Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 609 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 535 out of 609
  2. Mixed: 56 out of 609
  3. Negative: 18 out of 609
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  1. Neo010390
    Sep 15, 2010
    8
    Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a great platform adventure game put together with slapstick comedy. Inappropriate you say, well you'll think twice as soon as you play this. From the creators that brought you Crash Bandicoot (Naughty Dog) comes a new tale about a young boy named Jak and his pal Daxter who are on there way to Misty Island to meet up with Samos, master of the GreenJak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a great platform adventure game put together with slapstick comedy. Inappropriate you say, well you'll think twice as soon as you play this. From the creators that brought you Crash Bandicoot (Naughty Dog) comes a new tale about a young boy named Jak and his pal Daxter who are on there way to Misty Island to meet up with Samos, master of the Green Eco. As soon as they arrive they come across two people named Gol and Maia who command an evil army of Lukers. Jak and Daxter attempt to leave but are attacked by one of the Lukers, Jak manages to destroy the creature with a barrel of Eco, but Jak gets knocked back and accidently bumps Daxter into a pool of Dark Eco which turns him into a orange ottsel (a sort of otter or weasel). Worried and frightened they finally meet up with Samos who explains that only the Sage of Dark Eco can change Daxter back. It's up to Jak and his new transformed pal Daxter to defeat the Lukers and stop Gol and Maia before they can flood the world with Dark Eco. During your journey you will be helped by Samos and his daughter Keira a mechanical engineer (and love interest of Jak) who builds machines of transport to take you to the sage of Dark Eco. Along the way she requires you to find Power Cells in order to powerup her machines. You play as Jak in the game and Daxter assists you with some hints to help you out. You can attack by pressing the square button for a power puch and the circle button for a spin, also there are Eco powers you can use as well. Blue Eco makes you speed up and jump high into the air to reach those really high ledges and Orange Eco gives you the power to shoot enemies. There are puzzles to be solved, tasks to be completed and challenges to accomplish throughout the game. In order to advance further you need to collect as many Power Cells as possible which are not easy to find. There are 101 to find in total. These are found by defeating enemies, accomplishing tasks set by friends on the islands, trading Precursor Orbs and completing puzzles. The journey is a sort of a tunnel like in the Crash series, from one Island to another but it is more free roaming and there are a number of tasks to complete. Every time you collect one Jak and Daxter will do a dance (like the Crash dance in Crash Bandicoot) which is hillarious. There are some great vehicles you ride which can run over water and lava. Jak and Daxter definitely make a great duo together and Daxter is my favourite and funniest in the game. For those who don't like games mixed with comedy and slapstick should at least give Jak and Daxter a second chance and you may think twice. There are a few problems though in the game. Jak doesn't really have a lot of attack moves and you can't defend yourself, so if there are hundreds at you at once your screwed. Jumping is a real issue at times as well, you can't jump a great leap even by double jumping. Checkpoints are rare and you don't actually know when you've reached a checkpoint until you die, if you do then you'll start back at that checkpoint and you will have to go through all what you did before. Jak is the only playable character in the game, I would have liked it more if you could also play as Daxter. Despite this Jak and Daxter is a great platform warm up for the PS2 and you will have hours of fun.… Expand
  2. Independent101
    Jul 14, 2012
    10
    So many colors! i love how many colors they put in this game, and how beautiful it is watching it turn from day to noon to evening to night, killin' enemies,platforming and collecting stuff. than collect stuff and sell it to get more stuff, killing enemies to unlock stuff that unlocks more stuff to get more stuff. beautiful...just...beautiful.
  3. SandeProElite
    Apr 6, 2012
    10
    This is one of my favourite platformer games. The game is completely open world with no loading times and has a great story. The difficulty scales up just perfectly, and the bosses are well balanced. Over all it's a unique experience I'd recommend to try out.
  4. Lost_Hero9
    May 7, 2012
    10
    Back in 2001, this was the best game created and one of the most creative games I've played. It still holds a special place in my heart and its how I got into the Jak and Daxter series. Its also one of my first PS2 games I bought. An amazing game indeed!!
  5. yoshistar456
    Mar 24, 2016
    10
    Oh my god, we're now heading into Jak and Daxter. I love 3D platformers, and this is just... wow. I was always a Nintendo guy, but this game made me get into Sony. If I'm not playing Mario 64, Sonic Generations, or The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, then it's this game. I don't spoil plots, but all I can say is that compared to the later games in the series, it's incredibly simple.Oh my god, we're now heading into Jak and Daxter. I love 3D platformers, and this is just... wow. I was always a Nintendo guy, but this game made me get into Sony. If I'm not playing Mario 64, Sonic Generations, or The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, then it's this game. I don't spoil plots, but all I can say is that compared to the later games in the series, it's incredibly simple. Anyways, graphically, even for today's standards it's amazing. I always liked to just roam around, doing nothing at all, and look at how beautiful the game is. The soundtrack, while not perfect, is okay. This is one of my favorite games of all time, and I highly recommend it.… Expand
  6. AllAroundGamer
    Nov 1, 2011
    10
    A well made game to say the least. Fun and I love the miniquest system. Very innovative and original. I applaud Naughty Dog for this game. A fun game to get a series going.
  7. DarkJak1998
    Jul 11, 2012
    10
    This Game, Is a Master Piece...I loved It the ending was good, gameplay was brilliant and the Boss battle was superb! It would be in the top 10 Greatest Games of all time!
  8. JakFisher123
    Nov 12, 2012
    9
    Jak & Daxter is a great platform adventure game, that may lack in originality, but makes up for in charm, playability, and pure immersion. The plot is simple to follow, with two friends who, after getting themselves into trouble on Misty Island (Daxter gets turned into an ottsel), set out to find help in undoing their mess at the advice of Samos, only to uncover a conspiracy to flood theJak & Daxter is a great platform adventure game, that may lack in originality, but makes up for in charm, playability, and pure immersion. The plot is simple to follow, with two friends who, after getting themselves into trouble on Misty Island (Daxter gets turned into an ottsel), set out to find help in undoing their mess at the advice of Samos, only to uncover a conspiracy to flood the lands in Dark ego. The gameplay is simple, with the basic spin, punch, dive and jump being carried over from Naughty Dogs previous games, Crash Bandicoot, while also adding in some nice driving scenes and other side missions, like collecting scout flies. To progress through the game you need to collect power cells, similar to Super Mario's stars, which may be a turn off to some. The games biggest achievement however has to be its large, detailed world, full of places to explore, people to meet, things to collect and secrets to uncover, all without any load times. The game falls short however in some areas, mainly its length and replay value. It may take between 8 - 10 hours, depending on how avid a collector you are, and when you finish there is little else to do game play wise, except...collect...Though you can always pass the time running around taking in your surroundings, narrated by Daxter, your likeable, if somewhat annoying sidekick. At the end of the day, this game lives up the the hype built up around its release, and makes the most out of the PS2's engine, despite its lack of any real originality.… Expand
  9. TheAgentBrandon
    Feb 25, 2013
    10
    My personal favorite of the Jak series to be honest. I loved the route they took with this game and it was a lot of fun to playthrough as a little kid. I still play it every once in a while, it's a lot of fun!
  10. Harry210
    Sep 19, 2010
    9
    Jak and Daxter: The Percursor Legacy is a good game. First off, the game is lovely to look at and the 3D design of the levels was definitely revolutionary at the time. The game is huge (considering it is an early PlayStation 2 game) with multiple areas to explore. You need to collect a certain amount of Power Cells which can be obtained by doing tasks (like doing jobs for the locals) orJak and Daxter: The Percursor Legacy is a good game. First off, the game is lovely to look at and the 3D design of the levels was definitely revolutionary at the time. The game is huge (considering it is an early PlayStation 2 game) with multiple areas to explore. You need to collect a certain amount of Power Cells which can be obtained by doing tasks (like doing jobs for the locals) or finding them dotted around the area which then can be used to advance to the next area. The 2 main characters, Jak and Daxter are likable although Daxter can get on my nerves sometimes (although his voice actor is awesome) and Jak doesn't talk. This game is a nice, traditional platformer with obstacles like Dark Eco crates, nicely designed enemies and pitfalls. Jak (the main character you play as) has a variety of moves to help him fight like a punch, dive and spin attack (Like Crash Bandicoot, another game made by Naughty Dog) to help him fight his enemies. He also can charge himself with a variety of powers vented from Eco Vents like Red Eco will make Jak stronger, Orange Eco can make him shoot fireballs and Blue Eco can make him operate special platforms. The bosses are simple but cool to fight. You can also ride in a zoomer which serves as some vehicle sections over lava pits which are interesting. The script can also pop out some comedy moments especially from Daxter and the voice acting for each character is spot on. The end boss is also epic. The game does become difficult due to the fact that checkpoints are spaced out and quite rare but Jak and Daxter is an enjoyable game that fans of platformers can't miss!… Expand
  11. Taydor
    Nov 30, 2011
    10
    I don't understand why people give this game anything under a perfect score. I'm not worshiping the game and not trying to sound like a game developer's pet, but Naughty Dog just knows how to create quality products. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a mix of fun, adventure, and comic mischief. Although compared to the later titles, this game seems a tad light-hearted and strippedI don't understand why people give this game anything under a perfect score. I'm not worshiping the game and not trying to sound like a game developer's pet, but Naughty Dog just knows how to create quality products. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is a mix of fun, adventure, and comic mischief. Although compared to the later titles, this game seems a tad light-hearted and stripped down, it is still loads of fun and gets quite difficult to beat especially if you're going for collecting every item. Overall, this is a must buy for lovers of the action platform genre; There is nothing wrong with this game.… Expand
  12. brad0103triplex
    Jun 13, 2013
    10
    This game is personally my favourite game of all time and the rest of the series .It gave a new, fun and great experience. The graphics were amazing for a ps2 game and it is a game that you would play over and over!!!!!
  13. Arendelleawesom
    Jun 20, 2015
    10
    this game is one of my favorite games of all time i played it through in one sitting this game literally forged my childhood being one of the first games i have ever played. The visuals are so pretty and fun to look at and they aged so well! The colors are bright and playful. The gameplay is smooth and easy to get the hang of but also challenging when it gets to bosses or parkouring areas.this game is one of my favorite games of all time i played it through in one sitting this game literally forged my childhood being one of the first games i have ever played. The visuals are so pretty and fun to look at and they aged so well! The colors are bright and playful. The gameplay is smooth and easy to get the hang of but also challenging when it gets to bosses or parkouring areas. The story is filled with humor and even some slapstick comedy this is a game that knows it's light hearted and embraces it fully.… Expand
  14. Nam12399
    Nov 21, 2014
    8
    As an (almost) launch title for the PS2, it's good. As the devs first stray away from Crash Bandicoot, it's a good successor, my only problem is the characters. I dont find them that interesting, Daxter is very annoying and not that funny, and Jak for some reason is a mute. other than this, it's fun.
  15. Miguelinform123
    Jan 12, 2019
    10
    I'm sorry, but move over Mario! Because for me, this is the best platformer ever made and one of my favourite games of all time. All in this game is just perfect for me: The gameplay, the carachters, the humor, the graphics... All in this piece of art of gaming makes me feel as a kid every time I play it. I cannot recommend it more, just play it if you haven't! You won't regret it.
  16. bonnin40
    Feb 21, 2013
    9
    One of my favorite 3D platformers as a kid, and one of my favorite ps2 games, this is a classic platformer you shouldnt miss out on. Great gameplay, funny dialog and jokes, good story, awesome graphics, good music, and an overall experience that keeps you playing start to finish, and keeps you sucked in the whoel time. I really enjoy this game, and i reccommend it to any ps2 owner out there.
  17. RedRyan18
    May 22, 2014
    9
    Jak and Daxter is the kind of game that is timeless. It's beautiful graphics, colorful characters, excellent voice acting, and engaging gameplay still resonates with gamers today.
  18. ilovegames123
    Jul 14, 2014
    10
    Considering this game was released in 2001, you wouldn't thinnk so playing it. I had a lot of fun with it, and the graphics were great. It deserves its 10/10 rating!
  19. YordanD
    Nov 17, 2021
    10
    Open world, not a mission to mission linear style of gameplay/storytelling. Amazing platforming experience, gradual difficulty curve and variable areas/challenges available. The players is free to explore and wander. Gorgeous visuals that will stay with me for a long time.
  20. Mexican_Jesus
    Apr 5, 2016
    9
    Jak and Daxter: The precursor Legacy is an excellent platforming game that shows why the genre is so loved amongst gamers. Naughty Dog managed to create a realistic universe, with luscious visuals, somewhat interesting characters, fun explorative gameplay and a seamless semi-open world with no load times at all.
    The plot of the game is fairly simple, your companion gets into trouble and    Jak and Daxter: The precursor Legacy is an excellent platforming game that shows why the genre is so loved amongst gamers. Naughty Dog managed to create a realistic universe, with luscious visuals, somewhat interesting characters, fun explorative gameplay and a seamless semi-open world with no load times at all.
    The plot of the game is fairly simple, your companion gets into trouble and you are sent on an adventure to find a way to return him to normal, of course this doesn't quite go to plan and the person capable of helping your friend, instead decides to rule the world, it is, admittedly a simple set up, and most of the characters are 1-Dimensional, but it serves its purpose well and gives the player a good enough reason to set off on their adventure. And what an adventure it is. You will cross through fiery canyons, snowy mountains, jungles, underground temples and swamplands. Each of these areas are brilliantly designed with different challenges ranging from punching a pelican to navigating a snowy fort. The game has very smooth controls with each move easily flowing into another, and allowing a more experienced player to navigate the levels more efficiently, which is a nice reward for those willing to understand the games mechanics. The game adds some variety in the form of a hoverbike and a bird that Jak can ride on to navigate areas differently and completely missions which would otherwise be impossible. While these are integrated nicely into the game and control just fine, it would have been nice if they were used in more levels, for more tasks as opposed to being in restricted areas. Along with this are some absolutely beautiful visuals, while not quite as polished as the sequels, the visual variety, excellent texture work, and fantastic lighting system make each level distinguished from each other, whilst still looking natural. The soundtrack of the game is generally understated and not the most memorable unfortunately, it works well to create an ambience within the levels, but none of the music is too catchy, which is a shame. Overall this is an excellent game that is a must play for fans of the platforming genre.    … Expand
  21. Untitled94
    Nov 1, 2016
    8
    This is basically the Crash game we should've got, but didn't. The very first Jak & Daxter game is a really good platformer, but it can get a little boring at times. Once you figure out what to do where, it is really cool. You don't have to have new power ups to complete an area, you can complete a level in one go. It can be a little frustrating trying to get everything in an area, butThis is basically the Crash game we should've got, but didn't. The very first Jak & Daxter game is a really good platformer, but it can get a little boring at times. Once you figure out what to do where, it is really cool. You don't have to have new power ups to complete an area, you can complete a level in one go. It can be a little frustrating trying to get everything in an area, but it's not as bad as some other games. In comparison to the sequels, this might be the easiest and shortest Jak & Daxter game. Well, if you only include the Naughty Dog ones that is.… Expand
  22. KratosKong
    Jan 18, 2019
    10
    Excelente titulo de plataformas con un gran mundo interconectado y zonas bien diferenciadas.
  23. Lycan1795
    Aug 16, 2019
    10
    This was the first PS2 game I've ever played and i still play it to this day. An amazing game through and through. It is sad that there are no games today with replay value as high as any of the Jak games. Everything from the art to the level design is astonishing for 2001, like it has no loading screens...

    The story itself is quite simple but interesting at the same time, get from    This was the first PS2 game I've ever played and i still play it to this day. An amazing game through and through. It is sad that there are no games today with replay value as high as any of the Jak games. Everything from the art to the level design is astonishing for 2001, like it has no loading screens...

    The story itself is quite simple but interesting at the same time, get from point A to B with obstacles in the way and mysteries as to where the other sages have disappeared to.

    Soundtrack too is really good.

    If anyone has not played it, you are missing out big time    … Expand
  24. Jciam3
    Aug 24, 2019
    9
    This is an absolutely beautiful game for its time, it has decent controls, [even if there's no option to flip the camera & a slightly faulty double jump] and a nice storyline. The Only flaw is that it's a bit easier than I'd like, but atleast there's no cheap deaths. [Or load time!] Overall, this game is beautiful and well made with few flaws.
  25. Khazar2
    Jul 23, 2020
    9
    Great game with a well designed world and plot to go with it. It's one of the best platformers but the levels can be a bit too linear compared to Jak 2 and Jak 3.
  26. JoseManuel10_
    Mar 2, 2022
    8
    The game features many platformer challenges with elements from the action adventure and brawler genres. Players are required to collect Precursor orbs and power cells in order to further northward progress. During the quest, new locations are visited, centered upon village hubs, with many new faces requesting of the duo the completion of various missions around the area.
  27. Yagrold
    Mar 14, 2014
    10
    Jak and Daxter is the game that do what nintendon't do with The Legend of Zelda. Just incridible, a game made with love and time, and is one of the most innovative of the generation. Congratulations to Sony.
  28. DANTESPARDA
    Feb 26, 2002
    9
    A little bit difficult sometimes but....Focus on the game, give it a half hour, and you'll end up playin' this game all nite until 6 am, like i did.
    A master´piece, and in contrast to the PS2'S CRASH BANDICOOT LOADING TIMES, WORTHY OF THE XV CENTURY INQUISITION'S TORTURE TECHNIQUES, JAK AND DAXTER DON'T HAVE A SINGLE LOADING TIME IN THE WHOLE GAME. SUPERB.
  29. AnonymousMC
    Jun 28, 2002
    9
    This game is amazing- the levels are giant, the acting is actually good, and it is challenging. This game reminds me of the Spyro the Dragon series- you help someone, and in return you get want you are searching for (Like helping them so they will give you a dragon egg).
  30. ImmaGamer
    Mar 24, 2011
    8
    If you like games like Sly Cooper, and Ratchet & Clank, than you'll love this. Me, personally I loved those games so this one was pretty good too. The graphics are really good for 2001, and the voice acting is good. The best part of this one is the maps. These great, nice and green areas are really nice. Overall this game is a great one if you have a PS3 or PS2.
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PS2 Game of 2001
7
#7 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2001
9
#9 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 35
  3. Negative: 0 out of 35
  1. Yahoo!
    90
    One of the most thrilling games to hit PS2 since its launch.
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  2. TotalPlayStation
    94
    From the way the game renders an entire world that you can explore from one end to the next without a single loading screen, to animation that literally trounces anything ever seen in any videogame, to game design that keeps things interesting despite being what some would call “just a fetch quest,” this is a perfect example of the next generation in videogames.
    Read full review
  3. GamePen
    90
    Simply amazing.
    Read full review
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