After Jak II, I had very high hopes for Jak 3. For the most part, I think Jak 3 brought some great things to the series but didn't get everything right.
Once again, Jak controls wonderfully, both with his previous abilities and new ones. He gets a new light form in addition to his dark form, and this makes for some fun platforming with his flight form. His weapons also return, and you get additional for each. I like most of them, but my 2 issues with the weapons are that A) some just seem completely worthless, like the Anti Grav one on the BFG, and B) I felt that to really get the best ammo consumption, I had to go out of my way to get collectibles to increase ammo count. Don't get me wrong, I still liked most of the upgrades (the richotching rifle shots being a personal favorite), but I didn't use all of them. We also get more ground vehicles, which, aside from the occasional required mission, are fun but forgettable. And the difficulty has been smoothed out. It's challenging, but at least it's the good challenging where you don't mind going at it.
Areas are just as well made before. We finally get to go to the Wasteland, and find it just as harsh as we heard it is. Haven City has areas crumbling due to the war going on and is incredibly creepy in some areas. The Temple is wonderfully atmospheric with it's grand structures. Naughty Dog can really make a nice looking game. However, my problem with area size in Jak II is back here. Haven City is smaller, but it's still enormous. And good Lord, the Waste Land is GIGANTIC. Once again, no warp points, so that is kind of a bummer.
The story is enjoyable, but it didn't hold my attention like it did in Jak II. The writing is still enjoyable and witty, and it can keep you on your toes, but this is not the greatest story ever told.
So yeah. Jak 3 is solid platformer, but not quite as good as Jak II.
Satisfying End to a Trilogy
After Jak II, I had very high hopes for Jak 3. For the most part, I think Jak 3 brought some great things to the series but didn't get everything right.
Once again, Jak controls wonderfully, both with his previous abilities and new ones. He gets a new light form in addition to his dark form, and this makes for some fun platforming with his flight form. His weapons also return, and you get additional for each. I like most of them, but my 2 issues with the weapons are that A) some just seem completely worthless, like the Anti Grav one on the BFG, and B) I felt that to really get the best ammo consumption, I had to go out of my way to get collectibles to increase ammo count. Don't get me wrong, I still liked most of the upgrades (the richotching rifle shots being a personal favorite), but I didn't use all of them. We also get more ground vehicles, which, aside from the occasional required mission, are fun but forgettable. And the difficulty has been smoothed out. It's challenging, but at least it's the good challenging where you don't mind going at it.
Areas are just as well made before. We finally get to go to the Wasteland, and find it just as harsh as we heard it is. Haven City has areas crumbling due to the war going on and is incredibly creepy in some areas. The Temple is wonderfully atmospheric with it's grand structures. Naughty Dog can really make a nice looking game. However, my problem with area size in Jak II is back here. Haven City is smaller, but it's still enormous. And good Lord, the Waste Land is GIGANTIC. Once again, no warp points, so that is kind of a bummer.
The story is enjoyable, but it didn't hold my attention like it did in Jak II. The writing is still enjoyable and witty, and it can keep you on your toes, but this is not the greatest story ever told.
So yeah. Jak 3 is solid platformer, but not quite as good as Jak II.