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

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I am genuinely curious as to how someone can think that Jak 3 is better than the first two. Everything about it reeks of lazy design and it honestly just feels like a cash-in to me. The platforming is easily the series' best, but there's barely any at all, and most of it occurs in the same two locations which are reused over and over again. The incessant driving (which comprises the bulk of the story missions) cripples the game's fun factor and makes shit like the Precursor Basin and Jak 2's races seem fun in comparison. I'm nearing the end now, and even the story seems halfhearted and unnecessary. Overall, while still fairly decent on the whole, this is turning out to be one of the most overrated games and worst sequels I've ever played.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The final boss is pretty rage-inducing. But I didn't really have much an issue with the relic hunting, I just kept moving. It wasn't fun, but compared to the over-world missions in II, it wasn't nearly as frustrating. But I agree about the platforming. It was a great combination of J&D's world traversal with the more action focus of II. It was a lot of fun, but it was really a shame that it was a small portion of the overall game.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I made it past mission 5 in DMC3 so far. This is definitely the hardest DMC game. Even normal mode has caused me quite a few deaths already, and not just from bosses. Its also the best one, with the most robust combat system and overall most satisfying balance to it. Honestly, I like the level design in this game. So far its been mostly linear but somewhat reminiscent of DMC1 with a decent amount of puzzle-solving thrown into the mix. My style of choice that I've been sticking with so far is Sword Master, since I just have to be able to air combo in order to get my stylish ranking up in the S ranks.

The boss fight with Agni and Rudra was pretty fun, though a lot easier than Cerberus, IMO. I died to them once since I took out one of the 2 (I don't remember which one is which), and then the other one took the blade of his fallen brother and with 2 swords he became a lot harder for me to deal with. So I used some simple strategy the 2nd time around and decided to just damage them both to low health before killing off one of them, so that way I could also kill off the other one before he had time to get his brother's weapon. I like multi-boss encounters that let you do stuff like that.

I also only just came to notice that even 5 missions into the game, I have yet to unlock any Devil Trigger. Did I just miss it, or is that an element introduced into the game later on?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

One thing that I should mention is that I think its kind of lame that you have to buy the same skill more than once for different weapons. I already bought Air Hike for Rebellion because I consider double-jumping to be an essential skill to have available to you in any DMC game. But then I found out that I'd need to re-buy that skill for other weapons. Why should I have to buy it again if I already bought it once? Its not like that skill has to do with the weapon itself, as it fits in more as a general Skill for Dante to have. I guess that aspect of the game just doesn't make sense to me.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I've been playing Marble Saga for the Wii on my U.

I'm finding that these marble games might be the best secret genre in all of gaming.

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Just beat the game. Act 3 was surprisingly awesome, with lots of platforming/ground combat and very little vehicle crap. I really wish the whole game had been like that. First half of the final boss was awful though. The fight itself was cake, but the driving part? UGH.

But I didn't really have much an issue with the relic hunting, I just kept moving. It wasn't fun, but compared to the over-world missions in II, it wasn't nearly as frustrating.

See, I actually found most of the overworld stuff in this game far more frustrating and tedious than anything in Jak 2 sans the invisible Metal Heads mission and a couple of escort quests. Even the hardest parts of that game were fun, for me.

The boss fight with Agni and Rudra was pretty fun though a lot easier than Cerberus, IMO.

They're INSANE on Turbo mode. Love that fight.

I also only just came to notice that even 5 missions into the game, I have yet to unlock any Devil Trigger. Did I just miss it, or is that an element introduced into the game later on?

You get it after Mission 7, I believe.

I'm finding that these marble games might be the best secret genre in all of gaming.

Yeah, marble games are amazing.

[Spark Of Spirit]

The driving part of the final boss might have been the worst driving segment in the series with the deliver the package mission in II and some of the ones in 3. I would really dig a Jak game with no vehicles. I honestly had no issue with any of the platforming missions in any of the 3 games, only the driving/over-world stuff.

I played more Marble Saga and now they started relying on rotating the stage around. I think I need a better marble because the default one has no momentum and controls too wide. I would have preferred if they just kept it simple, and I would have liked analog control over tilt, but it's still fun stuff.

[Foggle]

The driving part of the final boss might have been the worst driving segment in the series with the deliver the package mission in II and some of the ones in 3. I would really dig a Jak game with no vehicles. I honestly had no issue with any of the platforming missions in any of the 3 games, only the driving/over-world stuff.

Yeah. Naughty Dog clearly had something amazing going with all three games, but they never really found a way to reach their full potential. If you were to, say, take all of the actual platforming challenges/levels from the entire trilogy and played through them straight, you'd have one of the greatest games of all time. The filler stuff is what drags all of them down, though it's a lot less aggravating in the first two. Jak 3's ending cutscene basically tells the audience to stay tuned for more games, but Jak 4 will probably never happen now. Which is a shame, because I think they could make it something truly special, like Crack In Time and Thieves In Time. They'd have to call it ______ In Time though to complete the holy trifecta!

[Spark Of Spirit]

Well, Naughty Dog was working on a Jak reboot... but apparently it was pretty awful looking and they abandoned it.

At this point we can just hope someone like Sanzaru gets the chance to tackle it. The way they're doing the new Sly is close to what I would want for a new Jak. An over-world closer to the first game that peak into level spokes like II (and the platforming from 3) which is exactly what I want.

I'm not sure what's going on with Naughty Dog, but I'm not all to interested in their current direction.

[Rynnec]

Wasn't Lost Frontier basically a Jak 4?

[Spark Of Spirit]

I think it was by the same team that did those PSP Jak and Ratchet games. The only one of those I heard good things about was Daxter, though.

Lost Frontier apparently had a lot of bad level design issues.

[Foggle]

Was Jak 3 rushed or something? I mean, the first volcano level and the temple/sewer/dead city stuff that directly followed it was one of the absolute best gaming experiences I've ever had. But the majority of the game is just so bland and lame, right up until the final act when you get a super cool "flying" move that you only use like 3 or 4 times afterward. I feel as if most of the driving stuff was solely intended as filler to lazily pad the game out and get it done on time. Plus, the story makes very little sense and goes almost nowhere.

At this point we can just hope someone like Sanzaru gets the chance to tackle it. The way they're doing the new Sly is close to what I would want for a new Jak. An over-world closer to the first game that peak into level spokes like II (and the platforming from 3) which is exactly what I want.

I don't even care about the over-world, a lengthy series of sequential linear platforming levels would be enough for me. With more jet-board stuff! Driving and mini-games are fine as well, but keep the former to the level of Jak 1 and the latter to the level of Jak 2. And seriously, INCLUDE A DAMN STRAFE BUTTON.

I'm not sure what's going on with Naughty Dog, but I'm not all to interested in their current direction.

Same. Uncharted is kind of cool, but I can't really bring myself to care much about that or The Last Of Us.

I think it was by the same team that did those PSP Jak and Ratchet games. The only one of those I heard good things about was Daxter, though.

Daxter was actually made by the studio that did the God of War PSP games, both of which are better than the console games IMO. (I haven't played Daxter though.) Lost Frontier was made by the same guys as R&C: Size Matters and Secret Agent Clank, which explains why it isn't so good.

Lost Frontier apparently had a lot of bad level design issues.

The platforming and ground combat are pretty much broken, but that doesn't really matter because 80% of the game is flying planes. Not at all what I want from J&D.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I'd say Jak 3 was rushed. They were probably trying to make a racing game (hence Jak X) and decided to shove their racing ideas into a cobbled together Jak game. The first two had a LOT of work put into them, but 3 didn't get nearly the same polish and it shows.

If they make a new Jak the jet-board is the only vehicle I'd want to appear.

[Avaitor]

Yet another great deal! This time I got Tatsunoko vs. Capcom for $5.

I'm really building up for the best Wii collection ever.

[Spark Of Spirit]

That was my favorite new fighter of last gen. Really tight and fun stuff.