The Jak Trilogy Analysis | Naughty Dog's Renegade Platformer

[@Vindenak]

-The council is too powerful -I hereby dissolve the city council Name a more iconic duo, I'll wait

[@JayfroC]

TGBS and The Pixelizer

[@tornadoandy123]

I AM THE COUNCIL.

[@MaxLoafin]

Chicken and rice

[@JollyJack1992]

Ratchet and Clank.

[@Comkill117]

Greeto AGB not yet.

[@zayjay26]

Swear, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, and the Jak and Daxter games are just so awesome even to this day

[@GryphonIsBack]

My childhood right there ❤️

[@sunib6253]

Ah, yes, my favourite character in JaD, Jax

[@jfb173jb]

They were great games at those times. A lot of the reboots and changes to later ps4 games kinda screwed it up.

[@danieloloughlin8768]

i keep coming back to them i never get disappointed!

[@KneeCapHill]

We didn't get any similar platformers. Gaming shifted to hyper realistic shooters and or games for toddlers, casual barbage like rocket league or playstation ports of arcade games. The platformer kinda died.

[@noahdavis7406]

I felt saddened at the idea that people don't share my level of enthusiasm for the Jak trilogy. They're some of my favorite games of all time.

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

Perhaps once FaceBook dies forever I could invite EVERYONE in my little Jak Discord.

[@cc1610]

Jak 2 Was my first ps2 game and I liked jak 3 too. But it was never one of my favorites. Liked games like gta, final fantasy, kingdom hearts, a lot more.

[@Semo_00]

I have jack 1 and 2 for my ps2 and I only played ratchet and sly a lot as a kid but I think I'll give them a try

[@asimplepie2279]

its my childhood bruh. i played Jak 3 religiously

[@TheForbidden_1ne]

Jak 2 is in my top 10 fav games all time

[@Maidenstear]

To date, the tonal change from Jak and Daxter to Jak II still amazes me. As a middle schooler, the jump from innocent, silent protagonist to vengeance-filled rage monster was so interesting and sad to me.

[@motherurck7542]

As someone who was probably around the same age as you, I loved the change.

[@Robzter117]

"An adventure, I think, more than just the rocks should recall" That made me smile

[@calebcrouch6133]

“Even the rocks… cannot recall.”

[@Caddicarus]

A near feature-length KZbin video in 2019 with 4:3 aspect ratio You brilliant madman

[@jaystev]

Next up is you doing a video on the Jak trilogy

[@HazyJ28]

I didn't even notice until I read this comment. That's true immersion.

[@NightNinja1998]

I still wonder when the hell you'll talk about the Jak games yourself, come on Caddy, we all know you're a huge Crash Bandicoot fan, generally a huge Naughty Dog fan, so there's no way this isn't a series you wouldn't wanna make a video on with all that being said... :x

[@yojaydeezy]

Caddicarus omg I love Jak & Daxter, this quarantine has me playing them all over again!! lol

[@FormalFilmsProductions]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeees

[@Vashkey]

Mad respect for using the og PS2 versions for the videos. Thats some dedication for acurate representation thats underatandably rarely seen

[@Jcz487]

I was questioning the entire video as to why he didn't use the PS4 'Remaster' would have made the video look so much better xD

[@dalehadley3283]

@@Jcz487 The original PS2 versions work for what he's talking about,with looking back on the series and what was great and what could be improved

[@dalehadley3283]

@3rd Way I own the original trilogy on PS2, and with component cables,it looks amazing

[@gibbsj195]

@Shaman X bruh, every time i see you in a comment section, you're always trying to start shit with someone. STOP trying to bait people into looking at your shitty-ass channel lmao

[@Sipu97]

PS2 version is the best.

[@UltraPandamonium]

Jak 1 is one of the best 3d platformers. Jak 2 sure is something Jak 3 is the best Mad Max game

[@iota-09]

Pretty much. Setting wise my favorite was 1, gameplay-wise 3 was a damn beast even if a bit easy compared to the pretty tough 2. 2 was... Ok? The plot was decent, the hoverboard stuff was neat, but it always felt like it lacked... Something. It wasn't similar enough to 1 for me to love it the same way aesthetically, but it wasn't so different and expanded as 3 to make me love it as an evolution of the whole thing. It's just a shame jak 3 was riddled with plotholes because it also had some damn good gameplay and setting, it somehow felt more like jak 1 than 2 ever did in that regard what with the precursor temples dark forces and all that crud, yet evolving under every aspect at the same time. Damn it, if jak 3 was actually done properly now we could have a 4th PROPER jak game. Honestly... I hate the last of us and uncharted exactly because they're nowhere near as original and unique as jak in both plot and setting, even if jak came out to be unique like that for bad reasons, jak 3 was also proof that they could've actually nailed everything if they just had enough time to do it.

[@FairyRat]

@Lord Jesse I had the same experience. A very boring by-the-numbers game.

[@GIR177]

I remember as a kid I hated Jak II because of the difficulty, but upon returning to it years later it's easily my favorite in the trilogy. 1 doesn't offer as much different that I can't get from other collectathons, and 3 brought the driving missions and mini-games in full force, with the combat scenarios being incredibly dull due to how overpowered Jak and his arsensal is.

[@mythologue]

Apart from Mad Max.

[@samuelolivier3792]

Anon heard of Mad Max the official video game?

[@airshow406]

I remember thinking "Daxter's actually funny now" in Jak 2. Daxter works better as a quirky partner than as the voice for the whole duo. Also the fact that he doesn't make mean spirited comments when you die anymore makes him more likeable. The line "God I miss pants" cracked me up.

[@Painted_Owl]

“ HEIMLICK!! Uhh, STRETCHER- yeuck- breath mint?” “HEY JAK! … can I… have your bug collection?” I always thought the death quotes were humorous, but I do see how they could be annoying. I always viewed them as a small glimpse into Dax’s character

[@EmMy-cp8bi]

I remember how crushed I felt when I had to navigate through parts of Haven City in Jak 3. It felt as if, somehow, a part of me grew up a bit. It's such a good game..

[@AlbBooker]

For me Jak 3 was the weakest one, the one that felt to me the most rushed one and because of it, I didn't enjoyed it as much as the previous one, the story is fine tho. My rank for Jak games are: Jak 1 > Jak 2 > Jak 3 Jak 2 and 3 will definitely benefit from a remake so they can improve a lot of things that didn't age so well.

[@4evermilkman]

Perfectly said :)

[@4evermilkman]

@@AlbBooker Jak 3 was the first game that had a camera moving on a rail, with a moving vehicle in a cutscene. It had features that were revolutionary in the time, but are now standards. It was far from rushed, but you can have your opinion:)

[@AlbBooker]

@@4evermilkman Those are technical aspect of the game, I'm talking about gameplay.

[@sebastiankulche]

@@AlbBooker Gameplay wise i consider Jak 3 to be much better than 2. Mostly because of the missions being better designed and is not annoying to drive around heaven city with guards chasing you all of the time... P.S: Also, it has the best replay valur of the trilogy.

[@1Nostrand1]

Jak and Daxter remains as one of my favorite trilogy of all time.

[@Wolfstarzan]

Me too and I hate that Naughty Dog didn't make new ones. Jak and Daxters story need a better ending not a cliffhanger. Ratchet and Clank on the otherside have good endings points after 3, Gladiator, ACIT or Nexus but will even get new games someday.

[@qisotwprofessionalsentvid6675]

@@Wolfstarzan true do you think they will get a remake/sequels someday

[@Wolfstarzan]

@@qisotwprofessionalsentvid6675 I don't think Naughty Dog will do that. I am sure with Ratchet and Clank because Insomniac Games mentioned it with Spider-Man after they revealed they are part of Sony now. But for Jak and Daxter I think the only chance is that a new studio make a game like they did with Sly 4 years ago.

[@qisotwprofessionalsentvid6675]

@@Wolfstarzan oh ok then F to jak and daxter then it hurts

[@pinstripecool34]

Same

[@themrfives]

I was practically raised by jak 2 & 3. Well by watching my brother play them.

[@armorwolf7934]

Same when I played them I just messed around in open world I sucked at missions

[@toripagetv]

The most relatable comment

[@dingdong1989]

@@toripagetv for real lol

[@maxreed369]

Sweet, man. My brother and I played these together too. We cycled series. I was the J&D guy, he was the R&C one. Over the years, I wound up watching him play alot more than me :-)

[@someothername7886]

Always watched my brother play 2 and 3. Eventually went on to play 2 for myself and (eventually) beat it. The memories. :) Shame I didn’t get to beat 3. The PS2’s disk scanner broke and life got in the way before I got the chance to.

[@Table53]

This was a video I didn't know I needed until it appeared in my notifications.. but now...

[@stupid90able]

Ikr

[@CowCommander1]

I was like man over an hour long?? And here I am finished watching it all lol. It was good.

[@aiyachristian]

The jump from jak and dax to jak 2 was completely insane. That jak 2 intro where they go thru the portal still gives me goosebumps

[@OdaSwifteye]

How about the part where you realize that one of the areas is your old home but completely ruined?

[@RyunosukeHachi]

@@OdaSwifteye How about realizing that most of the people you interacted with in the first game - like your Uncle and the Red, Blue, and Yellow Sage - are long dead and you don’t even know where they’re buried. Except for Gol and Maia. The Dark Eco probably destroyed them. Probably.

[@MrWhatdafuBOOM]

OMG, your idea of Gol And Maia being behind the dark makers all along using a dark Erol for their purposes is absolutely brilliant! Samos himself was unsure whether or not they were destroyed at the end of the first game. And since the main gang travelled into the future, Gol and Maia could have escaped somewhere during their abscence in the meantime, maybe even more mutated and powerful enough to create/become the dark makers. And to think it would have all started with them being defeated at the same place were the heroes found the time portal, RIGHT AFTER pretty much creating that timeline by sealing them in the silo, it would have all come full circle so nicely, I'm geniunely upset we didn't get that.

[@mikeexits]

Would've been the perfect core plot point for a Jak 4 direct sequel. Actually I read a fanmade plot trailer/summary type of post on the subreddit for these games and it was so enticing that it was actually playing out vividly in my own imagination like it was real. God damn do I wish we got that as a Jak 4. And god damn do I wish I could find that fanmade plot so I could share it with others, but sadly all of my searches came up with nothing.

[@fictiontheorizer1991]

Gol and Maia were such great villains. I don't know what it is about those two but it just works. Gol's voice and apperance just naturally works to convey a sense of decay and destruction. You see the long term effects of Dark Eco in him, and it really sells the cost of letting this poison run rampant. Maia highlights the psychological darkness of Dark Eco. Some of the most vicious dialogue from the duo comes from her and it's really interesting to see how violent she sounds. They are my favorite villians in the series honestly.

[@noahdavis7406]

It's crazy, I think I had some super vivid dream as a kid or something, but I remember playing a Jak 4 where we go back to the past to stop Gol and Maia. I remember it way too well, with them appearing in a portal similar to the Metal Head Leader at the beginning of Jak II and Jak getting pulled in before engaging in a boss fight with dark Eco creatures.

[@constipatednincompoop7929]

So basically TGB wants Jak3 Errol to be Vergil. There's the DMC reference.

[@bergonath8851]

You've cracked the case, me mate!

[@DragonGodXIII]

...Damn, a "Might Controls Everything!" mindset Errol would have been cool. No lie.

[@blademaster5074]

Wasn't he referring to Devil Trigger when talking about Dark Jak at one point?

[@strikeforce1500]

Maybe we should give some MOTIVATION to Naughty Dog

[@Lugbzurg]

I just kept waiting for him to say that Dark Jak was a devil trigger.

[@supersonicfan7]

>A Gaming Brit Jak trilogy vid Thank you so much man. Seriously.

[@DinoDudeDillon]

I actually think Baron Praxis not getting killed by Jak was thematically resonnant. Jak shows in that scene that he has bigger priorities than revenge now. That's not an arc that the story puts at the forefront, but nevertheless, we arrive at that moment where Jak and Praxis are more allies than enemies as Praxis lays dying rather organically. Praxis is a morally complex character. The whole story of Jak 2 is full of moral shades of grey -- it really expanded my thinking as a kid. Also, you criticized the setup of Jak 3 for being random, which it kinda was in some ways. But like, Jak was involved in letting the metal heads into the city for crew. He just didn't know it.

[@lespena3722]

I also think that the game jak and the lost frontier was kinda the nail in the coffin. Everything about that game made no sense. (Like keira wanting to be a sage, them trying to force the romance between keira and Jak (sorry i liked them together in the first game, but after that the pairing was dead) and getting eco powers in the end, the eco shortage, ect… and don’t get me started on the designs somethings were okay, others not so much) I mean it was so bad that they declared it non cannon and even the ones who worked on it admitted that it was jaks swan song…. I would have prefered a proper 4 game and its sad as the building blocks were there. I mean the fourth game could have been made with gol and maias return…. It could fill out the gaps in the story… like why Damas was overthrown (the guy had to have done something really bad), a bit more about Jaks past… the theme would also push morality to its limit as Jak would be forced to a gray area as he confronts a truth. As crazy as it sounds i always felt that the others saw Jak (minus daxter) as a weapon… as a way to get a means to an end (i always found it suspicious that samos never prepared jak properly or warned him…. And also the fact that ashlyn allowed Jak to be banished when she clearly had the power to overturn that)… in every single game he was used as a tool…. And in this game he would be forced to confront it… I even add that erol would also be in the game and would he redeemed ala darth vader. (Also would serve to give jak closure and a way to move on from his past) (as for why erol its just that a lot of stuff he does makes no sense like why not just kill jak as he had plenty of chances, how did he survived, how did he even know about the darkmakers…. In truth it just feels like he was used like a tool similarly to jak) It is sad we might never see a 4 game…. Then again maybe its for the best considering how low naughty dog has gotten. (With our “luck” if they do a 4 game they will do what they did to last of us 2)

[@yalikegames1319]

I always thought it would be a better idea ,as a teen, for after Praxis' regim to fall. A democracy would become established, and the peoples first change to Haven would be to exile Jak for all of those ludo narrative distance stuff, to actually blow the players mind and make them think of their actions and to give more justification to the exile.

[@lespena3722]

@@yalikegames1319 your right. Had it been a democracy it would have fix a lot of plot holes in the third game. Sadly it’s not and it leaves not only a lot of plot holes but also made a lot of characters look bad.

[@ndalum75]

Jak II does some interesting bits to make you question if Jak is really fighting on the right side. There's a mission where Kor tells you to blow up some eco shipments of the Baron, claiming "the underground will collect it later". Given Kor's true identity, it's pretty obvious that the only faction recovering any eco off of Jak's mission is the metal heads. Between that and the search for the precursor stone, there's a lot of ways in which the underground are working as patsies for the metal heads, making the Baron seem rather justified. There's also the fact that the Baron never seems to hate Jak, and instead shows him, not total respect, but a little bit, always talking to him one on one through those monitors. And overall he seems like a pretty practical military leader in places. You might not like his leadership, but hey, he's the only thing between you and the extinction of the human(are they humans?) race, so uh, you can't be too picky. Of course, all this nice moral complexity is thrown out the window because the Baron was too dumb to do any calculations on what breaking the precursor stone would do, and he won't listen to anyone else tell him this is a bad idea, not even his daughter. A bit of a let down, the only kind of glaring plothole inside Jak II, aside from those created by Jak 3.

[@mrsmartypants4541]

Jak II's difficulty made it exciting in my opinion. It actually made my heart race when I got to a point I haven't seen before and didn't know what to expect. It got to a point where me and my dad where taking turns trying to beat certain levels. And feeling a great deal of achievement when we did it. I believe games should be hard, they should make you feel you earned your victories.

[@arcaedonluminos666]

"But nevertheless an adventure I think more than just the rocks should recall." But even the rocks do not recall!

[@retardsrusjr8350]

I like how edgy it's jokes were for a colourful platformer

[@LicensedGuitarist2000]

i'm pretty sure that was the trend for 3d platformers between the late 90's and early 2000's.

[@JimmyJames10-k7v]

Big cringe

[@denisn8336]

@@JimmyJames10-k7v na

[@Sankray]

A part of what i loved about jak 2's killing civillians mechanic is how the guards were not triggered. They could not give a shit if you murdered the whole town, but bump them accidentally with your vehicle and boy, you had it coming.

[@TylerTheDefiler]

Not true, if you kill civilians in front of guards, the guard will attack you.

[@memelescream4796]

They just think you're auditioning to join them.

[@nostalgiaworks5999]

Keira: You can't cross the Lava Canyon unless you have enough Power Cells Speedrunners: Hold my beer

[@Sorrelhas]

Try as he might, Jak couldn't cross the Lava Canyon

[@timothymurauzi5144]

@@Sorrelhas good one

[@superlombax1561]

@@Sorrelhas Of course, Jak knew he'd need the Zoomer to cross.

[@Poldovico]

FCS go BRRRRRRRRRRRR

[@npc_blob1609]

​@@superlombax1561 LMFAO

[@DinoDudeDillon]

As a kid, I always imagined there would be a fourth Jak game where the time travel was a mechanic, in which Jak returned to the past with the help of the precursors and founded Haven city. The technological advances were made by Keira, the Blue Sage and Jinx. This was my headcanon at age 10.

[@4ortKnox]

I always felt like Dark Jak wasn't used to it's fullest potential. I think if they added Dark Jak in more cutscenes(cuz he's only in like 3 or 4 lol) where he's using his powers, the audience would feel more inclined to using it too.

[@cinderheart2720]

The biggest issue with Dark Jak is that...its not really a dark form. It gives you increased combat potential...and that's it. Colour it blue and you could've easily just called it superJak. Nothing outside the first level actually makes it feel like an evil force. Dark Jak needed to be more like the Dark Prince in Prince of Persia to really feel like a cruel, evil force that you're using at the cost of your morality. Perhaps having innocents be disguised as enemies while in Dark Jak form?

[@4ortKnox]

@@cinderheart2720 I'm voting for you to be the next developer of Jak 4. Ik "The Lost Frontier" was a thing but we don't talk about that😂

[@cinderheart2720]

@@4ortKnox I could actually see the appeal of rebooting the Jak series from the ground up with a significant amount of influence taken from the Prince of Persia games. Having Dark Jax be a forced transformation is a possible direction to go, as either a punishment or a reward for engaging in close combat and picking up dark eco, depending on the mission type. Trying to sneak up on a sniper boss with an eco sensor means if you hulk out, you're spotted. Of course, Dark Jak is whispering in your ear to do it anyways, and just rush the boss before he can escape with Dark Jak's enhanced speed, but you know if you do that you can't capture him, only kill him.

[@Kilo_Maybe]

@@cinderheart2720 Those are Great ideas, but why not also have him struggle, and try to fight back against the dark form? But after using it a lot, he doesn't fight back, and the form is stronger. So encouraging players to use the mode more Edit: I added stuff after the word "stronger".

[@Ckoz2829]

The whole thing was poorly implemented. Think about it: what can Dark Jak do that regular Jak can’t? Sure, it makes fighting enemies easier, but not by much, which is why you forget about it and stick to the guns and melee moves. I do think adding more of him to the story would have helped, but that still glosses over how useless the form is. There needs to be a reason for it to exist. Maybe force the player to use it a bit more, make some enemies that are only vulnerable to dark eco, maybe give the player a light/dark morality choice while you’re at it. Have an upgrade system that balances risk and reward with dark eco or health bonuses or something like that. Whatever the case, their needed to be a good reason for the player to use it, but they must have forgotten to develop that.

[@EagleScope]

I thought I was the only one that still cared about Jak in 2019, then this video popped up in my recommended

[@mikeexits]

It's like a dream come true. In the same year this was posted, I had posted a comment on his Ratchet and Clank reboot analysis requesting an analysis video on Jak and Daxter. I don't even know if he saw my comment or if it had any effect on this getting made, but it still felt like a gift, haha

[@HeyMomonia]

Jak x was my first ps2 game I'll never forget this serie It's a big part of my childhood

[@kai9755]

Jak and daxter precursor legacy was the game that got me into gaming! Ratchet and clank are awesome but jak and daxter are something else imo

[@boo5860]

I replay this series every few years to escape into my childhood. It's one of the few things that never fails to make me feel better

[@vulpesamores1783]

picked up spyro recently for that exact reason

[@djhunto9015]

@Death Untold grow up

[@Energizer720]

Wtf XD

[@galacticspike2842]

@ Existance Untold wow you must think your so cool.

[@brentwhitaker3585]

That scripted jumpscare in the sewer still scares me to this day.

[@mikeexits]

Probably the most well-done hard jumpscare I've seen in gaming.

[@iLloyd6]

THANK YOU Ashelin saying "The Mar!?"completely mindfucked me for a decade now and I'm so glad there's a video now touching on this

[@bobskye6336]

I hereby dissolve the City Council. Damn, I wish I thought of doing that earlier. Sorry Jak.

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

THE PEOPLE decided to support the dissolving of the city council after Veger fucked up a few times too many.

[@blockhasher7957]

@@NotOrdinaryInGames das real nigga talk cuh, that's what i was gone say, real shit

[@sarafontanini7051]

@@NotOrdinaryInGames well maybe the game should've made that more clear, hmm?

[@NotOrdinaryInGames]

Maybe they should have had move money and time and they didn't.......

[@blockhasher7957]

@@sarafontanini7051 it was implied, at the start of the game, the nigga was too powerfoo, at that point of the game, he wasn't, because our boy Jak was puttin in work on that nigga, fucked his shit all the hell up dawg, real talk

[@man12345678912]

Going out and cutting down civilians is absolutely out of character, but them getting caught in the crossfire is unfortunately part of war. Plus, with an uncontrollable dark side extra casualties are bound to happen.

[@thelordelric8424]

Those speed bumps have ruined my vehicles challenges so much that I feel no regret in killing them. They need to hit the ground faster.

[@Chico50445]

Yeah, I think it's just a missed opportunity with the story, they could have included some struggle where Jak has to learn to minimize civilian sacrifices while he's on a mission.

[@spaceace9103]

@@thelordelric8424 lol

[@Daedalus33]

The twist in Jak 3 actually made my jaw drop. Greatest twist ever

[@sarafontanini7051]

if you mean the precursor reveal, I think the most shocking thing of all is that they remembered that that was even one of the franchises' mysteries

[@kyon813]

"...oh my god."

[@Ella_Amida]

It’s the worst twist ever. Ruined the lore.

[@a.c.n9076]

Jak and Daxter truly does "suffer" from that middle child/chapter syndrome. Something that falls beneath the cracks. Not as iconic as it's predecessor nor as mainstream as it's successor. I can definitely see (in retrospect) why it still resonates with millennials and older gen z down to this day. While perhaps not the best idea on a marketing level, I actually think it's mish-mosh style is appealing. That's what it felt like growing up in the 2000's (that transition from the old into the new). The trilogy (particularly 2 and 3) still stand as my favorite games of all time.

[@4evermilkman]

What exactly do you mean by that syndrome? I read this 3 times and it's still going over my head :P I agree though, Jaks style is what it felt like to grow up in the 90s and 2000s

[@mikeexits]

I'm always happy to read of someone else who chooses these beauties as their all-time favorite games. Did you get any of the Limited Run PS4 copies? I got all the Collector's ones and the Jak 4 mockup case is pretty awesome to have in-hand. Definitely worth it as a lifetime fan (though I'm not sure I'd pay the ebay scalper prices for them; $80-90 each was enough for my wallet to handle.

[@spaceace9103]

@@4evermilkman J&D get less praise than Crash or TLOU like the middle child usually gets less attention

[@hahajohngaming]

"I honestly don't think jak and daxter gets enough credit for how inherently satisfying jak is to just play around with" Context needed for that statement

[@BluntAnims]

Movement options and animations were super fluid, easy to control.

[@mrdreamy1747]

no homo

[@hexwolfi]

Keira and Ashelin: 😏

[@superlombax1561]

You know you're in for a fun time with GamingBrit when he submits a video about the same length of his Ratchet & Clank 2016 analysis.

[@Lugbzurg]

No joke, when that video came out, I waited to see it 'till I was on vacation and watched it on the TV in the cabin, connecting my PS3 to KZbin. It was even in the midst of playing the Jak and Daxter HD Trilogy Collection, no less.

[@pinkfloyd36123]

its funny that the main thing you disliked about jak 1, that being the fact that the stuff you do has very little to do with the plot and is basically just errand work, is exactly why it's one of my favorite platformers, if not my absolute favorite. its so relaxed and light on context that the entire game feels like a total breeze to play. i 100%'d the game on my first playthrough, something i've never done and probably never will do again, and a lot of that was down to just how soothing i found the game to be, which just wouldnt be there if it was more context-heavy, fast paced and had a more pulsing forward momentum. great video btw

[@kimhunter6733]

101 + 2000 baby

[@InhabitantOfOddworld]

It also feels like a very weak criticism in context of the genre; every collect-athon from that 90s-2000s period featured a broad and vague narrative for the purpose of stringing together a collection of unrelated gameplay activities. Jak 1: turn Daxter back to normal, and do so via collecting power cells, and do that via herding cows and shooting rats Mario 64: save the princess from Bowser, and do that via collecting stars, and do that by racing penguins and flying around a battlefield with a magic hat Spyro: defeat Gnasty Gnorc, and do that via saving the trapped dragons and collecting stolen treasure, and do this by flying through timed courses and flaming sheep It's just how these games roll

[@Sjono]

“Loan your dear old uncle” Jak has no father or mother at this point in time. Who is this guy calling himself Jak’e uncle?

[@SpecRose]

Probably someone who had some part in helping raise Jak and took the role of an Uncle figure. maybe even called that by others, maybe Jak himself.(I prescribe to the idea that Jak was just an exceptionally quiet nice guy in 1. There's times he looks like he wants to say something but gets cut off scattered throughout the first game)

[@Ineedgames]

Your creepy neighbourhood uncle.

[@lightsonitzekioro3918]

It's likely one of those things where you grow close to a person not related by blood so much that you consider them like family. Hell given the plot twist of Jak's childhood and where Samos originally came from I wouldn't be surprised if Jak considered Samos somewhat of a father figure before meeting Damos and even then still considered Samos a father figure, especially with how Jak said thank you to Damos at the end of Jak 2.

[@5persondude]

"Whoopsie daisies" -Some writer at Naughty Dog, 2001

[@HazmanFTW]

Originally he probably was his Uncle and then they were like let's make Jak II and time travel. I think Samos probably asked him to look after Jak and raise him when they headed back at the end of Jak II.

[@lespena3722]

A little fun fact: It is not a coincidence that Erol and Jak look somewhat similar. You see when they were designing Erol they used one of Jaks rejected prototype design to make his. Which is why the two look similar. It was done intentional as Erol and Jak are foils to one another and original they had a different plan for Erol but it was tossed out for some reason that I do not know.(As for how i know? A family member of mine used to work for naughty dog and actually helped in the game and told me all the juicy details)

[@deadlocked5337]

Awesome!

[@DingusLad01]

“2001. The greatest year ever!” 😬 nobody tell him about September

[@DingusLad01]

All jokes of course haha love your videos man

[@Slim_Ch4rles]

Reminds me of that tragedy... 🤔

[@briggy4359]

@@Slim_Ch4rles I wandered the streets of New York, up to my ankles in blood and bones, looking for my brother...

[@Brentonius_III]

As horrible as what I'm about to say sounds Hes not American so it didn't affect him When someone says 9/11 to me I think of 9th November for instance

[@LukeDukeTilDeath1]

@@briggy4359 Turns out he was in Northern Canada.

[@infinityhand6569]

The Jak Trilogy is Naughty Dog's best franchise, change my mind.

[@sandorenckell5259]

Infinity Hand I don’t share your opinion, but I have no interest in changing your mind

[@JayfroC]

I definitely agree with that ^^ Though Crash could've given it some competition if the first game had aged better, I think.

[@mathiassvendsen9788]

No. I will not. You got it down.

[@mythologue]

Slippery Climb

[@retrosoul8770]

There is nothing wrong with the 1st crash game, and its age has nothing to do with anything, where did this dislike train come from anyway?

[@SiberianFenek]

i think you nailed it in regard to jak 2 and why it's unique despit being a mishmash of a lot of things.

[@FreeBurd0620]

Its funny how Jak X actually manages to make more satisfying endings for the characters in the trilogy than 3 does.

[@UnifiedEntity]

Yeah. I remember I dismissed the game because i Hated racing games but becasue it was Jak at some point...i Bought it and once I got to the end....he finally kissed Keira >_>

[@sarafontanini7051]

helps the gameplay was focused and the story wasn't just split ebtween like three different plots that weren't that connected to each other

[@davea3641]

@@sarafontanini7051 2 was low-key connected. Then out of nowhere 3 sends you further back in time? I got confused

[@pingaspearce9403]

@@davea3641 jak 3 had no time travel???

[@sobrev1viente]

@@pingaspearce9403 it had, but for the young Jak

[@crowstastegood8888]

it's honestly kind of sad we'll never get a remake of the Jax and Daxter games but who knows that might be a good thing

[@artistanthony1007]

The Sonic community makes countless awesome and well made fan games which Sonic Mania is one of them, not sure why no fan has ever tried for this franchise even if it's just a Proof of Concept.

[@AlryFireBlade]

yeah Jak II Ramaster with more checkpoints... I would buy and love it.

[@AlryFireBlade]

@FeruLay Conden Yeah and that takes away mch of the Fun and will to replay it. If you don't have Problems good for you.

[@MuchWhittering]

Remakes are almost never a good thing. Unless it's something massively flawed in the first place like Gen 1 Pokémon.

[@JimmyJames10-k7v]

@@MuchWhittering crash

[@MuchWhittering]

I think the worst bit about the palace level is that you don't even leave via the convenient door you came in by. You have to go a completely different way through an obstacle course.

[@PlayPodOG]

i really do not at all think a character or series NEEDS to stick to only 1 tone. games are allowed to be complex and the jak series does it so well. yeah it mixes things but it mixes them SO well. there is nothing wrong with it in that regard. i really want naughty dog to continue making jak games. at least one more.

[@mikeexits]

With how TLOU2 went and the company politics, I don't think I want them developing it anymore. Maybe if the original guys behind Jak and Daxter regained significant roles at ND, but other than that, no thanks. Honestly, I think Toys for Bob would do a much better job. Maybe if they teamed up with High Impact Games and actually remained faithful to the originals.

[@fictiontheorizer1991]

@@mikeexits Exactly. I don't want them to touch this series. Poor Keira would be so unbearable.

[@ZiexCee]

Jak X felt like Jak 3.5. Hopefully if Jak 4 is a thing, it acknowledges Jak X and not Jak TLF.

[@BanesBasement]

I know you posted this a while ago, but I got a question: what’s wrong with TLF? That’s the PSP one right? When I was a little kid that was my first Jak game and piqued my interest in the franchise.

[@spooky_moron]

@@BanesBasement it's both on the ps2 and psp, and to answer your question, it basically just ruined the characters and the world naughty dog built up to that point, it has plot points, and it has a super awkward love triangle for no reason. This is due to the fact that it was High Impact Games that developed it, not Naughty Dog.

[@BanesBasement]

@@spooky_moron If it was another developer, just consider it non-canon and forget about it XD

[@spooky_moron]

@@BanesBasement that's exactly what everyone does xd, I cannot accept the abomination that is dark Daxter.

[@CFbastar]

There will never be a canon jak 4. Not without the talented people that worked at Naughty Dog back then.

[@PurposelessRabbitholes]

Dude HELL YEAH! Always been hoping you'd cover the Jak games, they're absolutely some of my all-time favorites

[@cryptohello7666]

Damn you here

[@sycho-tech5104]

im fairly sure shes referring to 'Mar', the missing air to haven city who diapered around the time Damas was exiled along with his most loyal followers. not "Mar" the legendary hero who built haven city.

[@xMasterSparku]

That's pretty obvious but somehow I never thought of it that way

[@marbotp9376]

You describing the movement of Jak is exactly why I love the character. I think he's the best example of what a ninja would be in a platforming videogame. Jak is actually my biggest inspiration for becoming an acrobat and skateboarder.

[@HeroOfLegend115]

Jak II used to be my FAVORITE ps2 game, and this trilogy meant so much to me back in the day.

[@Crylorz]

jak 1 was the best.

[@Snailirific]

Jak II is my favorite too. The story is good and the villains are interesting. Jak 3 could have been my favorite but they messed up a lot of the characters by switching their roles around(like Keira and Ashelin) and it made me dislike the story a lot.

[@PlaystationMasterPS3]

a spiritual successor of Jak and Daxter is a better idea. also, I'm totally on board for 2000's nostalgia

[@Lugbzurg]

Sonic Adventure 3 should likely do this as well.

[@Kilo_Maybe]

I'm still waiting for JaD 4

[@tailedgates9]

Seeing this video, yeah, the Jak series was a mess at times. (Especially with Kiera. She was handled weirdly in 3) But I honestly feel like the games were more about fun explosive action and great platforming. There were dramatic moments, sure, but it also knew when to take itself seriously and when to joke. It was so inventive, such a blast, and above all else, super memorable. I can see now how misdirected the series was, but it definitely deserves another chance. Jak and Daxter rules.

[@iain2k7]

They fixed Keira in Jak X, thankfully

[@tailedgates9]

@@iain2k7 Yes! She was great in Jak X.

[@MetalGildarts]

It was because Keira’s original voice actress quit, and Ashelin became a fan favorite so they decided to make her more prominent in 3.

[@firenze6478]

Yeah they did Keira dirty in 3

[@John_II]

This is just a great trilogy. Credit where due: Jak 1 had the "no load times" nailed. I cannot believe more games didn't do it. Jak 2 and 3 have mild load times, but did great.

[@isaacschmitt4803]

See, I view the Jak trilogy as the perfect coming of age, not only story, but game, and not just in-game. The first game is light, fantasy, with just a little bit of mystery. That's prepuberty, back when you view the world as uncomplicated, when all you know of is classic heroes where the good guy always does right and is home by nine. It's good, wholesome fun with just enough tongue-in‐cheek humor to make it entertaining. The second is puberty: rage, feeling trapped, and like you need to overthrow your oppressors that, while harsh, really have the best intentions in mind. It adds the edge, the cool guns, and a little moral ambiguity. It's when you start feeling that "too cool for school" rebelliousness. Jak 3 is maturity, when you find a balance with your newfound edge and your earlier lighthearted, innocent nature. You can never return to it, but you begin to realize not everything needs that edge or moral ambiguity. As someone that grew up with this series, it reflected how I felt about the world as I played each new installment. And I appreciated it! Looking back nostalgically, I have nothing but memories of enjoying every second if it. Looking back critically, there are moments in the second one where I cringe, remembering how I thought the edginess was so cool back then. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one that felt that way. But as an adolescent, it felt like the series understood me.

[@mikeexits]

You know what? As someone who's gone through a lot of difficult maturing processes in the last 7-8 years of adulthood, I still love the tonal shift between Jak and Daxter and Jak II (although when I first played the series I started with II and was way too innocent to understand much of Jak II's plots, jokes, and thematic undertones, though this could have played a huge role in what I bring up further in this comment). Then Jak 3 brings it full circle and brings the spiritual aspects into a bigger thematic focus with the Yin-Yang balance of Dark and Light Eco + the powers and implications that come with them. I really think it planted seeds that were subliminally pivotal in my journey down the rabbit hole of what the true Nature of Life and Consciousness is to get to where I am today. Which is a pretty strange but deep, complex, and quite fulfilling experience of life in general. And I'm so grateful to everyone who worked on these games for it. I used to be embarrased and shameful about the fact that I loved video games and got deep meaning out of their unique storytelling methods. Now I wear it as a badge of honor and am happy to say just how impactful these games in particular have been on my life.

[@kingdomkey2262]

What would Jak X be?

[@ghillieassassin8419]

Jak X is you being an adult and knowing it's not fun, so the best way to blow off steam after work from knowing adulthood isn't fun is grabbing a few beers and play deathrace. Nothing like high octane cars, bullets, and checkered flags to let loose. Also explosions. And that intro, "GIMME TORO, GIMME SOME MORE!!!" perfect for a tone setting for the game.

[@DraphEnjoyer]

Jax X is underrated. Change my mind

[@weinteruptth.1479]

Two words... time trials >_>

[@superlombax1561]

@@weinteruptth.1479 Not that much of a problem. Just figure out the right path to take and when to hit certain time freezers or whatever they're called.

[@weinteruptth.1479]

@@superlombax1561 I played the game when I was 8. I imagine it is not that bad anymore. Edit: I have the game on ps4 I just have'nt played it yet

[@Enclavefakesoldier]

I just wish it didn't have that crazy glitch that wiped your mem card. otherwise I would have given it a go

[@Totone56]

Jak X was amazing, and still is

[@Captain_Blue_Balls]

Jak's still my Jam. I remember it more fondly than Uncharted or Crash.

[@alistair4909]

HW Schimmel Uncharted is the only one I never cared for. Crash, Jak and Daxter, and the Last of Us are awesome stuff imo. I’ve always seen Uncharted as tomb raider but more stiff? Lara Croft could back flip and shoot while in mid air and Nathan is bit more limited. Maybe stiff isn’t the right word since Uncharted has technically smoother controls. Maybe it’s the more hand holding level design, Maybe it’s just me :)

[@reeceburns8077]

@moonsta uncharted are awesome games not really fond of the last one because they threw in way to many cut scenes while I liked the other one's better because i saw them as fun adventure game and enjoyed scenarios drake was put in and be able to play through them while the last one tried being more story then the rest while this might not be something people will agree with the writers never made me feel anything for drake to care for the game more story wise he just a rip off of multiple characters like Indiana Jones and Brendan Fraser from the mummey and Laura croft not to mention it's just a guy looking for treasure not a really complicated plot

[@timeland8343]

Nuno The Dude calling something popular overrated doesn’t make you an interesting person

[@basedbattledroid3507]

I love Jak, Crash and Uncharted but I couldn't really care about The Last of Us, or at least aspects of it beyond the gameplay, performances/characters and I guess the artwork/graphics; I liked those regardless. Just felt like a very unthreatening post apocalyptic world that kept trying too hard to make you cry, I was definitely heartbroken when Joel lost his daughter, not when all of the other characters continue to lose their significant others; I mean if Ellie died at the end of the game I would've cried twice, not when you just meet a guy and two minutes later turns out his brother or partner is dead. Not a bad game by any means, definitely a good game, but I feel like it's a tad overrated at times. Uncharted 4 looked great so I didn't mind the overabundance of cutscenes, I mean those graphics were phenomenal, every time I hear of games trying to do the photorealistic graphics thing; I always think "oh lord it's gonna look ugly" but no, they were great, I thought the characters were perfectly designed. Although yeah the gameplay didn't feel as up-to-scratch as the past three titles, too much emphasis on stealth when that wasn't previously part of the game and the stealth gameplay itself wasn't as refined as it was in The Last of Us, incorporating some of those mechanics would've been pretty great, also felt like the jump height was a little too reduced and I know that was probably to be more realistic, it's just that Nathan Drake previously felt like a master of parkour, now he felt like a sack of potatoes, otherwise I still liked it.

[@WowThereBuddy1]

I loved this. You always nail exactly why I love games and even just art generally. You’re neither too clinical or emotional. You understand the value of mechanics of course but you also acknowledge the aesthetic and thematic elements without getting too wrapped up in them. Too many reviewers seem to focus on one or the other in such a way that I’m left listening to either cold and calculated analysis or some sort of moralistic breakdown of the art. You just seem to have fun with it all and it’s a breath of fresh air.

[@TheGamingBritShow]

Damn, thanks!

[@TerrorOfTalos]

Jak 3 is my favorite but I love the whole trilogy and I'm glad you've covered them.

[@productivitywizard6406]

“Oh yeah, life is good!” “Life is good, alright, later.” Yep. That about perfectly sums up the feeling of that final scene. Not like you just defeated unstoppable odds in your final hoo-rah, but like you’re saying goodbye to an old chap after having an amusing night at the arcade.

[@zan6585]

"What? What did I say? What did you say Jak?" man I love Daxter's dialogue.

[@SammEater]

It is a shame that Naughty Dog pretty much abandoned the series, I suppose there is no more space for a fun adventure styled game.

[@sarafontanini7051]

no we need MORE ZOMBIES, that's what the gamers want!

[@Agent-yw1kj]

@@sarafontanini7051 Trolling?

[@sarafontanini7051]

@@Agent-yw1kj i was being fascietious yes, making fun of how naughty dog are focusing on Last of Us

[@Agent-yw1kj]

@@sarafontanini7051 Oh sorry

[@SammEater]

Can you imagine the same company that did Crash Bandicoot and Jak making a game where the previous main character dies by getting his head hit with a golf club by a PR stunt disguised as a new main character?

[@KalavinkaK]

Aaa your idea for Errol was the best. Dammit, I want that now.

[@voicebross]

i always like Errol from 3 but that idea was so much better

[@BasedGodZolus]

My mans you weren’t alone. These games were the absolute pinnacle of its time and the leap of video game possibilitiy was never forgotten by me

[@mikeexits]

Ok, I can't help myself. "My mans"?

[@BasedGodZolus]

@@mikeexits my mans: my friend, my fellow human

[@mikeexits]

@@BasedGodZolus I get the meaning, I just don't get why people bother to type the extra "s" at the end. "My man" has the same effect. I just find some modern casual language conventions confusing in general.

[@BasedGodZolus]

@@mikeexits not every word is optimized for efficiency.. I typed “my mans” because that’s how I say it. Go out and meet some folks and you’ll hear all kinds of new words

[@BasedGodZolus]

@@mikeexits also I could’ve said “folk” but it doesn’t have the same effect

[@iamymai]

Found this through the Jak and Daxter discord, and I'm so glad I did! Easily the best analysis on this criminally underrepresented series I've seen. I'm so there with Jak 2 being the tonal blueprint if they ever made a sequel without botching it horribly. I love that game so much I started novelizing it as a teenager, gave up, and came back to rewrite and finish it over a decade later.

[@Evanz111]

I only ever played Jak 2 when I was younger, so seeing why the series meant so much to so many people was really enlightening. That’s for the outside/inside look on it!

[@coolcat2994]

I remember in jak 1 i would run the whole world on foot because it was so beautiful

[@iota-09]

Same, i even had the map from the first original game and just to see if it actually matched the in-game world i'd do that and yes, it is(mostly) matching with the game world

[@JayfroC]

The map-manual hybrid that came with the game, right? I have that shit fixed on my wall, it's a prized possession of mine xD

[@iota-09]

@@JayfroC mine... Who knows where the hell it's gone, probably shredded and recycled, rip.

[@Totone56]

@@JayfroC Wow, i forgot about this. I still have the original game somewhere, gotta find it.

[@bigbastard7582]

Isn't running the whole world on foot mandatory? I've played it alot and 100%'d it and I don't recall any other mode of transportation

[@Sjono]

I didn’t even notice that the Morph Gun utilized Eco for its bullets

[@iota-09]

Or that dexter was the one shooting while driving (i had a really crap tv, i guess)

[@JayfroC]

I'm guessing the JET-board does as well. It emanates blue light, the Eco color that represents motion. It's a cool way to show how a natural resource like Eco can be weaponized over the years.

[@Lugbzurg]

That's such an impressively-subtle lore-expansion, especially considering how the oh-so-in-your-face cutscenes never bring it up in the slightest.

[@ToadalHERO]

Loved your Ratchet vid and got really excited when this appeared on my feed, which rarely happens for youtube uploads. Agree on most of your points but i LOVED cyborg errol. I think giving him the same powerset as Jak would have been way more boring than evil vengeful robocop. I just wish they used him more consistently and more creatively, some more "forms" would have been nice to take advantage of his new body. A post final boss 1 on 1 like FF VII's Cloud vs Sephiroth would have been cool. Also, i think an underrated part of Jak's writing was the ability to be edgy without being mean which is subtlety often ignored these days. It's a very charming sort of edge and i'd love to see more of it.

[@itsjustvin7630]

kinda throws away the whole Errol crashing into dark eco tho like what did it even do to him besides disfiguring him?

[@nomadikoslykos3386]

Cant help but notice you totally glanced over Jak running into the kid version of himself at the beginning on Jak2 and Mar as a whole

[@basedbattledroid3507]

I think the The Mar thing was referring to him starting haven city because time travel and shit.

[@Doctor_Odin]

Which would explain why the armor of mar for some reason fits him perfectly. Not to mention it could’ve led for an interesting Jack4 With him needing to head back in time and become the legendary hero Mar in order to save the world.

[@canstermeat8171]

@@Doctor_Odin I was looking for this comment. I always thought it was intended and that's where Jak 4 would be heading, even though I played third one first and was really blown away by time travel thing when I played other instalments - but even if we two just came up with same idea, great chances that ND emploees would think of it too. I'm waiting for it fifteen years already.

[@lancearmada]

Classic. When’s the sly cooper review coming eh?

[@anequallygoodchannel.2761]

Refer to B masks videos.

[@DoktorInsano98]

Just watch B-Masks retrospective. It's a perfect analysis of those games

[@SomeRandomDude000000]

@@DoktorInsano98 maybe he wants to hear Charlie's opinion

[@blakechildress944]

Yes! I want to hear his take on my favorite PS2 3D Platformer.

[@jarerarebear1765]

I'm kind of an odd duck for saying this, but I actually like the whole Jak and Daxter series better than the Ratchet & Clank series. The way Jak moves and can combo Melee attacks and gunplay made him more dynamic than Ratchet. All the levels in R & C were separated by space as different planets making the game feel segmented, but all the Jak games take place on the same believable planet making all the adventures feel cohesive. Anyway, great video, I look forward to what you have to say about the Sly Cooper trilogy.

[@TheForbidden_1ne]

I completely agree. The Jak trilogy just has a better feel to it overall imo

[@eccohpeach6961]

I’ll always be a diehard ratchet and clank fan, but jak overall has much better mechanics and graphics

[@gabouchar9977]

While jak has the best gameplay, ratchet still is better in some ways like the story or the soundrack. They are both great games, it just depends on what you like more about a video game

[@Spike294]

"some of my favorite games then and now, and my favorite naughty dog games" amen

[@Bongbongo]

Jak II also has a giant ratchet and clank picture in one of the cities.

[@godhasabandonedme1643]

Yup

[@TheMGMfan]

Reminds me of a picture of Jak and Daxter displayed on a TV in one of the stages of R&C: Going Commando. Definitely not a coincidence, especially when their developers put demos of the other's games in their own in the previous generation, but it stuck out to me when I first found it because I had no idea it was there until playing the game, which made finding it really cool.

[@Templarfreak]

@@TheMGMfan Naughty Dog and Insomniac LITERALLY use to both be working out of not just the same office building, but out of the same like area of the office building too. Like you could literally walk past like 10 people in a row and its completely up in the air whether any given one of them was working for Naughty Dog or Insomniac lmao

[@ZeFluffyKnight]

I remember too in one of the R&C games you could unlock a Jak skin for player 2, while in Jak II you could change the shooting course to be R&C themed. Hearing that they shared the same office space makes these references make even more sense than it just being friendly references to competition. Back in the PS2 days I was always a Jak player but my friend always played Ratchet so when we played 2 player I always chose the Jak skin lol.

[@Space_Reptile]

to qoute naughty dog as of late: "we dont do fun" so no, no more fun jak games for you, only gritty zombie things

[@Kilo_Maybe]

ND( naughty dog): The fans want mature zombie games! What ND fans Really want: Jak and daxter full trilogy remakes with better graphics and on new consoles

[@JayAreAitch]

@@Kilo_Maybe Except they don't. Sales of their "cinematic over fun" games show that.

[@Kilo_Maybe]

@@JayAreAitch oh. Fuck them then cus people want Jak and Daxter 4 or remakes

[@G4kan260]

@@Kilo_Maybe nah bro just let it rest I don't want Modern Naughty dog to touch it. since the original team has left and druckman will fuck it up.

[@rickkcir2151]

@@G4kan260 He’d probably have Jak and Daxter die in the second mission and make the rest of the game Keira and Tess.

[@megazenn22]

how does this game look a million times better than GTA3 but run at tripple the framerate? It's almost like they care about what they made, crazy!

[@CornishCreamtea07]

GTA was a cross platform game, Jak was made with the PS2 hardware in mind.

[@platinumdragon1511]

@@CornishCreamtea07 gta 3 was made for ps2 then later released on xbox an pc

[@rasundesilva6088]

Because GTA 3 was not only Rockstar’s first crack at a 3D open world game but the PS2 was still relatively new

[@avengeddisciple]

Naughty Dog had a custom-built engine made specifically for the PS2 and to get as much out the hardware as possible. Rockstar used one of the first commercially available third-party engines rather than building one themselves. ND had access to the hardware and had the support of Sony. Rockstar did not. There are a lot of differences in the development of the two games, but the simplest reason is that ND had the support to make the most cutting-edge software for the console possible, while Rockstar used a third-part engine to make at least a playable and fun experience.

[@iliveinsideyourhouse1367]

Youre dumb

[@tritone2276]

Jak III and Viewtiful Joe 2(though thank god I got vj2 on gamecube) were my childhood. I legit played and beat Jak III about 13 times over during the summer of 2007. Good times. I loved it.

[@Zen-sx5io]

This trilogy was very important to my childhood in the 2000s. You now have my sub.👍

[@AlexTenThousand]

32:51 that is exactly my problem with most "sandbox" games - there's an immense dissonance between gameplay and story when the hero is presented... well, as a hero, but the gameplay also makes you basically a killing machine that faces practically no consequences for the destruction they bring. That's why I enjoy the Yakuza approach to combat - Kiryu and the other protagonists are never the aggressors during fights.

[@danthunder5002]

You just answered Jak wrestling with darkness himself when you say he can murder people in the streets or collateral damage and killing. Hahaha the player is his dark side Jak is wrestling with.

[@thegoodmudkip3652]

Trevor from GTA 5

[@julianowilliams3263]

Best comment

[@WoThFal]

You are the first one that actually addresses the music in Jak 2 omg.

[@UBvtuber]

Fun fact: there's like an entire disk worth of unused music in that game, look into the Jak 2 soundtrack for more info on that. The weapons factory actually does have music, but unless you glitch the game, you'll never hear it.

[@Soynereh]

Oh man, Gol and Mia in jak3 would have been great.

[@Lugbzurg]

A build-up with no payoff. Sad.

[@sarafontanini7051]

would've been better than Errol who just seems to have become a generic doomsday villain, the Dark Makers who basically have no character and are EVEN MORE generic Doomsday villains, and Veger who is an asshole who gets reduced to a joke by the end of the game

[@itsjustvin7630]

@@sarafontanini7051 Errol working with Gol and Mia with a hate boner for Jak would've been cool. I'd still keep Vegar for that payoff with the precursors

[@marcogee5642]

its never too late if they make jak 4 possible :)

[@Szczauqa]

@@marcogee5642 when I look at tlou2 I don't want them to touch jak

[@lichlame]

Ah yes, Jak and Daxter, my favorite character action franchise. Jokes aside, I’ve always loved these games, replaying these three last year because I had a hankering. And yeah, a potential Naughty Dog sequel is both terrifying and crazy enticing. I really do miss these types of fun western games. This grimdark dadventure trend can’t end soon enough.

[@CrowFuu]

To clarify Ashelin saying "THE Mar". It is revealed that Jak and the Precursors are able to Time Travel, so Jak would indeed be THE Mar since if/when he travels back in time he will be building/doing all of the things Mar is Legendary for. I would have loved for Jak 4 to involve Jak and the Crew going back in time to create his Legacy.

[@UnrealNeoBat]

Fun fact Ashelin is voiced by Wonder Woman, the fisherman is Voiced by Batman, Praxis is Voiced by Lex Luther, and Sig is voiced by John Stewart/Aquaman.

[@kayluenella24621]

Holy shit :0

[@TheChosenKyle]

Praxis' voice actor is also the voice actor who played Mr. Krabs and Long Feng from ATLA

[@tommyvercetti9434]

Jak II was one of my favorite games during my childhood. I remember playing it with a friend just causing chaos in the city passing the controller when got killed. I played it again a year ago (being 26) and still found the cutscenes funny. 1- Jak II: Renegade 2 - Jak 3 3 - Jak and Daxter

[@damiensawyers4133]

I agree, 2001 was a wonderful year for games, MGS2, Max Payne, DMC, SH2, Onimusha, RE: CVX all amazing games to me...

[@Szczauqa]

That was the Renaissance of great games which ended in 2010. From this time on industry got big and started to make money instead of gamey games. From that point on we saw some gems along the way, but "blockbusters" overshadowed them because they were making bucks. Big money ruins every industry, and sadly our entertainment suffered from it too.

[@damiensawyers4133]

Yeah, some of the best games came out in that decade or so

[@Comkill117]

And that’s just the PS2, let’s not forget all other consoles and PC we’re pulling out all he stops too.

[@JayfroC]

The PS2 library was fucking insane

[@CornishCreamtea07]

@@Szczauqa Most of the games from 01 were made with big money, what went wrong was monetisation. Fucking in-game stores to purchase the content they cut out and fucking lootboxes.

[@kokoado]

1:11:20 So the Jak games are Charaction Action games huh ? The plot thickens

[@MaxLoafin]

Nah dawg they're _just action games. . . with really good combat_

[@darkmariofans]

Found the DMC reference

[@Akay4444444444444444]

Sure Dante can High Time but can he do THIS *rolls into a high jump*

[@iota-09]

@@MaxLoafin and good characters. Which means... Oh my god. (Is it obvious enough i hate the name "character action"?)

[@MaxLoafin]

@@iota-09 the problem with that is I don't think the characters need to be good in a "character action" game. Just look at Ryu from ninja gaiden. Sure he's cool, but that's less him as a character and more him as a design lol. Ryu's character is almost non existent besides cold stoicism, not that I don't like the ninja gaiden games

[@GaragebandArcade]

Been a few days and I decided to revisit Jak 2 and I forgot how satisfying it is to just blitz through traffic. Ducking and weaving with the different altitudes especially when you're on the run.

[@emeraldwind4897]

Sorry this is 7 months old, But I wish there to be another Jak game in the making, unfortunately naughty dog is too busy making movie shooters, and stated that they dont care for cartoonish game design anymore, after that I stopped caring for Naughty Dog.

[@SuperDarknut]

It makes sense since the original founders left after the Jak games. Really explains the drastic pivot in what they were doing and why I stopped caring about their output.

[@gabrielantunez7642]

Because there is no point in doing another jak and Daxter games they where never even close to the level of financial gain they got by making movie shooters

[@HeyMomonia]

Same i stopped caring when they started doing the uncharted games I think at this point i'm just gonna buy a pc and play old games only I just don't enjoy modern games and i don't like where it's going I don't care how much money they make their stuff is boring to me

[@DragonGodXIII]

I think it's for the best we didn't get more Jak games than we did. That said I wouldn't mind seeing it return in a way that manages to resolve it's flaws-- it's world is interestingly built. I am also content to forget a certain PSP game never existed, too.

[@fatmaisktekbas3503]

Daxter's Bizarre Adventure: Bug Battle Tendency

[@NeoKaiser0]

One thing you didn't talk about was the game breaking glitch in Jak 2 that requires a new game to bypass. Fixed in the PS3 version but for some reason they used the PS2 version when putting it up onto the PS4 (not sure if it's patched yet). As for the difficulty I prefer a harder game but I did figure out the problem. You have 8 points of health but most damage in the game takes out 2HP, meaning you actually only have 4 hits. Combined with ranged enemies and how health packs rarely appear (and only heal 2) and you can see how people had some trouble with the difficulty. Plus, there's extra challenges that sound fun on paper but in practice require perfect speed runs. During these moments you find how bad the vehicle physics actually is.

[@BrisingrFan55]

I gotta say, Jak II was my favorite in the trilogy, followed by Jak III. I'm with you in really enjoying the difficulty of Jak II, but sometimes ... it was a little "inconsistent". You could go from a level where you have to slowly follow an npc around with no real danger, to a high-tension fight from one end of the boardwalk to the other with no room for error as gunships slowly chip away your hp. The biggest contributer to this, and what Jak III did to fix it, is the inability to heal yourself. You could sometimes get health pickups from boxes, but it was as inconsistent as the checkpoints, and there were *none* in the overworld. Did the Crimson Guard shoot you while you were going to a mission? Did you accidentally crash into a pedestrian you didn't see? Might as well die because you *cannot* start some of these missions with any health deficits and you had no other way to heal. I dearly love that game. I've beaten it twice. However, some of the difficulty was definitely due to some B.S.

[@mikeexits]

Have you beaten it on Hero Mode? I don't know how but I did recently (the on-rails shooter mission was the hardest by far with absolutely 0 room for error, and then some), and I beat the default mode at around 9-10 years old. Playing through it today I'm still surprised I was able to pull that off lol. I guess the story suckecd me in so much that I simply did *not* give up no matter what and always persisted. I know this comparison is overdone these days, but I think it's pretty fitting here; Jak II is the Dark Souls of 3D platformer-shooters. Beating it really does feel like a badge of honor.

[@b-roaskie7233]

I'm glad someone else feels like modern gaming's push toward realistic people in human world settings feels relatively constraining compared to the more fantastical worlds that games used to exclusively explore.

[@benyamgetahun939]

I finished Jak 1 & 3, I only played Jak 2 but never finished it. I never remembered anyone saying they were easily forgettable or stuck out as "messy". First I'm hearing of this is from this video.

[@DivinityOfBLaze]

The Jak and Daxter series... my one true love. Honestly to me they never made any games as interesting.

[@ChocolatierRob]

Yep, pretty much everything you said. The trilogy suffered from a lack of advanced planning. If it had been structured more with specific plot ideas for the whole trilogy it would have worked a lot better. As it was the _only_ idea carried on from the conception of the 1st game to the 3rd was that the Precursors were ottsels all along. The difference between this series and the later Uncharted one was that it was framed as one long narrative across a trilogy (starting with the question of who were the precursors and what is Jak's connection to them?) and each game was a separate part of this one narrative. The Uncharted series however was designed as individual stories that happened to star largely the same protagonists, the events of each game would alter the characters but it was not that the end of one adventure lead into the next. With the Uncharted approach they could just add a brand new adventure each time whereas with J&D it suffered from inconsistency. I also feel I have to note that it is an annoying tendency of trilogies to start with a innovative new project that really captures audiences, follow it up with another entry that uses the opportunities gained from that first piece to create a sequel that is even better, then completely botch it for the third entry with their big stupid inflated egos. They'll try to cram more into it than they know what to do with, or they are already moving their A-teams on to the next big thing while leaving some B-team to complete the old thing, or perhaps they just want to milk another episode out of something that should have ended with 2 entries. This happens to both games and movies (maybe other media as well, I can't say) - Ooh, yeah, uh... trilogies. Your mileage may vary on this but I apply it to Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, Raimi Spider-Man, the first X-men trilogy, Matrix, Assasin's Creed (an interesting entry as it manages to do it not just with the numbered entries - I, II and III, but with the trilogy that II became), Terminator, Alien, arguably with The Mummy... I'm sure that anyone could add more.

[@Lugbzurg]

This is definitely a pattern I've noticed a lot myself, but I never stopped to consider any of these logical reasons for it, which now seem incredibly obvious in hindsight. Then there's also that whole thing about making the third entry a prequel. There's various of examples. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Lost Planet 3, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (it's a movie), Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake-Eater... The list goes on and on.

[@uhobme2028]

When you brought up the idea of that Erol/Gol and Maia team-up, I don't think i've ever felt my heart sink so hard at the lost potential. That would've been Killer!

[@sarafontanini7051]

hell Gol and Maia could've become even more messed up and monstrous due to being stuck in a vat of dark eco for like YEARS

[@AtlasBlizzard]

That Jak4 concept art is pretty sick, especially Daxter. Great video! I've never played these games (Ratchet & Clank and Sly Cooper fan myself), so thanks for this retrospective!

[@lizardrancher]

You put into words something I've thought for a long time specifically about the first Jak and Daxter. It's easy to go on for ages about how good of a game it is, it's one of my favorites, but at the same time when explaining it to friends I've always had a hard time describing specifics. It's great but unfocused and a little bit too broad. Despite everything though I *do* think the series deserves at least a bit more recognition than it gets.