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PS3 Review – Jak and Daxter Collection

Cameron Teague — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:12:35 +0000

Years before developer Naughty Dog started treasuring hunting with Nathan Drake and the Uncharted series, they brought gamers a funny tale of two friends, Jak and Daxter, and their adventures through four main games on the PS2 and two spinoffs. Now, Sony has enlisted developer Mass Media Inc. to give us an HD collection that consists of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, and Jak 3. The games were incredible when they first released, but can they stand the test of time?

The first title in the collection is Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. Released back in 2001 for the PlayStation 2, The Precursor Legacy introduced gamers to Jak and his best friend Daxter, who we find out are no stranger to breaking the rules. As the two sneak off to Misty Island, they get into all kinds of trouble and Daxter is transformed by Dark Eco into a hybrid of an otter and weasel. The two are now on a mission to find the Sage of Dark Eco who can change Daxter back into his old body. The game takes place in the village of Sandover and it’s outlining areas, as the two of you battle monsters, collect precursor orbs, and the all important power cells. Jak is able to double jump, use two different attacks and has some serious dance moves when he does discover a power cell.

Next up is Jak II, which released back 2003, also for the PlayStation 2. The second game picks up right after the events of the first, in a city called Haven City. Here the world is under the control of Baron Paraxis and Jak and Daxter have just broken out of jail and are looking for a way out of Haven City. Jak II sees some big changes from the original, as now you are equipped with various guns, such as the blaster and scatter gun. The game adds in vehicle control as you can hover around the city in Back to the Future II style and brings in Dark Jak, a dark side to Jak that has been unlocked after many experiments performed by the Baron. When you transform to Dark Jak, you have new abilities that you can use and unlock throughout the game.

Lastly we have Jak 3, again for the PlayStation 2, which released a year later in 2004. It has been about 300 years since Jak and Daxter fought in New Haven and takes place in Spargus City and a vast desert. Characters from Jak II make an appearance here in the game and so do many of the gameplay changes, but are expanded here. There are two more weapon types and now there is a Light Jak to counter the Dark Jak, very Star Wars like. There are also different kinds of vehicles in the game this time around, like sand buggies and yoshi-looking creatures.

Each of the games present a good mix of platforming, vehicle racing, and material collecting. The platforming still holds up today, with plenty of different missions to complete, and a good bit of variety to the levels. The characters are well fleshed out, with great dialogue and voice work complimenting a fun and exciting story. It is easy to see after playing this collection why the Uncharted series and developer Naughty Dog are the definition of top-notch. The first game suffers from not having subtitle options but thankfully, for me at least, the 2nd and 3rd remedy this.

All of the titles in the collection have full trophy support with each game receiving its very own platinum trophy, making this a great buy for those trophy lovers out there. The games look great in high definition (considering their age, and obviously cannot compete with current-gen games) and the gameplay makes a smooth transition, though it is not without hiccups. The camera angles are absolutely terrible, with things becoming very rigid in close quarters and the camera never seeming to do what you want it to do. The jumping mechanic also feels very sticky, leaving for plenty of frustrating moments where you swear you have double jumped but the game refuses to agree. These issues can be overlooked however as the comedy is still hilarious and the games are extremely addicting and fun to play. The HD revamp also includes 3D support, which is solid, but doesn’t add much to the game.

In the end, The Jak and Daxter Collection is yet another successful trek into the world of High Definition Collections being released on the PlayStation 3. It is a bit frustrating to not have the entire series added in, especially Lost Frontier from the PSP, but the set does not lose anything by just having the first three games. Aspects of the series also feel dated, but that is really the only bad thing you can say about this collection, which is a testament to the quality of the original games. Both newcomers to the series and those who have played every game will find yourself enthralled with the great voice work and laugh out loud comedy of these classic games.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score

+ Get ready to laugh a lot

+ Jak and Daxter Look Good in HD

- Things like jumping and the troublesome camera feel dated

Jak & Daxter Collection Going Digital, Same Day as Retail Version

Tony Wibowo — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:24:39 +0000

Fans have been requesting an HD collection of Jak & Daxter for quite some time, and on February 7th, Sony is set to give them their wish. Jak & Daxter Collection will retail for $39.99 and contain the first three games in the franchise, Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Jak II, and Jak 3.

Most of Sony’s HD collections eventually receive digital treatment on the PSN store, but so far the download version has always arrived on a later date. This will change starting with Jak & Daxter Collection.

On February 7, Jak & Daxter Collection will be available on PSN for the same price as the retail version. It will have all of the features from retail version such as HD graphics, trophies and 3D support. The difference is that each title will be available a la carte, which means you can buy the games separately if you want. About 12 minutes into the latest PSBlog‘s podcast, PlayStation Sr. Product Evaluator Nick Suttner announces that Jak & Daxter games will be available for $14.99 each.

This is of course not the first time games in an HD collection get split to be purchased separately, Sly Collection and recently Ico & Shadow of The Colossus had the same treatment.

Which version of the Jak & Daxter Collection will you buy?

Uncharted 3 1.03 Patch Paves the Way for Exciting DLC

Jonathan Leack — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:06:13 +0000

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception has soldiered on post-release with a couple of patches and adjustments which have helped refine what was already a heavily polished experience. Now v1.03 is out, and while it doesn’t change a whole lot, it does pave the way for plenty to follow.

Below are the patch notes for Uncharted 3‘s v1.03 patch, as detailed on Naughty Dog’s official site:

Users in the largest party in a game room will no longer be designated as Villains a large majority of the time
Cutscene viewer audio issues fixed (3D only)

In addition to the above changes, the patch contains the framework necessary to run some DLC which Naughty Dog is excited to be releasing soon. Eric Monacelli mentioned that all information regarding the DLC will be revealed by January 17th, which falls on the same day as next week’s PlayStation Store update. The content has been said to apply only to the multi-player experience, so if you enjoy the competitive environment in Uncharted 3, be sure to stay tuned.

PS Vita’s Uncharted: Golden Abyss Shown in 10-minute Gameplay Video, 6 Screens

Heath Hindman — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:06:58 +0000

We’re now inside five days until the Japanese Vita launch, and anticipation couldn’t be higher as Uncharted fans wait to hear more about the series’ first portable entry, Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Today, we’ve got a six-pack of screens and a 10-minute video of this handheld prequel.

Here are the screens:

The man in the stock Tropical Military Leader uniform is Roberto Guero, who, if you couldn’t tell by the image of him pistol whipping Nathan, is a bad guy. Famitsu is saying Nathan trusted Guero at one point, but details are vague.

Here’s a new video featuring a playthrough of the same demo I handled at the Tokyo Game Show. Gameplay begins at around the 3:30 mark. Notice that about 9:45, Mr. Ishikawa swipes the screen to move Nate upward from his hanging position into a hallway above him. He fails at this on his first two attempts because he doesn’t have Nate in the right position. I feel the need to point this out because it can appear as though there’s some sort of faulty touchscreen action happening, but that’s not so. Ishikawa says out loud (in Japanese) “Oh, over here a little more” then readjusts his position and makes the move just fine.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The game handles surprisingly smoothly. Being emotionally dead, I had my doubts about all the hype as I do for all hype. But this game impressed me and is one to watch. Check back to PlayStation LifeStyle for ongoing coverage of this and other Vita titles leading up to the North American and European launch days.

Uncharted 3 v1.02 Patch Now Live; Addresses Controls and Much More

Jonathan Leack — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:06:32 +0000

Uncharted 3 did a lot of things right, but it’s been difficult for many to shake the feeling that the controls just don’t feel quite right. But, in typical Naughty Dog fashion, a patch was quickly put in production and now that patch is available for download.

Patch v1.02 has just found its way to Uncharted 3, and addresses a primary concern: stiff controls. It doesn’t end there, though, and while it took a couple weeks for the update to come out, there’s good reason. See the patch notes below:

Single Player:

General:

Movie cutscene viewer added (in the Bonuses menu, Single-Player only)

Technical:

Fixed the missing Motion Blur effects (for Single Player only)

“Alternate Aim Settings” added to the Options menu under Camera options (for Single Player only)

Multiplayer:

General:

Settings bug fixed: all controls being set to flipped mode setting will no longer change all controls back to default

Gameplay:

Medal streaks won’t reset if the host migrates to another user

Blindfire targeting adjusted so that opposing players past a certain vertical angle above and below won’t be hit.

Allow grenade throw while scoped

Tuned Pull Down range from 1.5 meters to 2.0 meters

Lowered the player running speed when players run ‘n gun by approximately 15%

Slightly increased the turn radius of run ‘n gun

Slightly decreased the turning speed during Sprint

Technical:

Fixed an infrequent hunter spawning issue in Hunter Arena when the match round switches

Fixed several cinema crashes

Locked fast-forwarding on convoy sequence in Airstrip TDM and train sequence on London Underground TDM to 3x maximum in Cinema Mode

Fixed certain cameras in Kick Offs and Pull Downs

Fixed a late join skin bug with locked content

Fixed a split-screen Buddy treasure pickup bug

Fixed duplicate medal problem causing bad tabulation of a few medals to the player’s career stats

User Interface:

Objective points now show up in the player’s Competitive statistics tab instead of the Cooperative statistics tab

Added a Facebook Sign Out option

Added the Add Friend functionality in the Facebook tab

Fixed voice icon for mics not appearing in Matchmaking lobby

Adding missing weapon stats tracking for certain weapons that were not being recorded to the player stats

Fix for not displaying the entire Online ID within the “Players” column of any leaderboard.

Fix for a user having an online ID containing fifteen or more characters created in uppercase format and actively using a voice comm device.

Server:

Matchmaking now waits for double the number of players in the biggest party in the room to be present before starting a game (to prevent parties from being split frequently)

Players no longer able to join party that is already in Matchmaking

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So now not only are the controls at the same level as Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, if not better, but you can re-watch the gorgeous cutscenes of the game at the drop of a hat, and the online has been tweaked for balance and stability. Oh, and all of these changes come in the form of a 32MB update. Not bad. I know I’ll be hopping back on to start working on my platinum trophy. Will you?

Uncharted 3 Multiplayer Visits the Past in Upcoming DLC

Jonathan Leack — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:32:49 +0000

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception has been no stranger to play value with its exciting campaign, treasures, unlockables, and robust multiplayer. But even then, Naughty Dog is ready to unload some additional content to keep things fresh for fans.

Uncharted 3‘s first major map pack has been announced, and it includes two fully redone versions of Uncharted 2‘s most popular multiplayer maps. The Fort has returned but with major changes in atmosphere due to dense fog and low lighting. The the other map, The Cave, could almost go unrecognizable since its thick snow has been melted, revealing a beautiful ruin hidden within a dense jungle.

Both gorgeous maps can be previewed in the gallery below:

After overwhelming praise, Uncharted 3 shot off the charts with over 3.8 million units moved on day one, even beating out Uncharted 2‘s remarkable numbers. As a result, the multiplayer environment has been very popular, even through the release of this year’s Call of Duty. If you still haven’t checked it out, Uncharted 3 is worth your time, and this upcoming DLC will sprinkle in some nostalgia as well.

Uncharted 3 Successfully Shows Off Western Gaming to Japan

Jonathan Leack — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:22:08 +0000

Among a year of blockbusters, Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception has stood out like a brilliant diamond, with reviewers across the board raving about its gorgeous visuals, diverse gameplay, and powerful storytelling. It has stood out so much, in-fact, that it has already sold extremely well in Japan, a country that has a history of avoiding games of its kind.

In its first week, Uncharted 3 has sold 124,989 copies in Japan, and as such nearly topped the charts at second place behind Super Mario 3D Land. Comparatively, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, a game that won nearly every game of the year award two years ago, sold 47,000 copies during its first seven days in Japan. Could Indiana Jones have pushed the game to success?

Uncharted 2 was one of the best-selling exclusives on the PS3 selling around 5 million as of October, with Gran Turismo 5 the biggest of the lot, selling over 6 million in a matter of months.

[Source]

“Jak & Daxter Trilogy Edition” Rated for PlayStation 3 [Update: Game Confirmed]

Tony Wibowo — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:44:48 +0000

Update:

SCEA have told IGN “We can confirm the Jak and Daxter Collection is coming and will have more news to share shortly.”

Original story:

Over the past few years, the PlayStation 3 has been home to quite a few HD collections of PlayStation 2 games, all of which are fan favorites like the God of War Collection and the recently released Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.

However, there are still some first party games that Sony hasn’t released on the PS3. Jak & Daxter is one of biggest franchises yet to grace the console, and after many months of rumors and speculations, it looks like the Jak & Daxter HD collection is finally coming to PlayStation 3. Last month, Korea’s equivalent of the ESRB rated the game for an unspecified platform. Today, the USK, Germany’s videogame rating organization, has rated the game, and this time the PS3 is explicitly specified:

Sony and Naughty Dog have yet to make an official announcement for the game, but it is pretty much guaranteed that the game is coming.

Additionally, a release of an updated collection of games often means that another title is coming out in the future. So would you like Naughty Dog’s third person action game to be a new Jak & Daxter? Let us know in the comments below.

Get All Three Uncharted Soundtracks on PSN Now

Adam Wolfe — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:26:58 +0000

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception has it all: epic shootouts, blockbuster cinematics, and even a killer soundtrack. Lucky for you, you can download at least one of those right now on the PlayStation Network.

Naughty Dog and Sony are now offering the Uncharted 3 soundtrack on PSN for $9.99. They also announced that you’ll be able to purchase a physical copy of it when it hits store shelves on November 15th at Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Fry’s Electronics, iTunes, and Amazon.com.

Additionally, you can grab the Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves soundtracks off PSN for $5.99 now, or wait until next week for the $9.99 combo pack featuring both.

For more information on Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, be sure to check out our launch center, complete with Treasure Locations and Trophy Guides.

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Naughty Dog: “We Absolutely Killed Ourselves” Developing Uncharted 3

Adam Wolfe — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 03:10:36 +0000

PS3 gamers across the world are finally getting their hands on the highly anticipated Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception this week, and by all accounts it is a masterpiece. Now that it is finally out there for the masses, the guys and gals over at Naughty Dog have let us in on just how hard the development was.

Creating a hit game is no easy task, following that hit game with an even better iteration is something seldom seen, so when Naughty Dog set out to develop the third game in the Uncharted series, it’s no surprise there was a lot of pressure.

Speaking on GTTV’s Bonus Round, Amy Hennig, creative lead and writer on Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception, reflected on the hardship involved:

We absolutely killed ourselves on this project. I think this was the hardest thing any of us have ever done.

Game director, Justin Richmond, had this to add:

I’ve worked on two ‘third games, and they’re always harder … people expect a certain level of sophistication.

Well, judging by the reviews the game has received, all the pressure they put on themselves was well worth it.

Do your part in supporting this wonderful developer, and go pick up Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception when it hits stores today in the US, and the rest of the world later this week.

For more on Uncharted, be sure to check out our comprehensive launch center.

Uncharted Series Stands at Crossroad, May Explore “Facets of Drake That we Haven’t Seen”

Jonathan Leack — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:22:07 +0000

After four years of critical and commercial success, the Uncharted trilogy is set to finally conclude tomorrow. As with many movies and games, the third title usually marks an end to a chapter and Uncharted is no different. With that in mind, Naughty Dog is now thinking about what to do next with Nathan Drake – or if they’ll make another Uncharted at all.

Creative Director Amy Hennig shared her thoughts on what’s coming next for Nathan Drake and the Uncharted series in her latest interview, and after being asked about where the series is heading next, she replied:

I’m not sure if we are doing a 4th one; there are lots of decisions to be made there.

She elaborated:

You can start a new story with the same character. I think I would want to continue exploring facets of Drake that we haven’t seen; how you do that is putting people in his world that inspire or provoke different aspects of his character that we haven’t seen yet.

PlayStation 4 rumors have been heating up over the past few months, so it’s entirely possible that we’ll see Nathan Drake on new architecture for his next release. However, Naughty Dog have a history of starting new IPs for each Sony console release (they developed Crash Bandicoot for PS1 and Jak & Daxter for PS2), which leads us to believe that if there will be another Uncharted, it’ll probably be something radically different, and it’ll possibly come toward the end of the PS3′s life cycle. Naughty Dog have conquered and set the bar for action-adventure titles with the latest Uncharted release, which may prompt the team to look into a new design.

Uncharted: Golden Abyss is currently in development for the PlayStation Vita, but with a different development team. It may mark the final release of what many view as ‘traditional Uncharted’, and the possibilities are truly endless for its treasure-hunting cast. But where would you want the franchise to go next? Let us know in the comments below.

Naughty Dog Ecstatic to Have Inspired Change for Tomb Raider

Jonathan Leack — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:24:05 +0000

Square Enix revealed what has been one of the most surprising evolutionary steps for a gaming franchise earlier in the year with Tomb Raider. However, many quickly drew similarities between the new style and Naughty Dog’s award-winning Uncharted series, claiming some degree of replication. While that might be true, Naughty Dog doesn’t seem to mind, and feels honored to have such a high level of influence.

Uncharted Director Justin Richmond has been delighted by the fact that the series he has been working on for several years has permeated the industry and has begun to influence other developers, notably Crystal Dynamics, who are in charge of the upcoming Tomb Raider release. He stated the following during an interview:

It’s an honour, but at the end of the day I just hope that those guys make an awesome game. The reason we make these games is so that we can play them.

Arne Meyer, Community Manager at Naughty Dog, agreed with Richmond’s sentiments, and noted that developers feed off of each other to develop even greater gaming experiences. She said:

They might have learned stuff from us but I’m sure there’s stuff we’ll learn from them, too. That’s the whole point about sharing and playing other people’s games.

Both Richmond and Meyer bring up good points; if developers didn’t look to each other for inspiration, games would evolve much slower, and we’d end up with an uneven level of advancement between high-budget and low-budget releases. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves refined the realistic adventure gameplay that has slowly evolved over the course of this generation, and mixed it together with pristine story delivery. Not only did it end up with one of the highest review averages of all-time, but it has been a powerful tool for many development teams looking to identify how a game experience should be blended together to be most effective.

Our impressions of Tomb Raider during our time at E3 was very positive, and we suspect that it’ll be the huge step forward that the series has needed for quite some time. It offers plenty of qualities to differentiate itself from other games on the market, while retaining some of the qualities that we’ve come to love from the adventure genre.

[Source]

Naughty Dog Interested in Next Gen, But “Could Keep Games on The PS3 Forever”

Jonathan Leack — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:40:57 +0000

Despite the PlayStation 3′s rough launch, it has managed to gain speed and compete to a level that has made this the longest generation we’ve seen since Sony appeared in the gaming market during the mid 90′s. Its hardware has stood the test the time, a fact that has thrilled many gaming developers looking for more consistency and greater revenue, Naughty Dog among them.

Naughty Dog Game Director Justin Richmond not only sees the PS3 performing for a long time to come, but could very easily keep producing games on the platform if there weren’t a successor to support in the not so distant future. He stated during an interview:

We’re interested in the next generation just as much as everybody else, but in terms of making games… we could keep games on the PS3 forever. It’s an amazing platform.

It’s crazy to look back and think that only a few years ago many developers had almost nothing good to say about the PS3 architecture. Fast forward to today, and we’ve seen Valve, Ubisoft, EA, Bethesda and many more creating gorgeous visual experiences on the hardware which seems to only get better with age. The teams at Naughty Dog, Santa Monica Studios, Konami, and Guerrilla Games have led the pack and were pioneers with cell processor utilization.

With a PlayStation 4 in the works, we might be seeing the end of Uncharted after either Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception or whatever release comes after it. They have routinely begun new IPs at the start of each generation, with each becoming a staple of its respective console. Enjoy Nathan Drake while you can, and be sure to play Uncharted 3 when it releases on November 1st.

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Huge Graphical Leaps No Longer Possible on PS3, Uncharted 1 and 2 Gap “Only Happens Once per Generation”

Jonathan Leack — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:41:07 +0000

Since 2007, Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series has been the king of visual presentation, whether it’s with the high-resolution textures, the fluid movement animations, or the facial design which makes the characters so believable. Although the jump from Uncharted to Uncharted 2 was easily distinguishable, we likely won’t be seeing that circumstance again until more powerful hardware is available according to Naughty Dog.

Naughty Dog’s Justin Richmond doesn’t see much more room for improvement coming from the Uncharted series as long as its limited to the PS3. In an interview, he stated:

The way we made it, how much of the PS3’s power we were using… that huge gap that you saw between Uncharted 1 and 2 is the kind of thing that really only happens once per generation.

He continued:

But I don’t think you’ll ever see that same jump again, at least on a PlayStation 3.

Despite Uncharted 2‘s high level of visual quality, Richmond emphasized that Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception will see improvements on several fronts, including physics and polygon count due to the optimization progression seen during development. However, the PS3 is finally hitting its ceiling after five long years, and, although the presentation seen in modern games has been satisfying for many, anything more advanced will require a new generation of hardware.

[Source]

Uncharted 3 Beta Adds Two Maps and Several Fixes in 1.01 Update

Jonathan Leack — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:22:37 +0000

If you’re in the Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception beta, you’re going to want to hop back on as soon as possible, as Naughty Dog have released a new patch which has made some attractive new adjustments and additions.

Below are the latest changes made in Uncharted 3‘s beta client update v1.01:

Fixed a bug which would cause players to stop accumulating cash and items purchased
Fixed a bug that could cause the player to lock up accessing the Friends list, or when a Friend joined them
Removed Team Objective and Plunder kills from being tabulated against the Kills/Deaths Leaderboard (all kill/death stats are still kept locally for the player)
Leaderboards will be completely reset soon to coincide with the above change
Microphone icon will now appear in the Multiplayer lobby to indicate who is using a mic
Fixed a bug in which switched control schemes were not being saved properly
Players will no longer able to join a party that is in the Find Game function or actively in a game (was causing various issues with players not being pulled into games properly)
European and American players will be re-integrated into the same play lists with this patch

But that isn’t all, as two new maps have been thrown into the beta for testers to enjoy. The two maps include High Rise, which you may remember from Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Molten Ruin, a hot new map (literally). Naughty Dog are looking to thoroughly polish Uncharted 3‘s multiplayer environment before it launches next month, so be sure to login, test out the changes, and report any feedback you may have.