Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

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Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy
Developer	Naughty Dog
Publisher	Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEA)
Released	North America: December 4, 2001 Europe: December 7, 2001 Japan: December 20, 2001
Genre	Platform
Modes	Singeplayer
Ratings	ESRB: Everyone (E) PEGI: 3+ ELSPA: 3+ OFLC: G USK: Unrestricted
Platforms	PlayStation 2
Media	DVD-ROM
Preceded by	N/A
Followed by	Daxter

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy Is the first game in Jak and Daxter series. It is the first game on Playstation 2 and considered to be one of the best games on this console and one of the best platformers.

In this game player is given an opportunity to explore the big world with some interesting physical effects like becoming wet after getting into the water, having the overview of the world from high points and active changing of day and night, fighting enemies, solving puzzles and completing minigames.

[edit] Plot

Jak is ready for the Misty Island

The story begins with Samos the Sage, the master of Green Eco, speaking cryptically of the Precursors, the masters of the universe and creators of all life on the planet. As he still has questions of their existence, Samos is searching for answers. He elaborates on two young boys, the fifteen-year-old Jak (who refuses to gain Samos' teachings) and his best friend Daxter. The two decide to make their way to Misty Island, the one place Samos told them not to go.

Gol, the sage of the Dark Eco

They arrive on the island just in time to witness a large gathering of Lurkers before two twisted figures looking for Artifacts hidden within the village and also preparing to attack the village as well. Jak and Daxter, worried by what they are seeing, try to escape the island, when they find a pool of Dark Eco. While approaching the pool, Daxter discovers a small Eco barrel after tripping on it. Daxter tosses it to Jak, and it lights up in his hands. A Lurker commander (who heard something when Jak and Daxter tried to escape) suddenly shows up, and attacks them.

Both of the boys panic and Jak throws the Eco barrel at the Lurker, which explodes, the force of the explosion throws Jak backwards into Daxter. Daxter falls into the pit of Eco below. Jak is devastated for a minute, believing that his best friend is dead, but Daxter is spat back out unharmed. Jak looks at him strangely, and Daxter realises he has a tail. He screams in fright; Because of his short exposion to Dark Eco, he had been changed into an Ottsel.

They return to Sandover Village and seek help from Samos, but he proclaims that he couldn't help Daxter, even if he wanted to. He adds that only Gol Acheron, the Sage of Dark Eco, can help change Daxter back, but they would have to travel far north, to where Gol lives. He also tells them that he could have teleported them there, but that the Teleport Rings doesn't work, as the other Sages haven't turned theirs on for quite a while.

The route they have to travel is blocked by the Fire Canyon, and to traverse it Jak and Daxter need a Zoomer vehicle powered by powercells. In order to power up the Zoomer's heat shield, Jak and Daxter need to find a certain amount of Power Cells. Keira, Samos' daughter, is mecahnically adept and had built one.

After a training part, They begin their adventure into the dangerous parts of the land in search of the Power Cells. They soon recover enough to power the heat shield and journey through Fire Canyon aboard their Zoomer. At the end of the canyon is Rock Village, which is being destroyed by a giant Lurker named Klaww. In addition to this, the Blue Sage who watches over the village has mysteriously vanished.

Jak and Daxter find themselves in search of more power cells to power an anti-gravity device that will unblock the way to Klaww's lair. After opening a path up the mountain, they defeat Klaww and ride down the mountain to the Volcanic Crater. Jak then makes his way to the Red Sage's laboratory, where he learns that all of the other sages have been kidnapped by the same figures who command the Lurkers.

The Oracle of the Volcanic Crater

The kidnappers turn out to be Gol and Maia. Jak must recover more Power Cells to fuel an upgraded form of Keira's heat shield. Their task complete, Jak and Daxter use the Zoomer to navigate the Lava Tube to the Yellow Sage's laboratory, where they activate the warp ring so that Keira can come through. Once she arrives, she tearfully regales that Samos has been captured as well. Journeying through Gol and Maia's citadel, Jak and Daxter succeed in freeing the Blue, Red, Yellow, and Green Sage, and then travel up an elevator to the top of the Dark Eco Silo. There they confront Gol and Maia who have pieced together the ruins of a Precursor Robot in order to open the silos and release the Dark Eco inside. Jak battles the pair, but only defeats them with the help of a White Eco source. Daxter realizes that the White Eco would change him back to normal, but instead decides to allow Jak to save the world with it. Jak channels the White Eco through his body, and beams the energy towards the robot, disabling it and ruining Gol's and Maia's plans.

The two are then locked into the silos and said to be destroyed by the Dark Eco's power and  to have died, but Samos has his doubts about the two being completely destroyed and dead, hinting that they might return.

After the adventure has ended, our heroes find an ancient Precursor Ring near to the silo where Gol and Maia were imprisoned that is explained more in the sequel, Jak II.

[edit] Gameplay

Jak finds a Power Cell

Gameplay of this game is platform-based, with mini games and transport driving.

[edit] Items

Being a platformer, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy offers many collectibles for the player to find throughout the game, including:

• Power Cells - The main source of power allowing the player to advance to the next area in the game. They are small and circular, orbited by four outer spheres and a fifth smaller one, making them look something like an enlarged atom. Power cells are obtained by performing various tasks throughout the game.
• Precursor Orbs - Egg-like objects that are found floating slightly above the ground in unexplored areas. These are used as the currency throughout the world, allowing the player to purchase Power Cells during the course of the game.
• Scout Flies - Small fly-like creatures trapped in red and silver boxes which are found in each area. Collecting all seven scout flies in each area yields a power cell.
• Eco - May show up in vents or as floating spheres. Different types of Eco enable Jak to perform different feats. Includes Green Eco, Blue Eco, Yellow Eco, and Red Eco.

[edit] Locations

In this game there are various locations to visit. All this posses it's own enemies, traps and missions.

• Geyser Rock - a place where the game begins. It's an island not far from Sandover village and used by Samos as a training ground. No enemies are here.
• Sandover Village - a village where different characters live, including Jak, Daxter, Samos and Keira. Here Jak and Daxter find many people, who want them to do something for a Power Cell.
• Sentinel Beach - a place lying west of Sandover village. It's full of Lurkers and contains many Precursor orbs and Power cells.
• Forbidden Jungle - a jungle placed east of Sandover village. A big Precursor building known as the forbidden temple stands at the center of it.
• Misty Island - an island, situated east of Geyser Rock. Daxter was turned into an ottsel here. This is dark and scary place, with a lot of bones of some big animals. There are lots of lurkers here. A big arena made of precursor metal can be found here as well.
• Fire Canyon - a canyon full of lava, which can only be crossed using the A-grav zoomer. Keira put some balloons with cold air here, which can be collected to cool off the zoomer. Some lurkers on the cooler patches of ground can be found too.
• Rock Village - a place where the Blue sage's hut is situated. It was attacked by Klaww.
• Precursor Basin - a place where you can find a lot of things made of precursor metal. This place can only be traversed via the A-grav Zoomer.
• Lost Precursor City - A city made by the precursors long ago. It is situated mostly underwater. It hides a lot of mysteries and traps. You can find lurkers here too.
• Boggy Swamp - a swamp situated north to Rock Village. There is a large zeppelin floating above it.
• Mountain Pass - a pass in the mountains leading to the Volcanic Crater. To get here you have to power up the blue sage's machine with power cells and defeat Klaww. After defeating Klaww the mission must be completed on the Zoomer.
• Volcanic Crater - a place where Red sage's hut is situated. It's rather empty as there are only miners and the Oracle here.
• Spider Cave - a scary cave full of lurker-spiders and dark eco. Gol and Maya are trying to remove a Precursor Robot from the rock here.
• Snowy Mountain - a mountain where the lurker's fort is situated. To get here you have to collect some power cells.
• Lava Tube - a big tube full of lava which takes you to Gol and Maia's Citadel. Once again the A-Grav Zoomer must be used. There are also balloons with cold air. While crossing you can see dark eco crates being transported (most of which you must try and avoid).
• Gol and Maia's Citadel - the final location in the game. Jak must rescue all the sages here and defeat Gol and Maia's precursor robot in order to finish the game. Lastly, at the conclusion of the credits there is an alternate 'secret' ending - however this is only revealed if at least 100 Power Cells were acquired.

[edit] Travel

There are several ways to travel between locations in this game:

• On foot - the common type of travel. Most of locations in this game can be traveled only in such a way.
• By Teleport gate - this gates can be found only on the Geyser rock (and the only way to travel here is this), sage's huts and near the entrance to the Gol and Maya's citadel, and you can easily use it. However, to travel to each Teleport Gate you will have to turn it on.
• By transport - there are several locations which can be travelled using A-grav Zoomer (such as precursor basin). There are several places in some locations where you can use A-grav Zoomer or Flut-Flut (such as Misty island). Also there are Olie's boat, which is the only way to get to the Misty island.

[edit] Transport

There are three types of transport in this game:

• A-Grav Zoomer - A zoomer invented by Keira. It's flown by a propeller and cannot withstand a lot of heat. It can be driven in the Misty island, Fire Canyon, Precursor Basin, Mountain Pass and Lava Tube.
• Flut-Flut - A large predatory bird, which is used as transport. It's little wings do not allow it to fly, but it can glide a little with them. It can only be ridden in Boggy Swamp or Snowy mountain.
• Ollie's boat - A boat which is unlocked as you complete Ollie's fishing minigame. It's the only way to get to Misty Island.

[edit] Mini games

There are three challenges which can be actually called the mini games, however, all the game is built on such a things:

• Fishing - while first talking to the Ollie in the forbidden jungle, he will ask you to catch 200 pounds of good fish and catch none of poisonous. There are two types of good fish - 1 pound and 5 pound.
• Rat shooting - this can be played in Boggy swamp by talking to the Boggy Billy. In this you should shoot the swamp rats, looking through your goggles, before they get to the mushrooms. You can move the aim horizontaly only.
• Zoomer race - this is located in the precursor basin. Here you have to get to the finish as fast as you can.

[edit] Boxes

Like the previous Naughty Dog game franchise, Crash Bandicoot, and unlike the next Jak games this game has different types of boxes:

• Normal chest - This can be broken using any attack and have different eco inside.
• Strong chests - This can be destroyed only when charged with red eco, shooting a fireball, from a cannon or on the zoomer. They have precursor orbs or even power cells inside.
• Red boxes - These can be opened with the dive attack and have scout flys inside.
• Dark Eco boxes - Boxes, containing deadly dark eco. If you touch them, you lose health. There are even large dark eco boxes, transported in the Lava Tube.

[edit] Enemies

All the enemies are Lurkers, beside the two bosses. Gol and Maia use them to take over the world.

[edit] Bosses

• Dark Eco Plant Found in Forbidden Jungle (mini-boss, optional)

• Klaww Found in Mountain Pass

• Gol and Maia's Precursor Robot Found in their citadel, trying to open a Dark Eco Silo.

[edit] Soundtrack

The music for this game was produced by the Mutato Muzika studio. It can be compared to some of the songs in the Crash Bandicoot series.

[edit] Gallery

American back cover

European back cover

Japaneese front cover

Japaneese back cover

[edit] Videos