |publisher=Snowball.com |date=May 14, 2001 |archive-date=December 2, 2001 |access-date=May 21, 2025 |url-status=dead}} and the game was revealed at E3 2001 two days later, with a scheduled winter 2001 release.{{cite web |url=http://ps2.ign.com/news/34484.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011217135444/http://ps2.ign.com/news/34484.html |title=E3 2001: Naughty Dog Debuts Jak and Daxter |last=Perry |first=Douglass C. |website=IGN |publisher=Snowball.com |date=May 16, 2001 |archive-date=December 17, 2001 |access-date=May 21, 2025 |url-status=dead}} In November, a game demo and coupon for the game's retail copy was distributed to Cingular Wireless customers who activated service with an Ericsson phone or purchased an Ericsson accessory.{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/jakanddaxterthepl/news_2822508.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040624225711/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/jakanddaxterthepl/news_2822508.html |title=Jak and Daxter demo from Cingular Wireless |last=Ahmed |first=Shahed |website=GameSpot |publisher=CNET Networks |date=November 5, 2001 |archive-date=June 24, 2004 |access-date=May 21, 2025 |url-status=live}} The game was originally slated for a North American ship date of December 11, but was moved up to December 4.{{Cite web |url=http://ps2.ign.com/news/39968.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011118101524/http://ps2.ign.com/news/39968.html |title=Jak and Daxter to Ship Early |website=IGN |publisher=Snowball.com |date=November 17, 2001 |archive-date=November 18, 2001 |access-date=June 13, 2023 |url-status=dead |language=en}}{{Cite web |url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0%2C10870%2C2829766%2C00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011206110225/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2829766,00.html |title=SCEA outlines its PS2 release calendar |last=Ahmed |first=Shahed |website=GameSpot |publisher=CNET Networks |date=December 4, 2001 |archive-date=December 6, 2001 |access-date=June 13, 2023 |url-status=dead |language=en-US}}
Reception
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 90/100{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/jak-and-daxter-the-precursor-legacy/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2 |title=Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy for PlayStation 2 Reviews |work=Metacritic |access-date=18 March 2020 |archive-date=24 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200124152516/https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-2/jak-and-daxter-the-precursor-legacy |url-status=live }}
| Allgame = 4/5{{cite web |url=http://allgame.com/game.php?id=34973&tab=review |title=Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |last=Marriott |first=Scott Alan |website=AllGame |publisher=All Media Network |access-date=26 November 2014 |archive-date=11 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141211091948/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=34973&tab=review |url-status=dead}}
| EGM = 24.5/30{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/electronic-gaming-monthly-issue-150-january-2002/page/210/mode/2up |title=Review Crew: Jak and Daxter:: The Precursor Legacy |last1=Bettenhausen |first1=Shane |last2=Johnston |first2=Chris |last3=Mielke |first3=James |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=January 2002 |issue=150 |page=210}}
| EPD = 9.5/10{{cite web |url=http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=7773&full=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021229103811/http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=7773&full=1 |title=Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Review |last=Mowatt |first=Todd |website=The Electric Playground |date=December 17, 2001 |archive-date=December 29, 2002 |access-date=April 30, 2025 |url-status=dead}}
| EuroG = 9/10{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=2517 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030528112033/http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=2517 |title=Reviews: Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |author=Mugwum |website=Eurogamer |date=February 17, 2002 |archive-date=May 28, 2003 |access-date=April 30, 2025 |url-status=dead}}
| Fam = 34/40プレイステーション2 – ジャック×ダクスター 旧世界の遺産. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.70. 30 June 2006.
| GI = 9.25/10{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/game-informer-issue-105-january-2002/page/76/mode/2up |title=Reviews: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |last=Reiner |first=Andrew |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=Sunrise Publications |date=January 2002 |issue=105 |page=76}}
| GamePro = 4.5/5{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/game-pro-issue-161-february-2002/page/n75/mode/2up |title=ProReviews: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |author=Four-Eyed Dragon |magazine=GamePro |publisher=International Data Group |date=February 2002 |issue=161 |page=70}}
| GSpot = 8.8/10{{Cite web |url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/reviews/0%2C10867%2C2829768%2C00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011207131305/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/reviews/0,10867,2829768,00.html |title=PlayStation2 Reviews: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Review |last=Satterfield |first=Shane |website=GameSpot |publisher=CNET Networks |date=December 4, 2001 |archive-date=December 7, 2001 |access-date=April 8, 2007 |url-status=dead}}
| GSpy = 4.5/5{{Cite web |url=http://www.planetps2.com/features/reviews/2001/jakanddaxter/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011217233309/http://www.planetps2.com/features/reviews/2001/jakanddaxter/ |title=Reviews: Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |last=Tutterrow |first=Barak |website=GameSpy |date=December 10, 2001 |archive-date=December 17, 2001 |access-date=April 8, 2007 |url-status=dead}}
| IGN = 9.4/10{{Cite web |url=http://ps2.ign.com/reviews/16447.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011205134622/http://ps2.ign.com/reviews/16447.html |title=Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy review |last=Zdyrko |first=David |website=IGN |publisher=Snowball.com |date=December 4, 2001 |archive-date=December 5, 2001 |access-date=April 8, 2007 |url-status=dead}}
| OPM = 5/5{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/details/official-us-playstation-magazine-issue-52-january-2002/page/124/mode/2up |title=PS2 Reviews: Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |last=Rybicki |first=Joe |magazine=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=January 2002 |pages=124-125}}
| XPlay = 4/5{{cite web |url=http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/reviews/story/0%2C24330%2C3366739%2C00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020124190448/http://www.techtv.com/extendedplay/reviews/story/0,24330,3366739,00.html |title=Jak and Daxer: the Precursor Legacy (PS2) Review |last=D'Aprile |first=Jason |website=Extended Play |publisher=TechTV |date=January 9, 2002 |archive-date=January 24, 2002 |access-date=November 6, 2024 |url-status=dead}}
}}
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy received "universal acclaim", according to review aggregator Metacritic. The game met and exceeded the expectations of IGN{{'}}s David Dzyrko, which had been built by the media and audience's anticipation of the title. He proclaimed it to be one of the greatest platformers released, standing alongside the best titles by Nintendo and Rare. Brian Gee of GameRevolution deemed the game a benchmark for its genre, claiming that it "will change the way you look at platformers". Mugwum of Eurogamer declared the game to have surpassed Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, citing its strong combination of elements despite having no great innovations.
Critics hailed the game as a visual and technical masterpiece for its vibrant, detailed environments, seamless rendering, and absence of load times, setting a benchmark for platformers on the PlayStation 2. Dzyrko described the worlds as "breathtaking", citing the environmental details and realistic day-night lighting shifts. Andrew Reiner of Game Informer praised the meticulous environmental details, saying that he often "found [him]self staring in awe" at them. Shane Satterfield of GameSpot called it one of the PlayStation 2's most visually impressive titles, emphasizing its vast polygon counts, vivid high-resolution textures with no pixelation, and real-time lighting. Scott Alan Marriott of AllGame lauded the visuals as "near perfect", citing vibrant colors, fluid animation, dramatic lighting, and weather effects. Joe Rybicki of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine compared the visual style to a "really high-quality hand-drawn cartoon" and admired the subtle environmental details such as the coppery, metallic sheen of the Precursor ruins and the slight heat haze in the volcanic area.
The massive draw distance was highlighted, with Rybicki marveling at seeing every area from a high place, and Louis Bedigian of GameZone hailing the game as "the first 3D platformer to fully render every background as far out as the eye can see".{{efn|}} The special effects and character animation were also commended. Marriott detailed the lighting effects and comical animations for the enemies, who react upon spotting Jak or registering a hit against him. Mugwum noted the heat haze effects, real-time lighting and weather cycles. Barak Tutterrow of GameSpy singled out the volcanic area as a personal favorite for its amount of effects without slowdown. Dzyrko praised the character animation and body language as rivaling that of high-budget animated films. Satterfield compared the fluid animation to Disney productions and noted that the facial animations were perfectly synched with the dialogue.
The seamless, interconnected world was regarded as groundbreaking in its presentation as a living, immersive environment. Critics emphasized that the absence of load times contributed to the impression of a cohesive and fully realized world.{{efn|}} Dzyrko, Mugwum and Tutterrow highlighted the persistent progression system in which completed tasks and actions remain in effect, contrasting the resetting levels of Super Mario 64. Gee praised the freedom of exploring such a large environment as a platformer benchmark, estimating that it would take an hour to traverse one end of the game's world to the other. Bedigian described the world as bigger than any other platformer before it, claiming the game would not have been possible on any other console. Satterfield noted that the game's areas were massive, but lacked warp points within them, which sometimes made navigation tedious. He also faulted the use of invisible barriers, which limited exploration.
Although the gameplay was considered polished and enjoyable with tight and intuitive controls, critics deemed it lacking in innovation, relying on familiar platforming tropes like collecting items and performing fetch quests. Satterfield noted that the game's objectives "maintain the status quo" for platformers, but he appreciated the puzzles that exploited timed Eco effects, which brought excitement to those particular objectives. Chris Johnston of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) said that the game's polish and craft made the genre's "old stand-bys" (such as riding vehicles or hitting timed switches) fun, though James "Milkman" Mielke of the same publication criticized the repetitive fetch quests, suggesting that the game's structure would appeal more to younger players. Marriott described the game as a straightforward platformer with familiar objectives (collecting Precursor Orbs and Power Cells), but said that the diversity of the tasks kept the game engaging despite the sense of déjà vu from Super Mario 64, Gex or Spyro. Mugwum praised the game's design of unlimited lives and persistent progress as "a reward structure that deserves mimicry", and Jason D'Aprile of Extended Play credited the frequent save spots for reducing frustration, though Satterfield warned that the three-hit health system may quickly wear patience thin. The lack of bosses, totaling three, was considered a drawback, with Shane Bettenhausen of EGM identifying the flaw as a holdover from Super Mario 64.{{efn|}}
The controls were regarded as tight and responsive; Dzyrko praised them as having the "Mario feel" of inherently fun movement, and Bedigian derived particular enjoyment from using Jak's rolling jump for navigation.{{efn|}} Matt Keller of PALGN additionally called the camera "one of the best ever", highlighting its quick adjustment, though Rybicki and D'Aprile found it somewhat unwieldy. Satterfield criticized Jak's small moveset, which limited gameplay depth, suggesting that making Daxter playable at some point could have mitigated the issue. Rybicki noted that Jak's lunging punch attack was occasionally problematic to use near cliffs, and that double-jumping could be hit-or-miss with the analog buttons.
The story was deemed simple and unremarkable, serving as a basic framework for the gameplay. Satterfield called the story a shallow affair with few twists, as was the stereotype of platformers, and said that the dialogue was rarely interesting. Rybicki wished for a deeper story, given the potential of the Precursor mythology, but found the characters entertaining, and he and Dzyrko appreciated the story establishing reasons for collecting the game's items, lessening the usual arbitrariness. Reactions to Daxter's humor were unfavorable. Reiner found his quips somewhat annoying but occasionally funny. Satterfield noted that his jokes tended to fall flat, and Keller said that he had a habit of whining and causing trouble by saying too much. Mielke dismissed his "Jar Jar-esque zaniness" as juvenile.
Reactions to the audio were generally positive. Critics praised the voice-acting, with Gee pointing out Dee Snider and Max Casella's involvement and Tutterrow specifying Keira, the Geologist and Boggy Billy as stand-out voices.{{efn|}} The sound effects were regarded as immersive; Dzyrko and Marriott emphasized the environmental ambience, and they and Tutterrow highlighted the various footstep sounds, with Tutterrow favoring the walks through metal buildings. The music had a more mixed reception. Some deemed the soundtrack sparse and unmemorable, though Dzyrko, D'Aprile and Reiner were more positive. Mugwum said that the soundtrack's modesty complemented the pleasureful experience, and Keller highlighted its dynamic changes.
The game's brevity was noted, with estimates generally falling between 10-15 hours. Tutterow attributed the game's length to a balanced difficulty, while Keller considered the difficulty too low. Rybicki acknowledged the game's short length, but said that the game never felt too easy despite the unlimited lives. D'Aprile regarded the game as a "long and challenging endeavor", assessing the difficulty as middling, and Bettenhausen described it as a "colossal adventure" that cannot be completed within a weekend.
=Sales and awards=
After its release in late 2001, the game went on to sell over 1 million copies, promoting it to "Greatest Hits" and reducing the price. By July 2006, it had sold 1.7 million copies and earned $49 million in the United States, and had become the best-selling Jak and Daxter game in that country. Next Generation ranked it as the 19th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in the United States. Combined sales of Jak and Daxter games reached 4 million units in the United States by July 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3537&Itemid=2&pop=1&page=1|title=The Top 100 Games of the 21st Century|author1=Campbell, Colin |author2=Keiser, Joe |date=29 July 2006|work=Next Generation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028115051/http://www.next-gen.biz/index2.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3537&Itemid=2&pop=1&page=1|archive-date=28 October 2007|url-status=dead}} As of 2007, Jak and Daxter has sold almost 2 million copies (1.97 million) in the United States alone.{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-USPlatinum.shtml |title=US Platinum Videogame Chart |access-date=2007-04-08 |work=The MagicBox |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716215431/http://www.the-magicbox.com/Chart-USPlatinum.shtml |archive-date=16 July 2011 }} Jak and Daxter received a "Gold Prize" at Sony's PlayStation Awards in Japan for sales of over 500,000 units.{{cite web|title=Naughty Dog – 30 Year Timeline|url=http://www.naughtydog.com/timeline/|publisher=Naughty Dog|access-date=26 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913120618/http://www.naughtydog.com/timeline/ |archive-date=13 September 2015}}
At the 2002 Game Developers Choice Awards, Daxter from Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy won the Original Game Character of the Year award. It was a runner-up for GameSpot{{'s}} annual "Best Platform Game" award among console games, which went to Conker's Bad Fur Day.{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020803185618/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2001/ | url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/bestof_2001/ | title=GameSpot{{'}}s Best and Worst Video Games of 2001 | author=GameSpot VG Staff | date=23 February 2002 | work=GameSpot | archive-date=3 August 2002 | url-status=dead }} During the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Jak and Daxter for the "Console Action/Adventure" and "Game Design" awards.{{cite web |url=https://www.interactive.org/games/video_game_details.asp?idAward=2002&idGame=380 |title=D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy |publisher=Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences |access-date=25 July 2023}}
Legacy
In 2022, a group of fans reverse-engineered the game and unofficially ported it to modern PC platforms; titled OpenGOAL.{{Cite web |last=Baxter |first=Daryl |title=Decompilations could be the solution to ports and remakes in the future |url=https://www.techradar.com/features/decompilations-could-be-the-solution-to-ports-and-remakes-in-the-future |access-date=January 6, 2023 |website=TechRadar|date=28 December 2022 }}
Notes
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References
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External links
{{Wikiquote|Jak and Daxter#Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy|Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy}}
- {{Official website|https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/jak-and-daxter-the-precursor-legacy/}}
{{Jak and Daxter series}}
{{Naughty Dog}}
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Category:Open-world video games
Category:PlayStation 2-only games
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Sony Interactive Entertainment games
Category:Video games developed in the United States
Category:Video games scored by Josh Mancell