Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is the first of the Jak and Daxter franchise, one of the first platformers on the PlayStation 2 and considered one of the best. Published by Sony Computer Entertainment on December 2001.
Jak, the silent protagonist of the game is a determined and strong 15 year old. Accompanied by his trouble making friend Daxter, who in the beggining of the game is transformed into an Ottsel (hybrid between otter and weasel)
Set on a fictional planet created by Naughty Dog, the player’s goal is to gather items, the main collectible being Power Cells that the player needs to progress through the levels. Other collectibles include the Precursor Orbs, used as currency and Scout Flies, that reward the player with a Power Cell if all 7 Flies are collected in a level.
Eco is a powerful energy with six different forms, green Eco regenerates Jak’s health, Blue Eco raises Jak’s speed and attracts precursor orbs, Red Eco increases Jak’s attack power and Yellow Eco allows the player to shoot energy through his hands. Other types of Eco are the Dark Eco, that damages the player in small quantities but large amounts result in immediate death, and the Light Eco, only seen during the final Boss battle and is a combination of green, blue, red and yellow Eco.
Jak and Daxter get in trouble after going against Samos the Sage’s warnings and going to Misty island where they see people scheming with an army of evil creatures named Lurkers. They try to leave unnotced but are attacked by a Lurker, and with an accidental explosion, Daxter is thrown into Dark Eco which turns him into an Ottsel. They manage to escape and return to their village where they seek help to return Daxter to normal. To return Daxter to normal they must find Gol, the Dark Eco sage and the main villain. In order to get to Gol, they need Power Cells, that the player obtains by completing levels and challenges, defeating bosses along the way. Ultimately Daxter sacrifices his chance to return to normal in order to defeat Gol and save the world.
Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy was a success with very positive reviews praising the graphics, characters and gameplay.
Naughty Dog 