What Are You Currently Playing? 5.05: You Are (Not) A Gamer

[gunswordfist]

What kind of kids want to run and shoot?

[Spark Of Spirit]

I found myself a copy of the Jak & Daxter Collection and am replaying through the original right now.

IMO, it's still a great game but there seem to be a few weird graphical glitches and my session ended with a nice freeze. Still, it is pretty much the last collectathon platformer yet made.

[Foggle]

Never had any problems with the collection, though some of the driving HUD is chopped off on Jak 3 and Kor's face is completely black in one cutscene near the end of Jak 2 for some reason.

Jak 1 is easily the best collectathon ever. It's the only one I can still stomach, truth be told - and it's a very good game at that. Jak 2 works very well if you like all the different gameplay styles and can handle an insane level of difficulty while Jak 3 is fun if you like racing games with a few platforming and shooting challenges thrown in occasionally.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I also forgot how engrossing it was. I made my way all the way to the volcano before I forced myself to stop, I even skipped the swamp!

Man, I really wish Naughty Dog made a proper sequel to this game because it really deserves one.

[talonmalon333]

So with plenty of free time today, I spent nearly the entire day playing this game in its entirety...

[Foggle]

Man, I really wish Naughty Dog made a proper sequel to this game because it really deserves one.

Just unlock the level select functions in both Jak 2 and 3, then play all of the platforming stages straight through, skipping all the other stuff. Presto!

[Spark Of Spirit]

Man, I really wish Naughty Dog made a proper sequel to this game because it really deserves one.

Just unlock the level select functions in both Jak 2 and 3, then play all of the platforming stages straight through, skipping all the other stuff. Presto!

Well, I still plan on playing them, but I mean an open world platforming game like it. Even the level with the bike has platforming since you have to speed jump over platforms. You jump everywhere!

I think my only real issue is that the music is snooze-worthy. To be fair, Crash 2 is the only ND game to have catchy tunes. I still have this stuck in my head even years later.

[Foggle]

Yeah, ND games tend to have fairly boring music. I LOVE this piece though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp_mQ_iTJNY

I think, at it's best, Jak 2 is the finest game Naughty Dog ever made. But the open world is boring now that I'm not a youngster, some of the missions are really bad, and as a whole it's just way too hard. The fact remains, though, that the platforming levels are sublime. Jak 3 continues the tradition of having amazing platforming challenges, but sadly the majority of the game is racing and mini-games.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I'm eager to give them a fresh chance (and never having touched 3 it should be interesting), but I really wish they would have stuck with pure platforming. EVERYWHERE in Jak & Daxter there are platforming challenges and they're all totally different from each other, even on the bike you still jump platforms and dodge obstacles, unlike any other collectathon it avoids needless mini-games that have nothing to do with obstacle dodging.

IMO, it is probably Naughty Dog's best game as a whole (though I'm really fond of Crash 2 and 3), so I'm eager to give II and 3 another chance.

[Foggle]

unlike any other collectathon it avoids needless mini-games that have nothing to do with obstacle dodging.

Spot on. While I still hate the goddamn Precursor Basin, Jak & Daxter is easily the most consistent and fun collectathon ever made.

The distribution of the games is something like this iirc:
Jak 1 - 85% platforming, 10% driving, 5% other
Jak 2 - 50% platforming, 20% driving, 30% other
Jak 3 - 25% platforming, 60% driving, 15% other

The level select function in 2 and 3 is a godsend. With the open world removed and the ability to skip the driving missions and some of the more ill-advised shooting sections added in, you have about 1.3 games' worth of total awesomeness to play straight through.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Didn't they change the vehicles in Jak II to blow up or something? After just 100%-ing the Precursor Basin I could never imagine having to deal with that especially during the race or blue ring challenge.

I'll still give the full games a shot (I'm sure to not get as outright bored like in Sly 3), but knowing that there are ways to just play the fun parts later on is encouraging.

[Foggle]

Well, you have to collect precursor orbs to unlock the level select features, but it doesn't take very long to, especially in Jak 3.

Didn't they change the vehicles in Jak II to blow up or something?

Get ready to rage during every single driving mission in both sequels is all I'm gonna' say.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Well I'm in the mood for something with a bit of challenge so

Didn't they change the vehicles in Jak II to blow up or something?

Get ready to rage during every single driving mission in both sequels is all I'm gonna' say.

The memories are flooding back... 

IIRC, those were the reason I stopped playing II.

[Foggle]

I don't blame you. Some of the races are really frustrating, though I noticed that working through them isn't too hard as long as you stay cool and optimistic. You're more likely to be done in by the driving in Jak 3. It's easier (for the most part), but still tough, and there's SO MUCH OF IT. And one mission in particular is even harder than the hardest race in 2 IMO...

Aside from the driving, the only truly annoying levels are the one where you have to kill a shitton of invisible Metal Heads and a certain escort mission, both in Jak 2.

[Nel_Annette]

I remember a few summers back I played all the way through J&D and loved it. I really wanted to get through Jak II. The change in mood didn't phase me too much, I mean, Daxter was still funny, and the NPCs were still interesting. The regular platformer levels were awesome, but after having massive trouble with that level where the tank drives after you and shoots at you from its point of view, I reached a point where you had to escort the kid across the city in a hover car. never beat that mission. Never. Car would always blow up before I reached the goal.

I also have Jak 3 and The Lost Frontier, but without completing Jak II I just don't have the heart to skip to them. I'm like that.