Jak X: Combat Racing

Throwing the numbering system into Arbitraryland, 2005's Jak X also discards a number of other things from the previous games, i.e. everything but the racing aspect of 3. Still, the game makes no bones about what it is: a minigame gone big time. As such, it's perfectly serviceable, and a welcome continuation for those craving more Jak stories.

Jak and compatriates are invited to Kras City for the reading of a will. Krew (see Jak II) has invited a number of his former employees and contacts to join his daughter for a celebratory drink in Krew's honor. Unfortunately, the wine is poisoned and the only way to get the antidote is to win the Kras City Racing Championship. Their lives may be on the line, but the competition won't take anything lying down, as the control of the city's crime syndicate is also up for grabs. Facing off against the shadowy, never-seen crime lord Mizo, his top racer Razer, and constantly in the public eye courtesy of television personality G. T. Blitz, Jak and co. will need more than luck to pull through.

Images:

The requisite new 'do
The slimeball's lovely daughter
Razer can be intimidating...
... but G. T. Blitz is always annoying
Just another day at the races
Opening movie

Jak 3

Increasingly idiosyncratic in its naming conventions, 2004's Jak 3 is the "final" game in the series, despite having two more titles come out after it. Perhaps realizing that the doom and gloom approach of II was a bit heavy-handed, publisher Naughty Dog went back to a slightly more carefree overall feel, which is a bit odd considering the lingering darkness of plot. With an even heavier emphasis on racing than previous installments—this time with four-wheeled vehicles rather than the motorcycle-like zoomers—and a change in voice acting that relegated designated love interest Keira to little more than a cameo role, 3 alienated a number of fans, although the gameplay as a whole was a little more manageable and the over-arching story is brought to a conclusion of sorts. The locations in particular brought a nice balance back to the games, alternating between a vast desert and a scaled-down version of the city from II, harkening back to the open spaces of the first game while embracing the challenge of the second.

Jak may have defeated the metalhead leader and saved Haven from destruction, but the populace—carefully lead by the scheming Count Veger—doesn't trust him and, after a new attack, Jak is held responsible and exiled to the Wasteland. Picked up by Damas, king of Spargus—a city of exiles and an oasis in the harsh desert—and embittered by the betrayal of his adopted home, Jak sets about building a new life for himself and his faithful friend Daxter. In between proving himself to Damas, dealing with the outright hostility of the local monks, and deciding whether he should answer Ashelin and Torn's call to help Haven again, Jak also picks up some new light eco abilities and finds out just why his friend Sig was haunting Haven in the first place. The answer will end up changing Jak's life forever.

Images:

Jak and Daxter, v. 3.0
Dark Jak is still alive and kicking
And Light Jak joins the party
Veger supervises Jak's exile
Damas and Jak enjoy a heart to heart
Ashelin asks for help
Torn is pleased to see Jak again
All in a day's work
A leisurely desert cruise
Game intro movie

Jak II

Jak and Daxter may have been a light-hearted game, but 2004's Jak II turned the brightness down by a spectacular amount. The bright, pastoral openness of the first game is hedged into an enormous but dark, dirty, run-down city. The platform aspects remain the same, but the addition of a variety of guns add shooter to the genre list. More than the appearance darkens in this game, as the bright-eyed, silent Jak of the original gains a voice and turns anti-hero, with a predilection for hijacking vehicles and mowing down pedestrians caught in the crossfire. The darkness is also an indicator of depth, however, as the plot is more intricate and the characters more detailed than before.

When the investigation of a Precursor relic on the behalf of Samos and Keira goes amiss, Jak and Daxter find themselves alone in a strange city, but not for long: Jak is captured by the Krimzon Guard while Daxter runs off, promising to rescue his friend in no time. Two years later, Jak's a prisoner, undergoing near-constant torture and infusions of dark eco. Daxter finds him in the nick of time, as Baron Praxis, the ruler of the city, issues the order to have Jak killed off that night. Jak utters his first words before transforming into a uncontrollable monster and only barely changes back before killing his best friend. Thus begins an effort to get revenge on Praxis, whether it be joining Torn and the Underground to overthrow the Baron or working as hired muscle for Krew, the city's biggest mobster. Throw in the fact that the city itself is under assault by Metalheads, the true heir needs protecting, Keira and Samos are still missing, and the captain of the KG has a burning desire for Jak's head on a plate, the Demolition Duo have their work cut out for them.

Images:

J&D, the new look
Tall, dark, and gruesome
Erol, KG captain and Praxis' right hand man
Jak is a little too pleased with his new weapon
Torn is less pleased with newcomers
Ashelin, KG spy, is also a tad suspicious
Krew may be scum, but he's powerful scum
Sig, Krew's main enforcer, is surprisingly decent, though
Things may be bleak, but there's always time to relax
Game opening movie