Playstation 2 Preview		by Brian Gee
Category	Platformer
Preview Date	8/01
Planned Release	Winter 2001
Publisher	Sony

Is that a weasely ferret rat otter in your pocket?

As I walked through the land o' gaming heaven at this past E3, I had a list of games that I wanted to see. Cool action games like Devil May Cry, fighting games like DOA 3 and RPGs like Neverwinter Nights had been bouncing around my mind for weeks before the show.

But little did I know that there was one particular platformer lurking around the Sony booth that would grab me by the neck, tickle my funny bone and surprise the hell out of me. Yep, I was caught off guard by a man and his, um, otter-like-ferrety-meerkat thingy.

Click to enlarge!

Enter the world of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, where life is good until you've been turned into some sort of small fuzzy creature. Naughty Dog, the same crew that developed the Crash Bandicoot games, is hard at work with this brand spanking new PS2 platformer and if the E3 build is any indication, there will be a lot of mad-hopping fun coming our way this winter.

Like any good platformer, Jak & Daxter features a pair of interesting stars. There's Jak, the big guy with equally big ears, and Daxter, his wacky, orange furred companion. Story has it that our two buddies were out exploring some ancient temple when Daxter fell into a vat of gooey matter known as "Dark Eco." Daxter emerged from the evil substance as an insignificant rodent, and the game chronicles the pair's journey to change Daxter back into his normal self. Of course, other sinister forces are afoot, and if my storytelling sense is still with me, the two unlikely heroes will probably end up saving the universe.

The gameplay consists of your basic platforming elements with a few awesome variations. Magical Eco can be found throughout the world, bestowing Jak with mystical powers. Each of these powers makes for some interesting puzzles and though it's not completely clear what all the powers are at this point, you can be sure it's better than getting a super growth mushroom or fireball flower.

Jak & Daxter also features a non-linear adventure. While the majority of the story progresses in a certain order, puzzles can be solved in multiple ways, leading to different routes to complete your goal. For instance, there is one part where the heroes must infiltrate a fort and defeat the enemies within. You could storm the main gate and fight your way to victory from there OR you could use stealth to take over one of the cannons on the other side, shooting your enemies from on high.

The journey is also packed with a bunch of mini-games that provide some added fun. I was shown one that involved catching fish out of a river, which essentially played like a game of good old-fashioned Atari Kaboom! In fact, there are a bunch of homages to the great games of yesteryear. Anyone remember that game with the big monkey that threw barrels at a plumber guy? Well, I'll just leave the rest to your imagination.

And if your imagination is any good, you'll be able to picture the beautiful world in which the game takes place. Rich colors and awesome graphics are all scheduled to make a grand appearance. Other cool visual effects include a full day/night cycle and some nifty heat distortion effects. If my eyes could drool, they would be doing so right now.

Perhaps the coolest bit is the ability to go anywhere the eye can see. If there's a mountain in the distance, you can get there. A river down below? No problem. All you have to do is figure out how. Jak & Daxter looks to create a truly immersive world in which traveling from location to location is just as important as what you do once you get there.

Needless to say, Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is hands-down the coolest platformer I've seen in a long time. With a hefty dose of comedy and an expansive world, we could very well have a new mascot for the next generation.

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy is due out Winter 2001 for the Playstation 2.

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