Whereas the original Jak and Daxter had largely been an action-platformer game, the Jak and Daxter sequel now had Jak running around a heavily populated city, stealing cars and shooting guards and monsters alike in an effort to overthrow the city’s ruler. It might seem like a jarring transition, but there was magic in the way that the series retained its innocent looks while diving into a much darker and adult-oriented direction. With this, Naughty Dog saw an opportunity to make a big change-and that’s why the Jak and Daxter sequel threw away its silent protagonist, innocent characters, and deadly-but-ultimately-benign world in favor of dystopian crime and poverty. Rock Star’s massive hit rocked the console gaming landscape and proved that there was mainstream interest among gamers for gritty stories and adult themes. In 2001, a different gaming franchise brought a different smash hit to console gamers in the form of Grand Theft Auto III. While it retained the cartoony look and slapstick comedy of the original, it turned to a darker story that focused on crime, revenge, and violence.

This sequel, Jak II (or Jak: Renegade for those overseas), would mark a drastic change in the series. This might seem unimpressive by today’s gaming standards, but at the time, it was a technological wonder.īecause of the cheerful aesthetic and seamless gameplay, Jak and Daxter quickly became a hit for Naughty Dog-and so a sequel was put into development. The bright colors and cartoon art style-combined with a protagonist that spun, jumped, and ran his way through platformer levels-made the comparisons easy to make.īut hidden behind this game that seemed to borrow from an already successful series was a clever bit of technology: The Precursor Legacy was one of the first video games to feature no obvious loading screens.Ī player could guide Jak from one end of the world to the other on his quest to return his annoying little friend back to human form… all without any asset-loading disruptions. When Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy first released, it looked a lot like Naughty Dog’s previous hit series, Crash Bandicoot. And as Jak and Daxter celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, now’s the perfect time to review its high points, low points, and overall legacy. Not every one of the Jak and Daxter games was a gem, but the series as a whole is one worth remembering. The Jak and Daxter series first debuted in 2001 for the PlayStation 2 with Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, then went on for three more main games plus several spin-offs (the kind that every game seems to get once they reach a certain level of popularity).

Jak and daxter