Video Game Review: ‘Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier’ Missed Opportunity

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CHICAGO – It would be polite to say that “Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier” is merely an unessential entry in one of the most beloved franchises of the ’00s. It would be more accurate to say that it’s a disappointment, a missed opportunity to create a true sequel to one of the most essential PSP games in the history of the handheld platform, “Daxter”.

Video Game Rating: 2.5/5.0

First, a little history - “Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy” was released for the PS2 in 2001 and followed by the very popular “Jak II” and “Jak 3” on the same platform. “Jak X: Combat Racing” was the last game released exclusively for the PS2 in 2005 and followed by arguably the best game in the line, “Daxter” for the PSP in 2006.

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier Photo credit: Sony

Three years later, the heroes have yet to make their debut on the PS3 and the plot has gone back to pick-up after the events of “Jak 3”. It’s not the only element of the game that feels like it’s going in reverse. With the newest installment of Sony’s “Uncharted” franchise being promoted like a “Twilight” sequel, one has to wonder why an entry in such a hit franchise has been so under-marketed. One doesn’t wonder after playing the game for a few hours.

Part of the problem is that the developers that made this franchise a hit have moved on to more vital properties. Naughty Dog has moved on to “Uncharted” and Ready at Dawn made arguably the best PSP game ever, “God of War: Chains of Olympus”. High Impact Games has taken over and released a pretty standard platforming title with some nice visuals but clunky camera work and a general lack of creative spark.

Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier Photo credit: Sony

The plot picks up after “Jak 3” with our title characters and Keira searching for Eco. The world supply is dwindling and the triumphant trio needs to figure out why by flying to different planets, upgrading new weapons, and learning kick-ass abilities. The new skills to pay Jak’s bills come from idols that he encounters throughout the game, giving him a variety of powers including slowing time, constructing platforms, or teleportation. Learning what skill to use in what situation is the main key to puzzle-solving your way through the game.

Of course, as with most PSP platformers, the other key is jumping. A LOT of jumping. Jak jumps on platforms, swings on poles, and generally bounces around the universe. The problem is that to make such a jumping-centric game interesting, there better be some solid camera work and well-developed puzzles. Both arenas are disappointing with the static angle causing a lot of missed jumps and most of the “what skill to use” rooms coming off predictable and underdeveloped.

Surprisingly, the scenes without the personalities of Jak and Daxter work the best. At times, the duo gets behind the wheel of their plane and there are a few dogfighting levels that are pretty well designed. There’s also a solid customization to this section of the game, allowing for upgrades to your plane that including machine guns, missiles, speed upgrades, etc.

As for how it looks, “The Lost Frontier” is pretty effective for the PSP but the environments are woefully underdeveloped. Flying has a nice three-dimensionality but the other denizens of the world the heroes visit just don’t feel solid. The graphics can be wildly inconsistent with Jak and Daxter themselves looking great, as do a few villains, but the backgrounds hint at a title that, overall, wasn’t well-conceived.

When you play a great game like “Uncharted 2,” you can feel the dedication and love for the product in every element of it. With “Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier,” that love only comes through every once in awhile with too much of the game feeling like something someone created as a part of a job and not a passion.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com