In these days of endless sequel after sequel it's quite a surprise to find out that a successful series like Jak & Daxter is coming to an end of its publisher's own volition. But--although the characters may well appear again in some other form--Jak IIImarks the end of the epic storyline that is now over three years in the making. The first Jak & Daxter game was a fairly straightforward Rare-esque platformer, but the second game expanded the concept considerably to become a sort of cartoon style Grand Theft Auto. This third game removes some of the more unnecessary diversions of Jak II to become a more enjoyably focused action adventure. The actual story follows on directly and sees Jak and Daxter banished to the Wastelands--a massive game world more than five times the size of Haven City from the last game.
Although they are less prevalent than last time there are a dozen different vehicles to pilot and plenty of upgradeable weapons. Perhaps the most important new gameplay feature though is Jak's new light eco form, to balance out the dark eco powers from Jak II. In light eco form Jak grows a pair of angelic wings and gains the power to regain lost health and even freeze enemies in time (and yes, it does work a bit like bullet time).
For fans of the series, or those just looking for a fun, modern-thinking platformer, this series is definitely going out on a high. --David Jenkins
